Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-04-20
THE WORK OF THE PAST AND In The
FUTURE.

! From the 9th Annual Rspor. es the Philadsl
phia Female A. s. Society,"
The \ voluiion through which this nation hal
been passing during the lsst twenty-five years ha.
| cuminsed in the dissolution of the American
Union. Six Of our thirty-:hree States have repu
dated their allegiance to the Federal government
and asserted their independent sovereignty. Hall
The nation stands appalled, at the sudden oatastro
phe, and statesmen add politicians anxiously in
quire into its causes and seek for q new bond tc
reunite the parted members Of our confederacy.-
To the AbOiiionists. who have been watching the
steady progress of this revolution this
does not seem SO sudden. During the last thirty
yearSthey have been striving to awaken an anti.
slavery sentiment and principle in the heart of the
North. They have endeavored to 90 this by those
means by which moral reforms are always accom-
plished by arguments addressed to the reason,
the conscience and the heart. And as they have
pursued their work, they have, from time to time,
confidently predicted that nothing but the aboli-
ton of American slavery would be able to avert
the dissolution of this Union. They clearly fore
that the growing auti-slavery sentiment of the
North would attain such strength that il would re-
a collision between the free States and the slave.
holding States would be inevitable.
The history Of the anti-slavery enterprise has
given TO the world another demonstration of tie
power of truth. When this enterprise was COM
menoed, this nstion turned, in contemptuous 81
lence, from the prophet-call which summoned il to
repentance, or answered that summons with deri-
sive laughter Proud in its conscious strength
strength Of wealth. Of broad territory-strepgth Of
intellect, of culturs-strength Of social ties and
ecclesiastical interests, ramifying the whole struc
ture Of its society-streugb of its two great poli
ical par,ies--is smiled at the impotence which as-
sailed mighty institution, in its great pro-
lection. only one of is sovereign States deserted
in this humble movement the germ Of national
revolution and, with the instructive sagacty
which senss Of danger Awakens, attempted to
stretch tho right arm Of her power from the Gulf
Of Mexico to Massachusetts, Bay, and queuoh the
new altaT-6re Of liberty in the blood Of the man
who had kindsd it, Nor did the almost univer-
sal contempt with which the nation regarded this
new enterprise seem unreasonable 10 those who
measure add compare forces by the ordinary
standards of the world. Only they who, seeing
the invisible know the omnipOtsnos of truth, can
understand the warfare in which one chases
thousand, and two put ter thousand to Eight
Sustained By faith in the immortal power OF truth,
the Abolitiouists pursued their labor. unappalled
by the greatness of the task before them and lit
tie needing the soorn or the violence which assail-
ed them. They knew that the success of their
enterprise was question only Of time. The na-
tion tha. slumbered awoke the nation that, at
fret, derded, and soon marsbalsd in hot haste all
its forces, political, ecclesiastical and social.
against the few "tanatcs" who disturbed its
peace, now stands trembling before that mighty
power, whose presence it Acknowledges but cannot
comprehend. The prediction which il accounted
as the raving of insanity is 90 day fulfilled. The
proud nation who glorihed herself and said in her
heart, II sit queen, and shall SEQ no sorrow;
who said in her strength, who 10 the Lord, that
should obey bis voicsr 10 dismsmbersd. Another
ssson has been given to teach the world that ideas
csonot bs conquered BY physical foros, and the