Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-10-01
q 0 NJ III II nttatiuns
THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING

:. Id. DUGLE III youI cullOrlal on 'lne Anniver.
sary", in your Issue Of the 10th, / find so much
that is Objectionable, that l claim the right. Tor
crave the privilege, il have no right, to your
columns while 1 briefly review it.
In the hope Of being better understood, and oc-
%cupying less space, l viii give the proceedings Of
Sunday afternoon, as j saw and understood them,
and as they were seen and understood by many 9th.
ors who rank as anti slavery men both in and out Of
the Society of which you are a member.
With less modesty than yourself, 1 will men
ton names when necessary. Any interested read.
er has only to enquire who the defender Of the
Republican party" was, ard receive in answer,
John Langston. And who Sustained Linn in his
mobocratic course. of whom better things were
expected" to be told Barclay Gilbert was one of
:hem, Parker Pillsbury having proclaimed from
the stand '1f friend Gilbert has a mind 10 take
upon himself the responsibility of getting up a
mob, l cannot help it".
John Langston "by invitation OF the Society
took the PLATFORM" and made what is considered
by all anti-slavery hearers an able, telling speech,
carefully avoiding any allnsion to the use of in
strumentalities in slsvcry's overthrow well know
ing that instrnmentalities are the rock on which we
split. lie would no doubt have taken his seatleayinp
tae audience to ponder upon what they had heard,
and do battle alter their own ideas of efficiency
against the enormous wickedness be had so fully
and faithfully exposed.
Yourself, and perhaps others, were not satisfied
with this,and commenced n series Of questions that
he saw would soon lead to an unpleasant collision
of different views. lie told you be had studioesly
avoided that ground. Spoke of the high regard
and warm feelings he cherished for many who diff
fered from him in the matter of voting, aud finally
that he took no position he was not prepared to
defend, and if you we're determined to drag him
into a controversy he would not shrink from it.
Parker Pillsbury arose in condemnation of the
course pursued did not understand Mr.. Langston
was there for the purpose of being catechised; en-
dorsed his speech. and said if he would give way.
he had some remarks he would like to make that
would have no bearing upon Mr.. Langston. With
thanks to the audience Langston took his seat ;
Parker came forward, and in ten minutes time had
denounced him as o 'demagogue plant tool Of a
corrupt political party" and before he closed, SO
far as words could do it, s.ript him of every par
.icle Of character pertaining to a h~igh-minded and
honorable man.
When Parker had relieved himself, Langston
followed in vindicaiion of his character, and it was
soon manifest that if denagogue, pettifo gger, and
other offensive words were not in his vocabulary
before, he must have adopted them as they fell
from the lips of Parker. He had not proceeded
far until Parker arose to a point Of order, which,
if he heard he did not heed, but continued speak,
ing until called to ord er by the chair. Curious to
know, | ventured to ask the chairman to please
inform the convention what point of order he had
violated. The chair decided 'for dealing in per
sonalities".
Numbers now called, Ego on Langston," and
amid considerable confusion the chair announced
that the hour for adjournment had arrived, when
Langston remarked: "Then if the meeting is >nd.
journed, and the people want to hear me, 1 will
talk ON. They said they did, and he continued
speaking for some ten or fifteen minutes.
l ~deplored the occurrence as every anti-slavery
man must. Anii-slavery has no energies to waste
in rencounters Of that kind. The slave has q right
to hold somebody responsible. Sonnet ody is to
blame. You, Mr.. Editor, in your article, have made
the Republicans responsible for it. Believing they
have l. ad enough that they have volunteered to
carry. l for one protest against having this in
addition thrust upon them.
Let us examine some Of your statements. "The
platform was occupied by a defender of the Re.
publican party. Was he there as a defender Of
that party? Did he attempt anything of the kind2
Would any one have known he was an advocate Of
the ballot box from his speech Did not Parker
Pillsbury endorse it? And if it had tasted, SMELL
ed or felt OF Republicanism, who would have de-
tected it sooner than he, or pounced upon it with
greater avidity, or displayed SO much annihilating
ability.
Suppose the Episcopal Methodists of Salem
were to invite you to occupy their pulpit, and you
, were to preach a good sermon, as l have no doubt
you could, and just as you were about to close,
some brother who happens to krow you think the
Church North is implicated in the sin of slaveown-
ing,asks a question to bring you out on that subject;
you protest against it as leading to unpleasant re
suits he persists you get INFO a controversy
other brethren come to his aid a row ensues.-
The Church's organ in speaking of it, says the
pulpit was occupied by a defamer of the church.
and makes you responsible for the difficulty
Would you consider yourself fairly dealt by2 i
should not, and would censure the Church's organ
as | now do you. for withholding facts essential to
a full and fair understanding of the matter.
The catechising was the origin of the "mobocrar
ic spirit" at Alliance. The replies of Langston to
the catechism was all Parker had to work upon after
writing his name upon the back of HE speech. Il
was a matter of surprise to me as it evidently was
to others, that Parker treated him as he did, af-
er saying what he did. Samuel Myers was q,
some pains to get near enough me while Parker
was speaking, to record his testimony against it,
lie called it the sectarianism of anti-slayery.
But then Langston would not stop for the call
of Parker. nor at the bidding Of the charm an
His refusal to give an opponent an opportunity to
explain (f he heard himl was supplementary.
How far he may justify himself on the ground of
not having received geutlemanly treatment from
that individual, l am not informed. Bot when
the chairman called him to order, be did Iecos-
nize that officers right by'stopping Immediately, a
fact that you have overlooked, strange as it NAV