The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-08-17

sess moral worth, talent, patriotism ant
love of country than any other body of the United
States, not excepting the public councils of the nation
II is true they yet in the minority; but if am mis-
aken in every age and country of the world in which
have been compelled by oppression, to strike for freedom
they have been first but few in number and prosecuted
But where they have been sincere, making trutI
and justice their guide, has universally been the
final result of their efforts With the slave has pow
or of action, that his freedom shall be
the purchase of his mercifu Providence, in
der prevent such dreadful catasrophes in beloved
country has brought to his rescue and united for his de-
veance the wamest hearts and soundest heads OF the ma
ton; and they present to the world the new, strange and
cheering phenomenon of men enjoying all the blessings OF
liberty themselves yet willing to devote their time their
MEANS their ALL to procure for the oppressed and down
trodden save those natural rights to which he is entitled,
and which promised to all men the chief stone
of republican edifce. The moral power of such men
is sufficient for this work, but that moral power must OPP
perae by means and the elective franchise is the great if
not the only to make it eectua Political action is
necessary to produce moral reformation in nation and
that with only be eectualy exercised through
the ballot box. And surely the ballot box be
used for noble purpose, than to restore and
to every his inalienabe rights. to to be
almost impossibty, that be in favor of per-
peuatng American slavery and yet be friend to the prin
cipes of government If the ballot box then, is hon
esty and independently used, it alone will produce
the exngushment of slavery in country
happy to to you, and to those Who win you,
endeavoring the slave his long lost rights
that in the West, the of freedom is onward
speak well think this subject; mind is meeting
mind, and mutual confidence aud mutual support will be the
natural result
sincerely regret that am denied the pleasure of
ing the friends of liberty convention Albany but there
much to do here and find it not in power comply
with the numerous requests to attend meetings in different
parts of my State Though the friends of the slave
scattered throughout country, yet they
be bV |
perseverance and give encouragement to ALL
am, with respect,
Your obedent servant,
THOMAS Morris.
N. SAFroD, Esq.
William Lloyd Garrison presented his Protest
against certain proceedings which was read, and
ordered to be laid on the table, and printed with
the doings of the Convention.
PROTEST.
The undersigned, member of the National
Anti-Slavery Convention, now in session in AL
bany, respectfully asks leave to make the follow
ing Protest, and to have it published with the pro-
ceedings of the Convention.
He protests in the first place, against the man.
ner in which this Convention has been called to-
gether by the Committee of Arrangements as un-
precedented exclusive and proscrptive in its phra-
seology, {" Such tTeemem only, instead of all per-
sons, without distinction Of rank sex, or COLOR
who agree in the principles contained in the Con-
sttution of the American Anti-Slavery Society,
being invited to assembe)-and also unwar-
ranted by any instructions which were given to
said Committee by those who appointed them.
He protests, in the second place, against the as
surance given by said Committee in their call, that
all extraneous matters" would be kept out of the
Convention; because it not competent for
Them to decide, in advance, upon the character of
The proceedings of this body; because they could
not tell, and therefore were unauthorized to deter
mine, what would be said or done on this occa-
sion because such an assurance needless, if
not purposely invidious,-as it ought always to be
taken for granted that abohonists, in their asso-
ciated capacity, will act in good faith with each
other, and not drag in foreign questions for dis
cussion, TO the confusion and arrangement of the
organization; and because it implies,
what is not true, that antislavery conventions have
not heretofore been strictly of an antslavery char
acter.
He protests, in the third place, against the as
of the respected President of the Con-
venton, that the object of this Convention is main
ly, if not exclusively, poilical because no ex-
preston of sentiment on this point, jnsfying such
an assumption, has been made, either by the A
merican Ant-Slavery Society, or any of its aux
iliaries and because the undersigned believes
that the grand object of this Convention, in the
eyes of American abolitonists, was to examine
the question of slavery as much in its religious as
its political BEARINGS to bring the artillery oftruth
TO bear as powerfully upon a corrupt Church as
upon a corrupt State; and to enforce the obiga-
tons resting upon those aboliionists who are
as strictly as upon those who
use the elective franchise.
He protests, in the fourth place, against the con-
duct of the Committee of Arrangements in refus-
ing TO explain, for the satisfaction Of such delegates
present as might be in doubt on the subject, whom
they meant to include or exclude by the word free
they meant by it legal voters, or
men only, or all persons who are abotonists,
without respect to sex, cline, or condition. In
declaring that they had no explanations to make
on this beet the undersigned is constrained to
regard such conduct as not only extraordinary
but as contrary to that frank and magnanimous
treatment of each other, and of their opponents,
which has ever characterized aboIitonists; and
as evincive of spirit of moral timidity, which is
afraid to take the responsibility of its own acts.
He protests in the last place. against the vote