Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-11-20

| Smltn rose 70 move anu advocate lue
4 the following resolution:
.soped That right free discosson gv"n US by 600 ma
ami guarded the laws Of country s so rI be-
guilty of its surrender without conserving exchange ha @
Tor slavery and that dignity aad usefulness, Tor deoaseme w
worthcssness.
Nh Smith remarked, that he not member OF tne
American AnSlavery Society, and not yet prepares 20
become such-tha his reasons for not approving VI W
The plans and proceedings Of the society," SO af as 20
unite himself with it. were before the public ana a'
would be both unreasonable and egostca LOT mn NV
10 mention them. He stood up IN tue meeiag n s
conrtesv of its resolution, nvi.ing hn 10 take ITO
deliberations and proceedings Ley me say, noc,
(suid Mr. Snith) that the great prnc,ples
have been my pr!ncipes anu la sr;I If bodinr
d.. orncples At such time as TINS, "hen you are
noby ieoparding for truths sake, and humanity sake
prorarty and reputation und lle ee 10 DC iot on!
myauty bat my privilege und pleasure, to identity my
rf with ycu as far conscicntiousy CAN, and to ex
pose my property and reputation and life 10 line same dan
gers which threaten yours. Passing events (sald MIR 81
admonish me OF the necessity thefe s nai tue o
human rights should act i'll concert; and, with all my
objections to vouI society il is not only possible but pro-
babe thu, shall soon find myself obliged to become
| member of it. .
said he had himself drawn up. and handed to the
mtee on resolutions love the free and happy form Of
ri vii government under which live not because it
fcrs new rights on me. My rights all spring from
infinitely n0ber sovrcs-from the favor and grace OF
God Our political lad constitutional rights, called,
are but the natural and Inherent ghs of man, asserted,
carried out and by modes of human conrvance
To no human charter am indebted for my rights. They
pertain TO my original constitution and read them in
that Book Of books which is the great Charter CT man
rights No; the constitutions of my Nation and State
create none of my rights They do at the most, but
recognize what it not theirs to give.
My reason, therefore, for loving republican form Of
government and for preferrIng it to any otherto
narchcal and despotic goSrrnments-ls not that 1t
clothes NE with rights which these withhold from me;
but that it makes fewer encroachmens than they do
rirrh biph( nd
ed scope Of mans agency. prefer, in word, the re-
publican system, because )! comes up more nearly 10
Gods system. II is not then to the constitutions Of my
nation and Stats that am indebted tor the right OF Tree
dscusson though am thankful for the glorious de-
fence with which those instruments surround that right
No, God himself gave this right; and sufficient
proof that He ddso is 10 be found III the FACT that he
requires to exercise it. Take from the men, who
conpose the Church Of Christ earh the right Of free
dscusson and you disable them for his service They
the lame and the dumb and the blind In vain
is it now, that YOU bid them "hold forth the word OF life
inrvain that you bid them mot to suffer sin upon
neighbor, but in any wise to rebuke HMM vain is it,
that you bid them go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature God made me to be one OF
his for carrying forward the salvation Of the
1ycrld then is the light of free discussion among my in
hcren rights then may must speak of sin, any sin,
every SIM that comes in my way-any SIN, every sin,
which it is my duty to search ont and assa When:
therefore, this right is called in question: then is the III
vaeion not OF something obtained from human conven-
ton and human concesson 1.-THE invasion OF birth
rlUh-Of tat WHICH Is as OQ as ana VI
the original man.
This right SO sacred is sought to be tramnced 1t
is virtually denied. What have said is Introductory
to the expression of my dissent from the tenor OF the
anruate with which this invasion is generally met
This right u.s. for the most part defended the ground,
that it is given 10 by political constitutions and
that purchased for by the blood and toll of our
fathers Now wish to see its defence placed on its true
and infinitely higher ground; on the ground that God
gave it to u.s. and that he who violates betays it, Is
guilty alone Of dishonoring the laws of his country
and the blood and toll and memory of his fathers; but
that he is guilty also OF making upon Gods plan OF
man constitution and cndswments and Of attemptngt TO
narrow down and destroy that dignity, with which God
invested him. when he made him i'll his own image, and
but little lower than the angels When, therefore, we
would defend this right, let not defend much with
the jealousy of Amercau--a repuhlc'.n-as though
it but American republican right, and could
claim no higher origin Imam Human will and human sta
tutes but let defend men, feeling that to lose is
to lose part of ourselves let defend it men, de-
termned to mantain 10 their extreme boundary
the rights and powers which God has given for
usefulness and enoy1ncn and The surrender OF an Iota
| OF which, Is treaecn against Heaven.
There class Of men, whom itespeciay behoores
TO be tenacious Of the right of free discussions: mean
the poor Tbs rich and the honorsbc divcsted of this
right have still telr wealth and their honors to rcpoSc
on, and solace then But, when the poor stripped
Of this right, they POOR indeed. The unhappy
who composed the mob in Utica yesterday, are of this
class May they yet learn and before too late how
suicidal was the violence WHICH THE LIPS ASn PENS
Tor THEIR SCPERloRs STIMULATED THEM; and, that in
attacking this most precious right your PERSONS they
Ewere efficiently contributing TO hasten its destruc
iGon in their own; right in respect to which, the
poor is t1e equal Of the richest and the prcudes
and his possession Of which, is all that him from
tbeing trapec upon in Republican America by the des
potism Of wealth and titles, that despotism trampes
upon hh elsewhere, where he is permitted 10 tell
the sorycf wrongs and to resist oppression BY that
t,roEyer, which wealth and titles cannot withstand
tic po,Der Of the lips and the press Let the poor
count his eney and his worst enemy, every invader
Of the right offrce discussion.
We are threatened with legislative restraints on this
right Let US tell Legislators in advance that this is
ia right restraints which will not, bear; and
that every ATTEMPT to restrain it is palpabe wrong
God and man. Submitting to these restraints we could
not be what God made us to be; could not perform
the service to which he has appointed u.s. We could not
he men. Laws to gag uian-to CONCEAL the gushing
fountains Of his hearts synpatly-and 10 shrve up his
soul by extingushng its ardor ard gpncrostyare laws
not to assist him in carrying out God high and holy
purposes in calling him into oelng put they arc laws to
throw him passive mindless, worthless being al the feet
of dcspotism
And TO what end is it that called upon to hold
tongues, and throw down our pens and give up our
influence: Were it for good object, and could
ceive that such sacrifice would promote it, there would
be color of fitness in asking to do So But, this
sacrifice which righteousness and humanity never IN
voked Truth and mercy require the erertton-ncvcr
the suppression Of mans noble rights and powers. we
culed degrade and unman ourselves. and to
withhold from others that influence which are bound
TO exert upon lhe the end that the victim of oPpres
siou may lie more quietly beneath the loot OF ms OPP
pressor; to the end that onesxth of eountrymen,
pundered of their dearest rghls-of their bodies and
minds aud souls-,nny never know Of those rights to
the end, that TWO MILLIONS AND HALF of our
fellow men, crushed in the iron folds of slavery may
main in all their suffering and debasemen and despair
Il is for such obect-an object wicked and mex
pressibly mean-that called oil to lie down be-
meath the slave holders clustering and menace like
whipped and trembling spanels We reply, that our re.
publican spirit cannot thus succumb and what is inf
nitey more, that God did not make us-that Jesus did
not redeem US, for such sinful and vile
We know before that slavery could endure could