Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-08-29

in its Immaculate purity and resplendent
glory-if they were virtuous men, would
they not rejoice TO know that system of
legalized concubinag e and prostitution has
come to an end2 If they were patriotic,
would they not exult at the peaceful over
throw of a worse than Turkish despotism!
If they were philanthropic, would they
not shout aloud in view of misery assuag-
ed, broken hearts comforted, wounds and
putrefying sores healed up, the lame leap
ing like the roe, the blind restored to sight,
the deaf made to hear, and the dumb to
speak? If they were lovers Of justice,
would they not delight in the fact, that the
lynch code Of slavery, as administered for
ages to an immense multitude of their
fellow creatures, has been superseded by
constitutional law, giving ample protec-
ton 10 the meanest of them all? If they
were truI Y pious, would they not give
glory to God, that where it was until re-
Gently fettered and gagged, the gospel may
now have free course and be glorfed?
that mighty obstacle to the progress of
the Redeemer's kingdom has been re-
moved out o! the way? that where the
Bible has been a prohibited book, it may
now be freely circulated! that where men
tal and moral improvement has been for
hidden under severe penalties, all restric-
tons are taken off, and light and knowl-
edge are abounding? But they do not
rejoice-they do not shout aloud (no, not
even whisper D-they do not give glory
to God! How is their hypocrisy, their
observation-disclosures, their contempt for the
colored race, made manifest! How are
they judged in the presence of angels and
mankind
They walk by sight, forsooth! Why
not look then at Antigua! That is a
sight" worth looking at ! But the light
is too strong for their weak vision. If
there had been L" blood & carnage" in that
island, they could have beheId it with
philosophical composure" would
have bel ped them to an argument, and ar
gumpnts with them are very scarce-it
would have served TO make plausible their
, scare-crow theory Of emancipation, now,
aIack! proved 10 the satisfaction of the
veriest towards in chrisendom TO be
nothing outa scare.crow with an air-drawn
dagger! They looked--but hearing songs
of praise instead Of the agonies of the
dying-seeing every mans hand, instead Of
turned against another, extended in frater
nal Misunderstanding the whole face
Of society renovated, and all things pre-
senting an animated aspect why should
they look more than once? Are disagree.
able objects to be contemplated with salts
faction! Is The mirror, that clearly re.
veals ones deformity, a source of pleasure
to the beholder! No indeed AT least
so think our opponents
| proceed now, with all brevity, to shoN
in what manner the boon Of freedom was
received by the slaves of Antigua and Der
muda; and the first witness | shall sum
mon upon the stand is Lord BRoUGHAm
whose 81 gantic exertions in the cause o
emancipation entitle him to the gratituI,
Of mankind. In an eloquent speech deIiv
cred by him in the House OF Lords, Feb
20, 1888, on this subject, he tes!Ifes as fol
lows
"The first of August arrved-that da,
so confidently and joyous Y anticipated b.
the poor slaves, and so sorely dreaded b,
their hard taskmasters; and if ever Their
} was picture interesting to look upon
if ever there was passage in the hstor
of a people, redounding to their eterna
honOr-if ever there was complete rel
? utation Of all the scandalous calumnie
: which had been heaped upon them 70
ages, as if in justification Of the wrong
which we had done them-that piclur
and that passage are to be found in the an
: form and unvarying history ofthat peopl
? throughout the whole of the West Endi
. Islands. Instead of the fires of REBEL
r ion, lit by feeling Of law|ess re
r venge and resistance to oppression, tn
7 whole Of those islands were, like an Ara
t bian scene, Illuminated by the light of cor
t tentment, jov, peace, and good wilt tow
ards all men. No civilized people, ate
, gaining an unexpected victory, could hov
! shown more delicacy and forbearance tina
! was exhibited by the slaves at the orea
2 moral contamination which they had at
/ tanned There was not look or a gesture
which could gall the eyes of their masters
: Not sound escaped from negro lip
= which could wound the ears Of the mos
= feverish planter in the islands. All wa
: joy, mutual congratuIatioD, and hope
: SO far the testimony of Lord Broughan
. Thus much for the horrors OF imm2diat
f emancipation Thus much in proofthG
e slaves are contented and happy, and wou
t not be free ifthey could O, Ifthere wer
!! time, it would be a delightful task to Civ
= the details Of events, as they transpired i
r Antigua, in 1884. But a single extrac
0 from Thome and K;mbalI's Journal mus
|, suffice: it contains an AIexandrian libra
a ny of pathos and subIimity in a single para
:, graph: