Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-01-22
From the Liberato..
THEODORE PARKEh'S LECTURE ON
WASHINGTON.

When nearly two years ago, on the birth day o
Washington, we heard Mr.. Parker preach ser
mon the life and character of that distinguished
man, it was especially gratifying to find it, as We
had expected, an impartial delineation of charac
ter, not q mere oulogy, @ justly discriminating
criticism. not the sort Of thing that is n)w known
as Mount Vernon paper. We were rejoicd
though by no means surprised, to see the man who
had so effectualy attacked idolatry in other de
partments, raising his voice against that popular
error which has idolised Washington, and clearly
exposing both the blunder and the crime which
that great man committed in continuing to hold
slaves after be had publicly Joined in the solemn
declaration that liberty is one Of the naleLable
rights Of humanity.
In our notes OF chat sermon, taken ct the time
we fnd the following paragraphs:
The acceptance of the U. S. Constitution, which
seemed suited to advance the cause of liberty real
ly gave that cause deadly wound, by incorpora
ting with it the support of slavery, OF all those
who, by signing that instrument, aided in this rec
ogntion of slavery thing proper to be con-
tinued under law, I blame Franklin and Wash
ington most. would sooner have cut OF my
right hand thar given its signature to tina. Cons,
tutiOn.'
Washington was born a STAKEHOLDER, and mar
ried slaves. Although be Joined in q resolution
against the slave trade, and offered to Lafayette
to join him in emancipating his slaves, he contin
ued a STAKEHOLDER through his life. He even tried
to recover fugitive slaves from Florida, and direct
ed a seizure of one Of his own in New Hampshire
''if it could be done without confusion or popular
tumult" Not until his death were his slaves
emancipated. This slavebolding was tho greatest
blot on Washiugtons character there is no excuse
for it,
The true way to honor him is by avoiding his
faulta and correcting his errors
On hearing the lecture lentitlsd Washington,
the Man of Integrity,') recently delivered by Mr.
Parker in the course of Fraternity Lectures il
was great disappointment and grie; to us not to
hear the above ideas and expressions reproduced
but in their stead the following, which seem to our
recollection correctly reported in the Atlas Of tn.
Doth ult.
Speaking Of the religious character of Wash
ington, and of those things which evince such
character more surely than regular attendance OIL
sermons and sacramento, Mr.. Parker said.
Above all, I find it in his relation to the nations
greatest crime. He was born q stakeholder he
was brought up with slavery all about him, slaves
fell to him by marriage, the entailed property of
his wife. Washington wished to get rid of it, but
coulg not. The African slave trade was thought ss
honorable as dealing in land cotton, wheat or oil,
Washington always disliked slavery thought it
wrong. wicked
lie sought to promote the emancipation Of all
the slaves in Virginia. This could not be DONE
At last, by bis will he set free all his own bond
men. their delverance 20 take place at the death
of his wife could not before and he charges hi,