Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-09-15

hood may decide. With proper exertion on th,
part of those interested, l see no need of a failure
Yours, as ever, for Truth and Justice.
JOSEPH BRoCKWAY.
To Hon. j. r.. GIBDINgs:
SlR-1 have read il
the A. s. Bugle q letter addressed by Yourself t
Wendell Phillips Esq, taken from the Ashtabuls
sentinel. l regret to perceive that it's manifest
tendency, and | apprehend its evident design is
to reconcile the anti',lavery feeling of the country
to the act of voting for Abraham Lincoln to be the
President of the u. S. States. The considera
tions which you suggest, seem to me, to fall far
below a full and candid view Of the present position
OF MIR. Lincoln on the great question of the coun.
try. They seem to express tho partial views oil
the advocate aad a~pologist, rather than the disin.
terested, full and impartial summing up of the
responsible judge. 1t is not my ihtention to at.
tempt a defeide OF the particular positions Of Mr..
Phillips, who is well able to, and | doubt not, has
ere this fully vindicated his own statemepts. Bu,
| wish to come right 20 this main question suppes.
ted BY yourself, Vis; whether or not, Mr.. Lincoln
is an ami slavery man., and worthy Of the poiiti-
cal support of the genuine and consistent friends
of Liberty.
You cay first that he holds the honor Of tho
Republican nomination for the Presidency, in
consequence of having avowed his convictions.
that all men are created equal; that they are en-
dowed by their Creator with certain inaliena5le
rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness; tha. to secure these fights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the GOV.
erned."
Now sir, l ask, has it come to this, has the
Puritan Republic SUNK 10 such political degrade
tion, that an American citizen is deemed worthy to
De rewarded with the highest political position of
TIL nation, for the simple negative quality of not
having repd&iated the axioths Of the Declaration Of
American Independence? Surely il the Repub.
lie is sunk go low, it is hot worth the saving. Any
change must be au improvement. You complain
that Mr.. Phillips goes back twelve years after
evidence against Mr.. Lincoln. You say, the
Consciousness OF every man compels him TO Judge
those around him by their present opinions, and
not by those which they have discarded And
this is Just what | propose to do. l will not 90
back twelve years, nor scarcely twelve months. !
test Mr.. Lincoln's position on the subject of
slavery, by the most recent opinions which be is
tOnnd willing to express to the public. And they
are contained in the authentic Republican docu.
men,s of the present campaign.
You say to Mr.. Phillips. 1 presume you admit
him (Lincoln) to be honest But ssop-let US see!
| know that he is called by his partizans honest
Old Abe But you are aware that mere party
watch words are not always expressions of philo.
Sophical verify. What do you understand by
honesty Is it endorsing and officially sustaining
a system of robbery, which tears the infant from
its mothers bleeding breast-which robs a man
Of all the fruit of his toll, and of every domestic
institution on earth, not excepting his own person,
physical, intellectual and moral 2 This I call the
fOulest dishonesty. And Abe. Lincoln, BY his
own wolds, in reply to questions Of Judge Douglas
at Freeport, stands committed against the repeal
of the Fugitive Slave Law-against the abolition
OF slavery in the District Of Columbia-and against
the prohibition of that more than beastly cruelty.
the inter-states slave trade, except on such
impractical conditions as makes his opposition
absolute.
Now sir, / concede TO Mr.. Lincoln candOy in the
expression of his sentiments, but to no means
honesty. By real honesty | understand fidelity to
al of our true relat'ons-not respecting my RICH.
TO my horse, but stealing my wife not paying o
note in the bank of wealth, but robbing the hut
OF poverty of all the immortal treasures of the
heart. o! to what profound absurdities will not
a popular view reduce the human mind The
cognomen of honest, applied 20 one who has taken
tho course, and expressed the sentiments Of Mr.
Lincoln, is a gross missioner.
You Say fur;her, that when IN power Mr..
Lincoln will maintain this doctrine (the Decla-
ration Of fndependt nce) TO the extent OF his off
cial authority. With this profession Of moral and
political faith, he stands before the public
But l ask yeu, does be not stand before the
public with a definite and specific profession of
moral and political faith directly antagonistical to
this What else are his views on these great
anti-slavery measures Of the day above referred
to! OF the fugitive slave Law, he says, u ihink it
should have been framed so as TO DO free from
some of tie objections that pertain to it, piLhout
lessening its efficiency. And inssmueh as we are not
nov in an agitation in regard to an alteration or
modification of that law, | you'd not be The man TO
introduce i. as a new subject Of agitation upon
the general question Of slavery OF the abolition
of slavery in The District of Columbia, be says, Il
have my mind very distinctly made up. | believe
that Congress possesses the con stitutional power to
abolish it; yet as q member of Congress, | should
not, with my present views, be in favor of endeav.
oriug to abolish slavery in the District of Colum.
bia, unless it would be upon these conditions;
among others, shat it should be on a vote of the
majority Of qualified voters in the District
OF the slave trade between the states he saws
among other things, that, if should be of opiu.
ion that Congress does possess the constitutional
power to abolish the slave trade among the differ
ent states, should still nOt be in favor Of the e1sr.