Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-08-13

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ed in some other way a long time before the pee
pie Of the Northern States would be convinced
that they had a constitutional right to abolish sla-
very 10 the States. The work Of the Abolitionists
Of this country was therefore vastly more difficult,
than that of the Abolitionists Of Great Britain.
Here we stood face to face with the Shareholders.
AZ the reverend gentleman who had just 30 elo-
quently addressed them said, the slaveholdefs
were every where among us, they dictated what
should be done in the pulpit and in the Legisla-
tive Hall. Slavery whispered in the ear Of the
ministers, as the devil whispered in the ear of Eve.
The devil Of slavery lsrked in the pews, was con
cealed under the communicable, and stood In
the pulpits Of the nation. Why was thisf 1t was
because of the supreme power which the slave
holders bad obtained, by fair means or by foul,
over the political affairs Of the country. 1t
was not because the people who sit 10 the pews of
Massachusetts love slavery for itself, it was not
because there was not an average humanity ia the
churches Of the country, but it was because the
churches represented the respectable, comfortable,
wealthy and middle classes of the country,-it
was because they represented the wealth add indus.
try of the people, and the people were taught that
the prosperity Of the North is dependent upon
the maintenance Of the present state Of things.
They know they are doing pretty we'll as things
are now, and although it might be demonstrated
that they would do a great deal better IL slavery
were abolished, flor nothing could be palmer than
that, and nobody would dispute it, yet they were
afraid to do the duty that lies neares. to them lest
it should bring some loss or Inconvenience to
them. They had rather bear the ills they have
or, what is much easier to bear, the ills which
Others have,-'than fly to others that they know
not Of And especially they hate the agitation Of
the slavery question:, in the pulpit or out of it,
lest it should diminish their dividends, or reduce
the price Of freight, or in. some other way inter-
fere with the means by which they make thoir
wealth. This universal selfshness the Abolition
lists bad to contend against. which, proceeding
from the Slave Power at the South, extended it.
self to the farthest lumber station of Maine.
The speaker said that if the Radicals of Eng
land should institut, a scheme for the entire revo.
luton of the British Constitution, for the over
throw of the Queen and the House of Lords, and
the establishment. of a Republic, their position
would very much resemble that of the Abolition
lists in this country for the Slave Power is our
king, our House Of Lords, and the power which
rules every thing throughout the land. But the
English people had an advantage over US in this
respect, that their Constitution was elastic. and
could be changed, while ours was not elastic; it
was an iron b~edstead, to which the people were
tied, and it must perform its diabolica! office uu-
til it was broken in pieces.
But, although there were these differences in the
position of the two countries, still the American
Abolisionists could do the work they had set them
selves to accomplish. Slavery would be abolished,
iofS 1od sthi sig upon me thfone Of me universe.
Slavery was in direct violation of the laws Of the
mind and of the body, of political economy. as
well as of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ. Slavery
was a pyramid standing upon it's apex, aud only
supported by Northern bayonets it could not
forever remain in that position. In due course of
time, by one influence or another, by insurrec-
ton at the South, by the separation Of the North
from the South, by invasion from abroad, by some
means or other, which we could not imagine, but
:" which would as certainly come as that God lives,
slavery would be abolished. The business of the
Abolitionists was to try to bring this abou. in the
; best way, without bloodshed, with as little suffer
eriDg both to the master and the slave as possible
to bring it about by the application of truth to
, the minds of men. He had very little hope of
converting the shareholders, but the Abolitionists
had q work which they could do here, and that
was, to make Massachusetts, a safe sanctuary for
the fugitive slave. They could draw a magic cir
Gle round the frontiers of the old Bay State. and
n tell the stakeholder, Thus far canst thou come,
9 but no farther 7 They could make the soil of this
y State too hot to endure the foot of a stakeholder in
pursuit of a slave. They could make the soil of
% Massachusetts, too ho: to hold q stakeholder or his
minions
That, said Mr.. Quincy, is the duty we have got
Is to do at home that is the duty that lies nearest
q to u.s.. We can do it we almost did it last win
ter:
Mr.. May-We will do it! (Ap2lause.)
Mr.. Quincy-Yes, we will do itl wish Mas.
achusetts could have been the first State to take
y that position, but I thank God for the example
Wisconsin and Vermont have set us in this matter
There are two states from which, if the people ex.
ie ecute their laws-in the one State passed by thu
Legislature. in the other adjudicated by the Judi
ciary-no slave can be taken by the United States
Z or by any power whatever. Vermont has JUS
e. such a law as we want | do not know that Their,
r is any amendment to it. 1t declares in the plain
IL est manner, that no person, in any capacity what
ever, Federal or State, shall take a fugitive from
H. her borders, or bring a slave there. for the pur
a. pose of holding him as such. The master aut
mistress of this young woman whom we have tn,
pleasure of seeing here to-day, who was delivered
is from slavery a few days since by our Courts, On
der that law would have been sent to the peniten
tiary, for the offence of bringing her into the Stat,
for the purpose of holding her as q slave. I
seems to me that the whole ground Is covered b,
this Vermont law. We shall pass 1t, perhaps
next winter, but it depends entirely upon the Pres
~idential market. If Mr.. Banks has given up al
hope Of a possible nomination for the Presidency
bat that is an impossible event, in the natural his
o. tory of a Presidential candidate, for there Is n
b. animal so tenacious of life as q Presidential candi
datel Buchanan expects to be q candidate. and
10 dare say Fillmore expects to be a candidate. an
n leQerv man WIN UNA ever mt In nnmin atinh or ta IL