State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-05-10

We have received the first number of the
Weekly Emancipator, under the edtoriul
charge Of Rev. Amos A. PHELPS, formerly
of Pne-street church, Boston. This num-
Der is admirable. Price by the year, 50.
X. G. Williams, New York, publisher. We
give the editors introductory article:
The issue is changed. 1t is now TO be
made up, not upon the question whether
the save shall he set free, but whether free
men shall remain so. Our enemies, unwit-
tngly, have so decrecd it. At the outset,
our work was the advocacy Of others rights,
now 1t is the defence of our own. Then
we had but to take for granted the great
doctrine othuman rights, as set forth in the
Declaration of American Independence, to
tell the story of the wrongs inflicted on the
slave, Ia make our inference, and the work
was done. Now the premises of the arg,i-
ment are questioned, the charter of our
own rs well ms the slaves rights is cashier
ed as n rhetorical flourish" and we aro
driven back TO the dis cussion and defence
ct those great 'self-evidcnt" principles, the
practical denial of which is the subversion
of the rights and liberties of ALL First. we
were the advocates only of the slaves rights;
now the defend RS Of our own, AS was
nartlral, the advocate and his client have
been identified, and their destines INSOFAR
ably linked to each other. Together they
must be free, or together be enslaved. The
oppression that has so long robbed the
slave of his rights and liberties, is now
erasping at the rights and liberties of all,
who rather than be recreant to liberty, to
humanity ana tn God, dare to speak in his
defence. The ruthless despotism that has
trodden with such impunity on the neck
OF the one, ir now essaying to put its foot
on the neck of the other. Nay, the work
of encroachment and invasion has already
begun, and gone to fearful lengths. As
a citizen of the United STATES, every aboli-
zionist is guaranteed, by the constitution
safe locomotion, facilities for commercial
and social intercourse, the benefits of the
public mail, trial by jury, liberty of con-
science, freedom of speech and of the press
but what northern man, sympathizing
with the oppressed, end daring to rebuke
the oppressor, can enjoy any one of these
rights unmolested, i'll one halt of this
Unlon' 10 such an one the Union is
already practically divided, the Constitution
n dead letter, and all its solemn guarantees
null and vOld. So that our work is not
on y for the defence of rights and liberties
endangered, hut for the recovery of rights
and liberties actually lost. In this view
our work is one Of vast importance and
fearful interest. 1t is none other than the
conflict of liberty with slavery-the issue
of which is to he .u.versaI freedom or
universal bondage. The conflict is now
fairly begun. In respect to it there is no
neutrality, and from it no retreat. And for
ourselves we wish none.
With these views, and because the press
of matter is so great that the plan of month
~ publications is not adequate to meet the
exlEancies of the cause, the executive COM
m'ttee have decided to publish the Eman-
cipator weekly, and at the same time, for
the present at least TO continue it monthly
as before.