Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-03-19
MY OBJECT.

The reader must have noticed that / took partic.
ular paiDs to ascertain the secret sentiments of the
Southern slaves. He must have seen, also, that l
never stepped aside to collate or investigate any
cases of unusual cruelty, or to portray the neglect
Of masters in different States, to provide their
~bondmen with the comforts of a home or the decen.
cies of life. That | had material enough, my sum-
mary will show.
dill not 60 South to COLLECT the materials for q
distant war of words against it. Far more earnes:
was my aim.
saw or believed that one cycle of anti-slavery
warfare was about to close-the cycle whose cor.
respondence in history are the eras of John Ball,
the herald Of the brave Jack Cade; of the Humble
Remonstrants who preceded Oliver Cromwell. and
the lconoolastic Puritans and of the Eneyclope,
dists of the age of Louis the Sixteenth, whose
writings prepared the way for the French Revolu.
ton. l believed the cycle of action was at hand.
l considered it, therefore, of importance to know
the feelings and aspirations of the slaves. cared
little, comparatively with this object, to ascertain
their physical condition. Inever even read a book
on the subjeot-a volume of fiction alone excepted
until the manuscripts of the preceding pages
were placed in the hands of the printer. knew
that irresponsible power must, from it's very ma.
ture, corrupt men, and make them cruel, heartless,
and licentious. II would have been useless to
travel South to corro5orate that truth.
My object was to aid the slaves. If found
that slavery had so far degraded them that they
we're comparatively contented with their debased
condition, l resolved, before | started, to spend my
time in the South, in disseminating discoutent.
ment. But if on the other hand, l found them
ripe fora rebellion, my resolution was to prepare
the way for il, as far as my ability and opportuni,
ties permitted.
I believed that a civil war between the North
and South would ultimate in instruction. and that
the Kansas troubles would probably create q mill,
tary conflict of the sections. Hence l left the
South, and went to Kansas and then endoavored,
personally and by my pen to preoipitate a revolu.
ton. That we failed-for l was not alone in this
desire-was owing to the influence of prominent
Republican statesmen, hose unfortunately conser,
vative character of counsel-which it was impossible
openly to resist-effectually tafied all our hopes
hopes which Democratic action was auspiciously
promoting.
Are we, then, without hopef
ANO auuI nhlic oiufco i've uDu tu6 oOQ oil JUS.
tice is omripotent, never will we be discouraged.
Revolutions never 60 backward. The second
American Revolution has begun. Kansas vas its
Lexington: Texas will be it's Bunker Hill, and
South Carolina lis Torktopn.
1t is fashionable for our animalcula states.
men to lament or affirm that slavery cannot speed,
lily be abolished. 1t is SO wrought and interviewer
with tho eocial evatan, IF tha South w;,b "a, 49,.
mercial, political, and religious organizations
that to root it out at once, they maintain, would be
disastrous to the country and to the slave himself
Perish the country, then. and woe to the slave J.
Whatever falls, let slavery perish. Whoever suf,
ers, let slavery end. If the Union is to be the
price of a crime. let us repent of the iniquity and
destroy the bond.
Do you desire to aid in overthrowiug slavery p
There is work for you to do, whatever may be your
talents or ideas of policy.
Shall / venture to predict? 1t may be that /
am not a prorhet-but, as far as We believe in
humanity, and right, and an everything God, we
have the power of fOreseeing results. All fanatics
are prophets to the extent of their yision-for fan
atheism is the ardent worship of q truth and by
its light we can-nay, must-see the sequences Of
acts performed in accordance or in violation Of
IT,. And | am a fanatic.
Slavery will speedily be abolished. That / SEQ.
| think, BY violence; nay, know by bloodshed, il
the present spirit long pervades the South. "Un.
less it rspents it shall utterly perish"
Slavery will soon be driven east Of the Missis'
|sippi.
Missouri-already surrounded by free commu'
%nities with friends Of the slave, from the adjoin,
ing territory, ever active on her borders with the