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Antislavery Political Union

Antislavery Political Union image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
January
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In our previous anieles on this subject, e have seen tbat a unión in some maner, of all antislavery ir.cn, has been doireJ by them in New Ha.mpshjre, and ffecled : that it has been approved and anctioned by tho Liberty papéis of New ïngland generally : tbat the Editor of he Cincinnati Elerald, now the conductr of the National Liberty pnper, has vowed that he is " willing, nay anxious"' o enter into a unión with other parlies : hat the Liberty party of Mr. Gidding's istrict have not only avowed themselves ready and solicitous" to enter into such n arrangement, hut defined the terms on vhich tbeir votes could be had, and resolved to labor to effect such a unión : that tlie proposal for a National Convenon to effect the object has been put forth y a Whig friend of Mr. Giddings, and atified by the largest Libeyty Convenon ever held : and that Mr. Giddings nd Mr. Chase, the most prominent men f the Liberty party and antwlavery Vhigsof Ohio, have corresponded on lis subject and exactly agreein sentiment nd in the articles of action proposed. - dd to all these demonstrations in favor f union, that it is iinpliedly or xpresslv pprovcd in all of our thirty Liberty paers (wiih perbaps one excepljon,) and ou have the explicit cvklence of the readness of the antislavery men of the whole ountry to unite in common measures of ntislavery action. Two important questions yet remain o be answered : What are the main oints on which it is indispensable that all antislavery men should be agreed ; and, How can such a unión be brought into practical operation ? In answering the first it isevidont that the measures proposed should be of such a nature as to effect the great objects in view; - otherwise, those who labor in them will bc as they who beat the air. - These objects are the rescue of our notion from tbe domination of the Slaveholders, and the repeal of the Laws sustaining Slavery. It is also obvious, we think, that if all persons elected or appointed to office throughout the nation were in fnvor of these objects, they would be accomplishcd, whatever party might be in power. It is not, then, the ascendency of this or that party that is reiqusite, but the cleciion of such men to office of any or all partios as will do the things' which necd to be done. The election of such men will efl'ect the objects in view. We have seen that various points of faith and practise, as a basis for such a politica] union, have been proposed in New Hampsliire and Ohio. We will state those which we deern requisite to secure our support. 1. Equal Polilical Rightstothe Colorcd Man. 2. The passage of a law similar to those of New Hampshire, "Vermont and Massachusetts, making it penal for any officer, or citizen of this state to aid in the arrest of fugitivo slaves. 3. The Repeal of all laws of the United States, su6taini"hg, sanctioning or reg_ulaiing the holding or transportaron o liumnn beings as slaves, including the law of 1793. 4. No more Slaveholding Slntes or Territory to be received into the Union. 5. To support no man for office who is n Slaveholder, or who would in nny menner use his official power or influence for the election or appoinlmentof Slaveholders to office. G. To voie for no man who hesitates openly to declare the preceding sentiments. Any man of any party of sufficient talents and abililies, and unobjectionable on the score of character, who should, in a mank and open manner, avow and act upon the five points first above specified, we think might receive the cordial support of every antislavery man. To all practical intents and purposes, he would 3e or.e of us. The evidencc of thia is een in the facl that were all our offices illed with men who would act out these lentiments, our work would immcdialely je done !In answer to the second inquiry, how such a plan of efiurt could be put in practise, we reply, by proposing it ; by discussingit; by avowing if, and as individuáis, by putting it into execution. A National Convention to delibérate on poinls of difference may be well enough ; but no independent antislavery man should wait to have his thinking doneup forhim. or hisaction prescrihed, by such a body of men. Such bodies are ahvays conservativo, and tliey serve rather to mark by their rosolutions how far a cause has advanced, than to give it an additionnl Ímpetus by new and energetic measuses. Let antislavery men in the several towr.s, counties, districts and States, meet together and talk over the sulr jeet, and then act as they shall deern wisc. If they are 9.U of one hearl, they will become so ncnrly of one mind that no injurious efiects will result. It mny be asked, wherein does this plan difier from the existmg Liberty erganization 1 Wc answer, it will secure ihe votes of all real antislavery men of all partses for antislavery candidates, and witbdraw them from the support of Slaveholders. Each antislavsry man can rcmainin his own party, and co-operate with all otheis in accomplishing the common object. It may also be said that the time for executing such a plan has not come: and thal if proposed to-morrow by the whole Liberty party in this State, it would meet with no response from men of other parties. it is sufiicient to reply that there isno certainty of this : that there may be more aniislavery feeling and principie in the other partios, thnn find expression through their papers : that the time. ís coming when men of othcr parties icill iet with us, in some way, in multitu0es : hat such a unión has actually taken ?lace in one State and revolutionized it j nd that we know not how near our own nay be to a redemption from its proslavery misrule. In expressing these views, we speak ibrourself and for no other person.