Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-06-04
BEWARE OF THE ROCK.

A nameless correspondent of the Portage Demo
Graz, who is, says the editor, zone of the mos. do.
voted and intelligent men in the State, and who
has been struggling and sacrificing in the cause Of
human freedom for the last thirty years." writes
in the following responding style!
May IL, 1859.
The fact is, | have no heart to talk or think
about the prominent events of the dag. l have
ceased to hope anything from human ugency, id
behalf Of the oppressed and wrongod of our land
and l generally feel that it is wiser to calmly await
events, and the rulings of Gods providence, than
to worry myself about human rights, as l have
done oil my life. For the first time in my life,
some ten days since, | refused my sympathy to o
colored man who came along soliciting aid to r.:
deem his family from slavery. l said to him-Go
back to your native land. and stand your lot with
your race, and help them to work out their own re-
d~emption there is no othor help for y, u. / could
only be persuaded, when he promised TO 90 10 Can.
ada with his redeemed family and enroll himself
with the Sons Of Freedom there, holding them
selves in readiness to march to the South at tho
first notice of the outbreak and Instruction which
is inevitable there. AS God is my witness, friend
HAIL, | believe there is no redemption for the black
man, but in instruction and blood. WHO would
be free, themselves must strike the blow" Trus.
God can work out their redemption in some way
we little dream of but Justice His Justice, will
not allow the oppressor to escape in a less rum
mary way.
Lock at it! What have we done. in thirty years
of agitation and remonstrance? Advanced back
ward, with tremendous stridesl But Yesterday,
as it were. the least we demanded, was, that Free:
dom should be the rule, and Slavery the exception:
Now, ,lavery the rule, and Freedom the exception,
is the rule in every branch of the Government
Legislative. Executive and Judicial. And the most
we think Of claiming, is. that the people may, if
they insist, establish Freedom. The Republican
party, even, Is timid in asserting that ground
Who would have believed, twenty years ago, that
a serious OF formidable proposition would be made
10 repeal the Missouri Compromised Who would
have believed, ten years ngo, that n serious at
tempt would be made to reopen t 9 Foreign Slave
Trade? We used to demand of our Representa-
tives, promises to go for the suppression Of Slave
~ in the District of Columbia. and of the inter-
State Slave Trade. Those matters are given up
as beresies by all parties.
The fact is, our people-the people of the FREQ
Statcs-the people of Ohio-by a large major
ity, are tn .tavor Of Siarery. Not, perhaps, in tho
abstract-but as matters stand. That is, they
rather the black man in this country should bd
kept in Slavery, and all facilities of emancipation
discouraged, than that the anticipated conse:
quences of emancipation should be incurred. In
palmer words they rather keep three or four mil
lions OF men in bondage, than that o few blacks
should exercise the privilege of coming and set-
Ting among US.
But why DWELL upon the disgusting subjecti-
Latterlyi l have INDUCED but little in rejecting up
on 1t, talked less about it. Positively, | see no en-
co~uragement for laborlng for the redemption of tho
%bondnien. or the salvation of the country from the
judgement of offended Heaven.
We don't wonder at writer's feelings of hone:
lessness. He has looked to pro-slavery political
nstrumentalities for the accomplishment of an
anti=slavery moral reform. He was doubtless ono
of the old Liberty Guard, who, finding their move:
ment too radical to win voters enough to ensure
success. lowered their standard, and lowered their
standard, and lowered their standard, until it 10
now trailing In the dust of Republicanism and
they, who then went against slavery 80 far as they
possibly could under the Constitution, have so com.
promised that they are how linked in with q party
whose moulders of action speak of Cri:tenden, and
Bates, and b it's as among their possible Presiden:
tial nominees
Probably the writer is also a member Of Tie
American Church, which Birney. the old Liberty
Party leader, declared to be "the bufwark Of
American Slavery"-a church which baps7sss No
Christian 'the sum of all villanies'. If such be
his position, and if such has been bis course, then
his devotion and his struggles and his sacrificed
have been rendered of but little avail by the UNI
dermining of the fatal spirit of Compromise 10
whose seductive voice he has listened.
Having vainly tried that course for thirty years,
let him now leave the Church and the State which
jointly uphold slavery. Let him longer refuse 10
Fellowship enthusiastically or politically the stealsrs
of men. and the dry bones from which Compounds
has eaten all the flesh. will become again clothed
with muscle and sinews, a new heart will be crest.
ed, and he will experience a new birth in the anti.
slavery cause, and will 60 forth laboring in faith,
and hopefully trusting for that blessing which al
ways follows in the path Of consistent action.
Does not his example at least point q morally
Should not his experience as here related speak in
a warning voice to all. Beware of the Rock upon
which he is stranded.
USRIEgg TJTIQaTTnn