The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-08-03
zE1zIlA VOICE OLE [g1R1a1ND0lIo
Prof. Benedict ps. Slavery.

versity of Vermont
There is however, one evil, of such terrific mag
nltudc, which is so glaringly inconsistent wit
the general principles of our government, and ha
such a pernicous influence and tendency, tina
we cannot pass it unnoticed. Humbling as tn
fact is, 1t is but too true that our constitutions
having for their basis the memorable declaration
ave hold these truths to be self-evident, that al
men are created equal that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rig hts
that among these, are life, liberty and the pursui
of happiness" do in direct contravention of these
fundamental principles, authorize the bondage O.
human beings guilty of no crime and place theil
happiness, their liberty, and their lives in the
power Of those who may coerce them at will with
scarcely more restraint on their conduct towards
them than towards the beasts of the feld-Who
is there whose warm blood does not gush tumul.
tuously through his bosom, as he this day thinks
of his country's prosperity, and in imagination
listens to the acclaim of nine millions of freemen
Does it not ebb coldly back to his heart, when he
calls to mind that their feet are on the necks of
eighteen hundred thousands of their fellow be-
pgs? Nay, if on this day consecrated to freed
ON, they are not driven to the field, it is because
the petty tyrants who are hired to exact their SER
vice, have laid aside what are alike the instru-
ments of torture and the ensigns Of their author-
ty, to DIN in shouts and anthems to liberty
We need not recount the steps by which slave
ny was brought upon our hemisp here. 1t would
however seem incredible to one not familiar with
the fact, were he informed that in the most en-
iightened age of the world such an evil took root,
and spread so widey-an evil, if we consider all
Its attendant aggravatlons, unparalleled since
human society began to exist. A child scarcely
needs to be informed that the slavery known a.
nlong the Jews resembled that of our own times
oply in he Hobr ella
ed from abuse to their persons--no disgrace was
attached to their conditon-they were treated as
children and could, and often did, intermarry with
the children of their owners and even with their
owners themselves nor could their Servtude ex-
coed six years in duration. This instead of be-
ing slavery as we know it, was little but an hon
orable apprenticeship. But let us go to the
Greeks and Romans, who both, and especially the
latter, considered all men but themselves as bar
barians, and made slaves of all whom they could
conquer. Even with them the situation of the
slave might be enviable compared with our own.
The owner might indeed torture and put to
death his servant with impunity-yet son was
no more protected. The freed man, instead of for
ever bearing the untarnshed badge of his former
degradation was often chosen to places of high
trust and honor; and even the slave himself, be-
of his learning and wit, often received from
the wise and noble, attention and regard which
were not bestowed upon his rude and uncutva-
ted master. Degrading to Christian nations as
these comparisons may seem to be, a more degra
ding one can yet be made. Let us turn our eyes
to those piratical nations, so long the objects of
dread, hatred and adherence to the whole of Eu
rope and America, the Barbary states. They too
ensave their capives, and buy and sell human be-
ings as christians do, and treat them with q sever
ity which they manifest not to the dogs whose
H. o(to, ,l,,t L., th
most miserable wretch that wears an Algerine fet-
ter, confess faith in Mohammed, and his master
talks not of his right TO retain what he bought
No matter how great the price he paid for him,
he cheerfully knocks off his chains clothes him
as his son and receives him as an equal. Wei
know that slavery in our country is an evil of so
long continuance, that our feelings Of horror are
less intense than they would be, were it of recent
introduction. Paatives of this enormty and
excuses for its continuance are sought for; but in
vain. They are all absurd or deceptive. He
that supports slavery on plea of self-interest is
unworthy of the name of man and he who as
serts the condition of a slave TO be not inferior to
that of many who are free, knows not the value of
liberty We know indeed that some are found
who assert that they whom we hold in bondage
are in better condition than freedom and eqality
could confer on them. This, though heard from
the lips of freemen, is the genuine language of
Tyrants, and is as false in sentiment it is obi
GUS in sound. Let him who believes that our
slaves are happier than they could be, if relieved
from their servitude and degradation, go then to
the one who, when driven with his manacled
companions past the door of the Capitol, lifted his
fettered hands to the representatives of the nation
who unconcerned looked on, and with sublime iro-
ny raised the patriots song; Hail Columbia,
happy land" Let him go even to them whose
vacant laugh at night fall has furnished him with
an argument for his prepos:erous opinion, and Of
fer tn EN- their liberty, and to remove them to
land, where no degradation is attached to the col
or which their Maker pleased to give them, and
see if they reject his kindness. But if he thinks
that inexperience might dictate an erroneous
choice, let him go to Sierra Leone, and visit
hourshing City, its places of worship, its schools
and its halls of justice, remembering that il was
peoped with the ignorant and the squalid from
various hostile tribes, who were taken, manned and
emaciated from the holds of slave snips-Let
him visit Liberia, our own happy colony and see
aourishing traffic in the productions of the coun-
try where formerly the slave-merchant received his
victims let him see cultivated fields luxuriant
from the labor of freemen where once the thckets
concealed the man steaer fellest of savage beasts