Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-02-16
From tie Ashtabula Sentinel.
THR FUGITIVE AT CLEVELAND.

From tie Ashtabula Sentinel.
THR FUGITIVE AT CLEVELAND.
Her ancestors had been kidnapped in Africa.
For generations they had been held as slaves in
Virginia, had been scourged, degraded, brutal
lied. She had herself caught some glmpses Of
Christianity. She saw that her life, her liberty,
and that which was dearer than both, were held
at the disposal Of a brutal master She had heard
OF Cleveland as the citidel of freedom she had
been told that Christian community resided
there. She fed TO it. She was stranger de.
nanding the protection of q Christian people
But she was pursued by her despotic claimant
lie asserted bis right to dispose of her life, her
liberty, her virtues 10 open day, in the mijst OF
cvilzed people, she was seized the cold iron was
: placed upon her limbs, and she was hurried to q
fate far worse than death. Persons of her own
complexion we're told they must not interfere to
save this helpless, this friendless woman. In
Africa they would have done it; but in Cleveland,
barbarism was protected by their public men.
Indeed, some Of them united in the perpetraton OF
this revolving crime
bring no railing accusation against them. /
feel this blow at the honor Of our beautiful city, at
the honor of our Western Reserve, at the honor of
our State, at the honor ofour people, too deeply.
write in sorrow, and not in anger. But they rep
resented themselves as acting in obedience to Eaw
| deny it emphaticay The Fugitive Slave Act
is not lao according to the definition of that term
given by any approved writer for the last centu-
ry. Law" says Blackstone, sis rule of action
prescribed by the supreme power of State, COM
manding tha: which is right. and prohibiting that
which is wrong" The Fugitive Act commands
that which is tCrOng, and prohibit: that which is
right Il is the reverse of law, the antagonism of
law. 1t was never prescribed by the people who
are the supreme power ia this nation. They nev-
er delegated to members Of Congress authority to
murder, or enslave any human being they held
no such authority themselves, and could not have
delegated it 20 Shareholders and doughfaces 1t
is insulting to the intelligence Of our people to
call that act Law" No, let the truth be spoken;
the capture Of Lucy was uhanthorized,as unmit-
igatcd piracy was the capture of her ancestors
in Africa. But some of those men were Repub.
cans. They had said to the world that Lucy held
her right to life and liberty from tie Creator
That our government was instituted to secure the
enjoyment of thess rights. Under The COns:isu-
tion they had sworn she should not be deprived Of
,hem except on conviction of crime. Added to
these, were all the human sympa athiee, and all the
moral considerations appreciaole by mortals ur-
ging them to protect this friendless female stran-
ger. Why did they not do itH They dared not
do il. They bowed meekly submissive, to the
most arfant despo.ism that ever crushed the souls
Of men. 1t was the despotism of slavery. Blu;
chanan surrenders up our Forts and Arsenals at
the bidding Of the slave power. But the princi-
pie men of Cleveland surrender up helpless fe-
males tc moral death, at this bidding of the same
slave power History will record the moHrnful
story Of Lucy but when future generations shall
look back upon the present day, and find that
obedience TO the most reuoIting despotism was held
forth as virtue, here on this Western Reserve III
this afternoon of the nineteenth century; that in
land Of bibles and of churches, a land boastiug
Of its christianity, the people quietly looked upon
this most repulsive barbarism without raising q
hand to prevent il, they will wonder, but will be
unable to account for such moral phenomenon.
When our people were seized and enslaved un-
der Algerine enactments, we, as nation, with
unanimous voice pronounced the enslavers ''pi- |
ates," unworthy Of human association, and We
butchered them without mercy. If those Alge-
1iues deserved death, Goshorn and the captors of
Lucy have no claims to life and every man who
advised or consented or assisted to consgn her to
chains and bondage, is accessory to the crime,
Nor are We to be told that the people cannot
Judge of these questions. There Is not mechan-
ic, black or white in the city Of Cleveland, who
will admit that Congress can confer On any man
authority to murder or onslave an Innocent fellow
being That they can impose upon any person an
obligation TO submit to be murdered or enslaved.
Even the heather barbarism on board the slave
ship Amistad acknowledged this universal con-
sciousness. They asserted their right to life, their
right to liberty, and slew those who attempted to
hold them in bondsgs They struck down men
who we're far more innocent than was 0oshorn
and his assistants in crime. But the Supreme
+Some twelve years since, young slave woman
in Virginia was set upon by white rufhan who
ATTEMPTED to violate her person. She possessed
strong physical powers, and in defending herself,
she struck such blow as to lay him dead at her
feet. For doing this she was convicted and SEN
fenced to be hung Members of the Methodist
Church to which she belonged. inlercedsd with
the Executive, who agreed to pardon her on con-
dition that she would leave the United States
Her itisnds agreed that che should do so, and ap-
piled to the writer for letters addressed to the
friends Of liberty in Ohio asking their hospitality
towards this victim TO the barbarism OF Virginia,
to which Lucy was eOnsigued by men Of CleVe-
land. The letters we're given, and this woman is
now an exile, for defending her virtue under yir'
nj tuia la /