Anti Slavery Bugle

"If we have whispered truth, whisper no longer,
"Speak as the tempests doth, sterner and stronger.
If we believe that the energy of truth cannot be enervated—if we believe that the progress of human improvement cannot be stayed—if we believe that the power which God has given, right over might, will not be broken, shall we feel discouraged because the leading influences are opposed to us? Never, no never. In this age men begin to feel that brute force is not a match for truth in a contest with it, that might cannot triumph over right.

But the heart and the mind,
And the voice of mankind.
Shall arise in communion,
And who shall resist the proud union.
The time is past when swords subdued,
Man may die—the soul's renewed.
Even in this low world of care
Freedom ne'er shall want an heir;
Millions breath but to inherit
Her forever bounding spirit.
Then let us rejoice that the mighty work of human progress is advancing. That there are faithful champions of human liberty, not only in America, but also in England, Ireland, Germany, France, that have already stamped an impress upon the age, that the masses begin to show evidence of a disposition to practically recognise the great truths of human freedom, as preached by the abolitionists of our country, as written everywhere by the finger of God. That an under current is moving onward—that the ocean wave of public sentiment is swelling up, and that this wave is destined to sweep onward, crushing the ramparts of despotism, and overthrowing the strong holds of tyranny.

In Oberlin, the judges of the election, at the late election, were all Liberty party men, and if the election was a regular one, an oath of the following form was taken by the judges and clerks:

"You, A. B., do solemnly swear (or affirm as the case may be.) that you will perform the duties of a Judge or Clerk of this election (as the case may be.) according to law and the best of your abilities; and that you will studiously endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit or abuse, in conducting the same."

See act to regulate elections, 7 Sec.
The constitutional provision, in reference to voting, is as follows, which, be it remembered, is the fundamental law of the State.

"In all elections, all white male inhabitants above the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State one year next preceding the election, and who have paid or are charged with a State or County tax, shall enjoy the right of an elector; but no person shall be entitled to vote, except in the County or District in which he shall actually reside at the time of the election." Art. 4, Sec. 1.

The judges, however, we have been told, paid no attention to the law, or their oaths, so far as color was concerned, but let white and black, men of all colors, vote indiscriminately.

We understand that it is the determination of some of the citizens of Elyria, to prosecute them for a violation of their sworn duties.—That black men have equally as good a right to vote as white men, we affirm; but what is to be the result of such applications of Liberty party's theory of morals in practice?—Will it not destroy all confidence of man in man ? When such a theory of morals is generally practised, no one's language will be regarded as an index to his heart: and all the horrors of the French excesses, in their bloody revolution, will be precipitated upon us.

Talleyrand, who was educated a priest, but became a politician of the French Revolutionary school, when asked what was the use of language, replied, "to conceal our thoughts."

Was not the oath taken by these judges, on the occasion referred to, employed to conceal their thoughts?

We understood President Mahan, of Oberlin, in a discussion with S. S. Foster, to maintain that it would be right to take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and then disregard the decisions of the Supreme Court, suffer impeachment, and then force upon the court a reconsideration of its former decisions. Such being the morality taught by the President of the Oberlin College, is it strange that it should be put in practice there? We are among those who will meet out equal justice to black and white, hence, we will not swear to do otherwise—we are one of those who will not obey unjust decisions of the Supreme Court, but then we will not swear to observe them.

We would call particular attention to the article on our first page from the Covenanter. This publication is an organ of the Reformed Presbyterians—a church free from slavery, politically and ecclesiastically. It receives not into its membership, either the slaveholder, or him who legalizes slavery.

The Covenanter speaks of the abolitionists as being maligned—it does not call them maligners. It is those churches which are guilty of slaveholding that malign the abolitionists for rebuking pro-slavery sects. The Reformed Presbyterians, feeling conscious of their innocency in this regard, do not feel that our assault upon pro-slavery churches, is an assault upon them. We do not hear them crying out, you abolitionists are opposed to all churches and all government.

In Ireland many of the people are dying of starvation. It is said, however, that speculation in provisions has something to do with this state of things there.