Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-03-10


will Tor his country, l see not how any man can
entertain that sentiment, and yet join in this most,
disastrous and destructive crusade against negro
slavery. They do it not, Understandings, and
THIS is their only excuse. Observations are cited
BY my learned friends. 20 excuse their views aud
to supper, their course, from very Industrious aud
very distinguished men. Certain remarks Of the
illustrious Washington, certain remarks of Thorn.
SO Jeherson, are quito frequently cited in this con.
neellon' No sNund minded, rational man believes
thai II these illusirious men could 10 recalled to
earth' anu here at this day, living witnesses Of
tue eohditlcn Of cur country, witnesses OF its prog
ress ana Its probable future, they would be will
liug to repeat, in the sense in which they are un.
dorstood on the other side, the expressions cited.
They would be found, Sc they were here, on the
side Of their country, its protection as a whole,
lite prosperity, its permaneucy, its glory and its
honor. They would not be found denouncing / c
American name as covered with the undying stig
ma inwrougbt with the perpetuation Of injustice.
They would not be found pronouneing tho first
sentence 10 the constitution that it was made to
establish justice'-a piece of hypocrisy and false
hood. They would not DO found maintaining that
the phrases concerning human equality found in
the Declaration Of Independence, and the cons,itu.
tion Of Virginia were intended to include negtoes.
No man Of common sense but can see that these
words were not intended to include NEGROES. Tho
thon existing state of facts, and the practice of
those men who used them prove that they were not
used in the sense now contended for. That, it
your Honors please, is fully clucidated in the
bred Scott Decision. We are there told what must
be ackuowiedged--that it was q free white race
who established this republic,
They made their Declaration of Independence,
their Constitution aud their laws for themselves.
They did not intend to invite hither the Mahom-
medao, with bis dozen wives and his s~eragiio.
They did not intend to invite the idolutrous Chi.
nese, with their temples and their idols. They did
not intend to declare that tSe African negroes
were men, citizens or Inhabitants, in the political
sense OF those words. l say the men who held
slaves and who sustained the institution could
not have so INTENDED. 1t is impossible to suppose
they could. And if my learned friends mean to
insinuate that there were in the councils of the
nation at that timo, some persons Of the snme con
scientious ~scruples as themselves, who believed
Slavery to be wicked and unlawful, and who con
trived to get these words into these instruments
as a declaration that would ultimately crush out
NN - IS HASGNhNibE q llSAuIG VI llOSB !
men that should be treated as a foul insult by any
one who could claim the homer Of a descent from
any Of them. 1t is not the place Of conscience or
of honor to work into q compact an ackuo Tledg-
ment Of that which the other parry to the contract
does not mean to acknowledge. 1t is unworthy so
TO do in the smallest, slightest, meanest little con-
tract. Who shall dare imputo it to the worthy
and houOred spirits Of the Revolution, who CAM
from that part of the country where the greatest
objection to Slavery existed ? apprehend, 60
far as We 6nd manifested on the part Of these gen.
tlemen, opposition to Slavery, they may well
have grounded it on a point Of expediency, or con.
siderations as to the relative shares of political
power which one or the other portion Of the couu-
try might exercise. Blu. it can never be said, with
safety to the honor Of these gentlemen, or to the
hopey Of orr country that they believed negro sla-
very to be, in itself, wicked and unjust. ] think
they did not believe it. but if they did they were
short sighted as to The future; they did not com.
prehend that Slavery must last, that the negro
race was to increase in this country as it has in
creased. and that the onward progress, greatness
and glory of this country-its march to tho high
stand it is destined to take-waS dependent on
the existence of this very system in its warm eli
mates. If they did mean to use words in the Dec
laration of Independence in a sense dlffe rent from
that 10 which they were accepted By their asso-
ciates, it was a departure from the path Of honor
and rsctitude. This alternative ! never will adopt.
Shame on that man among their descendants who
will consent to adopt il!