Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-05-28
MASS MEETING AT CLEVELAND.


Leaving rome on Tuesday morning for the pur-
pose of attending the meeting which had been
csllod to assemble at Cleveland ON that day, we
were soon in the midst Of a crowd which gathered
into the cars from the various stations at which
we stopped. A procession, as well as a meeting,
had been talked of, but it " as not until we had
progressed some distance that we learned tho de-
sign of the former. A writ of habeas corpus had
been taken out in the cases of Bushnell and Lang
ston which was made returnable on Wednesday,
and it was therefore necessary that the Sheriff
should leave Cleveland with his prisonersforColum-
bus on Tuesday. Reports we're in circulation that
instructions had been sent the Marshal from head
to resist at all haz ards any attempt to
serve such writ. The improbability of his making
such instructions public, had he received them,
thus strengthening the hands of the opposition,
and inviting them, as it were, to counterfeit his
proceedings, seems never to have occurred to those
who were prepared to believe any and everything
in regard to Governmental action, however
illegal or impolitic. 1t was expected at least by a
portion of those in attendance, that a procession
would be formed at IL o'clock, for the purpose of
Toscorting the Sheriff and his prisoners to the cars,
land by such popular demonstration over-awe all
anticipated opposition on the part of the Federal
authorities. On our arrival in Cleveland, we
learned from Mr.. Bushnell himself, that the
Sheriff had had no expectation of starting for
columbus until afternoon, at which time the
Marshal proposed to accompany him, probably to
be ready to re-arrest tho prisoners should the
State Court DO so revolutionary as to set atdefance
u -.l..A. r Al. L-l...l Czxo-.a N... .-l
assume the position of Disunion upon the false
premises of Constitutional State action.
The professional demonstration-which took
place between the morning and afternoon gather
ing-did not therefore practically amount to as
much as some anticipated when they talked about
using revolvers &c. The meeting, which was
simply a mass meeting of the Republican party,
would not, Of course, counsel any resort to illegal
measures. Individuals were there who were
ready to have the prisoners released by law, or
without law, by constitutional measures. or by un-
constitution measures, as The exigencies Of the
case might require. AmopE theae We may lame
as prominent persons, Joshua r. Giddings Of Jei
ferson. and y. p. Brown Of Ravenna. But the
Republican party as such, speaking through its
meeting at Cleveland, manifested no such design,
for it is a law and order party, a party which
loves the Union, and which will not knowingly dc
anything to destroy this fraternity with slave
breeders and slave catchers.
The meeting was large. Delegation after dele.
cation came in with music and banners. One
banner we noticed bore the inscription upon one
side, "TnE Sons OF LIBERTY" and on the reverse
."l775. DOWN WITH THE STAMP Act. 1859
Down WITH THE FUGITIVE SLAVE Act" On an
other, borne by the Lorain delegation, was written
the warning, HERE Is THE GOVERNMENT LET
TYRANTs IREMBLE." The number in attendance
at tho Park will probably be variously estimated
at from five to thirty thousand we should judge
there was not fewer than twice the smaller mum
Der, and certainly not as many as half the large
number. The morning session was occupied by
o brief address from Judge Spaulding, and the
appointment of q ommitte to nominate officer:
for the permanent organization of the afternoon
meeting, and a committee on resolutions. From
the remarks of Judge Spaulding both as to The
appointment of Vice Presidents from counties
represented by our Republican friends" and in
the invitation to join in the contemplated process
ion "as Republicans" together with the subse
quent action OF the meeting, it seemed to US clear
ly indicated that those who controlled the gather
ing evidently designed it to be simply q Reput. Il
can mass meeting and nothing more. The"others'
who had been invited to the gathering, and sonit
of whom came, had nothing to do but stand by
and cry amen or else hold their peace. Their,
were many women upon the ground, quite
sprinkling Of Disunionists, and from express
ions we heard in the crowd, we presume Their
were anti-slavery Democrats there. all of wbicl
CLASSES were virtually excluded from any activ'
participation in the meeting, unless such action
was an endorsement of the Republican party
Oberlin College, which ought to have sent a
large q delegation as possible, so strongly discour
aged the attendance of w~omen-saying there
would be men enough there TO attend to the business
of the meeting-that of those who had expected
to come, We could not hear of moro than one Oh
two who had the moral courage to do SO.
When the resolutions, subsequently, adopted By
the meeting, were presented to the Committee
some objected to them. thinking they went too fal
mot further than Truth required, not further
than Right indicated, not further than Justice
demanded, bat further than it was expedient thu
Republican party should go. This objection was
however, removed by an assurance that the dec
aaration and resolutions had been submitted tc
the inspection of distinguished members of "oul
party" who approved them, and said they could
take them in their hands and travel through
Southern Ohio with them. They were accordingly
reported by the Committee, and adopted by the
meeting. If we have room VIC shall publish them
this week, il not, next, when our readers
will have an opportunity Of learning how
much indignation it will answer for Republicans
to express. Among the rank and file there were
hundreds who were ready to liberate the prison
srs, not by a writ of habeas corpus to be heard
before tho Supreme Court Of Ohio on the 25th day
. of May, but by tho action of the people on the
24th of May in such form and manner for a gen
eral Jail delivery of the Oberlin ~Iescuers, as was