Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-05-14
LETTER FROM THE HON. J. R. GIDpINGs.

JEFFERSON. May a, 1859,
MY DEAR FRIEND - You ask my opinion in re
gard to the past action, and the future course o.
the Oberlin prisoners, now in Jail at Cleveland foI
violating the fugitive slave enactment.
That measure was passed under the influence o.
threats and intimidation. Disunion and bloodshed
were proclaimed as the alternative in case of refu
sal. Before such insolence Northern member,
bowed in unmanly submission, surrendering tbeii
own individuality, the rights Of their States, anC
the honor Of the nation. The page Of our politi
cal history that records tho passage of that &C,
will long DO read with modification and regret
1t constitutes a legislative incident in that war 60
long waged, and carried on by tho party now 10
power against the colored men of our nation; q
war in which men, women and children have been
butchered in cold blood for their love of liberty, a
war ia which free persons are enslaved, and slaves
are murdered even upon the soil of Ohio with per
feet %impunity a war which sub ects colored PEG.
pie to a commerce, from the horrors of which they
shrink, preferring death by their own hands rath.
er than meet its fortunes; a war in which mothers
are driven to the horrible choice Of Staying their
own children rather than permit them to live and
become subject to the degradation that awaits
them in life. This war is sometimes called "pirot
icat," but | have yet to find the record of pirate:
who doomed their victims to death, merely fol
their love of liberty. 1t is a Islander upon piracy,
to compare this war with that in which they slay
their victims for the com paratively excusaLie pur,
pose of obtaining money. In this war more
than twenty thousand human victims are annually
sacrificed.
This slave enactment under which our friends
are imprisoned, was passed in order to involve
the people of the free States in this guilt; for the
purpose of making them accessories to such
crimes. 1t was passed by a Locofoco Congress.
A Locofoco Marshal selects a Locofoco Grand Ju.
ry to lind On indictment drawn by q Locofoco At.
torney, to be tried by a Locofoco traverse Jury, pac,
ked for the very purpose of conviction, before a
Locofoco Judge appointed by aLocofo,o President,
confirmed by q Locofoco Senate, for the purpose
of enforcing obedience to this law.
In disregarding this law the prisoners did rigA..
Their error consisted in sparing the lives of the
slave 'catcEers. Those pirates should have been
delivered over to the colored men and consigned to
the doom of pirates, which should have been
speedily executed. You are aware that this is the
doctrine which l proclaimed in Congress. 1 nd.
here to it. Had the prisoners executed the slave.
catchers promptly, it would have taught the I'D.
ministration a lesson not soon to be forgotten.
We should have no more trouble with that class Of
miscreants. They would have learned better than
to show themselves among an intelligent people
who know their rights and dare maintain them.
But in rescuing their fellow man from the fangs of
these blood hounds, the prisoners did right. Pre-
sent and coming generations will bless them for it.
1t was = high moral duty, the exercise of a virtue
which sheds a halo of glory around the memories
of our republican fathers. When arrested for such
an act they did well in refusing to give bail
When brought into Court they did right ic refus.
ing to give bail and in my opinion they cannot
now recede from the manly position which they
have assumed. BY these noble acts they have in
their names upon a most important page
of our history. They no longer act for them
selves in this business, but for justice, for liberty,
for the cause of freedom. The eyes of the nation
are upon the m. They should bear in mind the
character of the people of this portion of our gal
liant State: They should remember the pilgrim IA
theirs from whom they have descended. Cleveland
is now the Boston of IT'S. and l trust her sons
will meet the responsibilities thrown upon them
with becoming frmncss.
AS to the future. | SEQ no other course for the
prisoners than patiently to await events. Their
counsel will apply to the Supreme Court of our
State for q habeas corpus whenever sentence shall
be pronounced upon any Of their number.
have great confidence in the Judges compos.
ing that Court But should they prove unequal to
the occasion, the case will then be fully made up,
and the appeal must then be taken to that highest
of earthly Trit unals, the source of all political
power. The people finding this government to
have become "deshuctive Of the lices, the liberties
and The happiaess ofHs citizens, will ALTER OR ABoL-
IsH 1T and organize its popers in such form as to
them shall seem most likely 10 effect their SAFETY AND
HAPPINESS"
This duty, so s~olemnly e%njoincd upon us by the
founders of our government, in that immortal char
.er of American liberty to which for almost a CEN
fury we have been accustomed to look for ins.ruc
tion and direction in regard to our rights, WILL
NOT BE NEGLECTED..
Yours for Liberty and the Constitution.
j. r. GIDDINGS.
lVOp II Al nm D,upn