Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-02-05

les some truths which we commend to our North.
ern conservatives and doughfaces.
Prom the Columbus, Georgia, Corner Stone.
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
We confess that we have been somewhat disap.
pointed by the rapidly growing popularity OF the
idea OF opening the slave trade. In view, how.
ever, Of the doctrines which the Church has been
teaching for several years back, perhaps it we're
more reasonable that We should be surprised that
it's popularity is no greater. In its zeal to justify
US in holding the slaves that We have, the church
has-by implication, at least-inculoated the doc.
trine, that If it is not our positive duty as Chris
tians to bring Africans to this country as slaves,
it is at least a right which God has given US, and
which We can exercise greatly to our mutual inter.
est. Tho African can labor for us, and, in return,
we oan make q Christian Of him and if he han.
pens to be SO obtuse as to be beyond the reach of
our labor oflove, why, We can just requite him
by beginning earlier, and civilizing and christian
izing bis %posteri.y, If he should have any.
Some time ago, we told our readers that we
seem to be approaching the point when the relig,
ion OF this country was to consist of two great
dogmas-the one at the North, which allowed no
man to be q Christian who owned q slave and
the one at the south, which would give him no
chance for heaven unless he had shown his faith
and obedience by aiding to carry out Gods de.
cree in the importation Of a negro from Africa.
We had then no idea that we were so near thai,
point.
We never had any sympathy with, or confidence
in, that religion which finds our justification il
holding our slaves, in the curse which Noah pro.
nounced upon Ham. nor its legitimate offspring,
that philanthropy which makes avarioo and cupid.
ity, and all the lowest passions and most depravei
feelings Of our nature, the missionaries to bring
wild Africans to this country, that their descend.
ants may be chrictisniIed. Asa missionary effort,
however, il has one great merit, in these days,
when the Church seems to need so much money.
1t can command any amount .ha: may be needed
for that purpoes.
We do not know that anything we can say will
have any'effect to stay the tide which seems to be
setting so strongly in favor of this great iniquity
but because we do not know what effect il may
have, we shall say it. If We knew it would have
none, it would be the same thing to ua. We should
say it.
We have no love for the Urion, We have nc
respect for the General Government. and we have
no particular regard for human e%nactments, mere
ly because they bear the name Of laws. We
scout the idea that men are morally bound to obey
bad lave until they are repealed. If this were a
correct principle, Shadracb, Meshach. and Abed.
nego, had not been cast into the burning fire fur
mace, nor would Daniel have been cast into the
Lions den, nor would any Of the Christian mar
tyrs have suffered they would have escaped by
obedience to the laws.
1t is not therefore from any Of these consider.
atoms that we are opposed to the rsopening Of the
slave trade; but it is because it is opposed to
all our instincts, to all our feelings. to oil our
convictions as q man and a Christian. Con.
sidered in itself. it is at war with all our ideas
of humanity and right feeling considered with
reference to our section, it i. opposed to all our
notions Of interest or of policy.
|, Those who advocate the reopening of the slave
trade do 1t, so far as we are able to see, upon the
following grounds.
} l. That unless we insist upon the morality of
t it, we cannot defend ourselves from the charge of
immortality, in holding those that we have, and es.
! pecially that We cannot defend the trade between
one State and another.
2. That we need and are entitled to cheap labor,
J to develop our section os the country, to extend
our civilization, and to strengthen ourselves
against the North, and to strengthen the institu.
5 ton Of Slavery as it now exists amongst US. All
of these things We consider unsound and untena.
c bls, and We shall attempt SO to show them.
$ Then, as to our defence for holding these slave,
d that we have. So far as others are concerned. the
0 only defence we have to make to them. in a mora
or social or political point of view, is, that it i,
= none Of their business. The great moral question
0 i. between ourselves and God. And to him GU,
e justification is. that we find ourselves occupying
o a relation to them which we can by no possibility
change to their advantage. More than that q
a relation which we cannot change without grea,
u injury to ourselves. and certain destruction &c
them. It 10. therefore, not only a right for our,
! selves, but o duty to them. that we shall preserve
and maintain. protect and defend. this relation
9 ship. Whoever believes this as we dc, has dispos
t ed Of the morality of the thing to his full ~satisfac
e ton, without either falling back upon Nosh'.
curse upon Ham, and without making it Necessary
T to become Q missionary to hunt up wild African.
r to bring them here to Christainize them.
( But it is said that we cannot justify tho intern
? al slave trade, while we brand the foreign as i'm
J moral. In other words, that il it is wrong to
D bring slaves from Africa to the United States, it /.
wrong to bring them from Virginia to Georgia
D If there is any analogy between the two cases, il !.
r too slight to give any strength to the argument
e Yet slight as is the analogy, We fear that a greal
D many good men have been tboughilessly misled by
, it, especially since the Church has prepared the
way by proving that God intended tse African.
0 for our slaves and thence the conclusion Is very
easy and natural. that We are very greatly out oil
our duty. and are guilty of great sin, in permit
! ting so many Of them to be suffering from ignor
. aues AID barbarism and sunshine. when we might
} have them here, teaching them the great English
. language, make them wear clothes, and oonvsr,
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