Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-06-23

~'NNR1@ f 49,
to another stage Of the argument, and proceed to
exhibit Slavery in its influence on the character Of
slave masters. Nothing could 1 undertake more
painful. and yet there is nothing which is more
essential to the discussion, especially in response
to the pretensions Of Senators on this aoor, nor lie
there any point on which the evidence is more COM
plete. 1t is in the character Of Slavery itself that
we are to find the characters Of slave masters; but
l need not 40 back to the golden lips Of Chrysos-
TEN to learn that Slavery is the fruis of c%ovetous-
ness, Of extravaganza, Of Unsuitable greedinees,
for we have already seen that this five fold encr-
nifty is inspired by the single idea of compelling
men to work without wages. This spirit must
naturally appear in the slave master. But the ell
oquent Christian saint did not disclose the whole
truth. Slavery is founded on violence, ae we have
already too dearly seem Of course, i. can be sus'
tanned only by kindred violence, sometimes
against the defenseless slave, sometimes against
the freeman, whose indignation is aroused at the
outrage, 1t is founded on brutal and vulgar pre-
tensions, as we have already too clearly seen Of
course, it can be sustained only BY kindred brutal
iy and vulgarity. The denial OF all rights in the
slave can be sustained only by a disregard of 9th
or rights, common to the whole community, wheth-
er Of the person, Of the press, or of speech.
Where this exists there can be but one supreme
law, to which oil other laws, legislative or social,
are subordinate, and this is the pretended law Of
Slavery. All these things must be manifest iu
slave masters, and YET, unconscious of their true
condition. they make boasts which reveal still fur
Their the unhappy influence. Barbarous standards
Of conduct ore unblushingly avowed. The swag-
ger Of a bully is called chivalry a s~wiftness to
quarrel is called courage the b~ludgeon Is adop-
ted as the substitute for argument; and assassina-
ton is lifted to be one Of the fine arts. Long ago
it was fixed certain that the day which made q
man a slave took half his worth away words
from the ancient harp Of Homer, Iesounding
through long generations. Nothing here is said of
the human being at the other end of the chain. To
aver that on this same day all his worth is taken
away might seem inconsistent with exceptions
which We gladly recognize but, alas it is too
clear, both from reason and from evidence, that,
bad as Slavery is for the slave. it is worse for the
master.
In making this ex posure, lam fortified at the out
set by two classes of authorities, whose testimony
it will be difficult to question. The first is Ameri-
can, and founded on personal experience; the
second is philosophical, and founded on everlast-
ing truth. q
latter copiously quoting from both American
and philosophical authority, condemning slavehol.
ders on their own testimony, bringing their news
pa per advertisements, and their declarations in
various forms-oficial and acknowledgements
them. all clearly establishing the barbarism of sla.
very. the speaker thus refers to its ''ennobling'
influence upon the master.
Much has been said to exhibit the character oil
the slave master, the work would be incomplete if
failed to point out that Inconsistencies Of the ia
tai influence Of slavery which completes the evil
} dence Of the barbarism under which they live
Nor am I AZ liberty TO decline that topic but
; shall be brief.
That Senators should openly declare SLAYER
'ennobling,' at least to the master, and also 'tb,
] black marble keystone Of our national arch, woult
excite wonder il it were not explained by the ex
: amples Of history. There are men who in the
I spirit Of paradox, make themselves the p~artisant
l., Of o bad cause, as Jerome Cardan wrote an enco
i MUM on Nero. But, where there is no disposition
to paradox, it is natural, that a cherished practice
should blind those who are under its influence
nor is there any end to these exaggerations. Ac
i %cording to Thucydides, piracy in the early ages o.
a Greece was alike widespread and honorable; sc
much so, that Telemachus and Mentor, on land
y ing at Mycen@, were asked by Nestor if they were
v pirates'--precisel as a stranger in South Carroll
!, ma might be asked if he were a slave-mas!er
q Kidnapping, too, which was a kindred indulgence
q was openly avowed. and, l doubt not, hold to b,
n 'ennobling.' Next to the Inconsistencies which
!, is noticed in childhood, is the unconsciousness o
bar6arism. The real barbarian is as uuconsciouI
# rs an infant; and the slave-master shows much o
the same character. No New Zealauder exhult
q in his tattoo, no savage of the NORTHWEST Coas
o exults in his fat head. more than the slave-maste
4 in these latter days-and always, of course, will
~ honorable exceptions--exults in his unfortunat
condition. The slave-master hugs his disgustin,
practice as the Carib Of the Gulf Rugged cannibal
re balism, and as Brigham Young now hugs polyga
,e my. The dolusion of the 'goitre' is repeated. Tbi
IS prodigious swelling Of the neck, constituting =
hideous wallet of Aesh,' pendulous upon III
breast, is common to the population on the slope
of the Alps; but, accustomed to this deformity, tn
% sufferer comes to regard it with pride, as slave
Of masters With US regard Slavery, and it is sal
that those who have no swelling are laughed a
"a and called 'goose-necked.' With knowledge come
le distrust and the modest consciousness of imperfe,
lion; but the pride of SarbArism has no such lin
Of itations. 1t dilates in the thin air of ignoranc,
r. and makes blasts. Surely, if these illustration
IN are not entirely iuapplicable, then must We find
IN the boasts of new occasion to regr,
m the influence Of Slavery.
We 1t is this same influence which renders sIav
40 masters :nsensibIe to those characters, which al
among the gloriss of the Republic; which max,
n them forget that Jefferson, who wrote the Declar
be ton Of Independence, and Washington, who con
er manded its armies. were Abolitionists; which re,
~ ders them insensible to the inspiring words of Il
D. one. and the commanding example Of the othe
sh Of these great men it is the praise, we'll deservir
o. perpetual mention, aud only grudged by a smu
be influence. that reared amid Slavery they did n
o.. hesitate to condemn it. To the present debat