The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-07-27

= clearly and generally the fruit of robbery, as i
5 that of shareholders. 1t is certainly not large
k portion of the holders of property in the state o
a New York who are robbers but it certainly is &
a large portion of the holders of property in the state
t OF Alabama who are. If, however, your Board
think that the property Of the State OF New York
> IS very generally obtained by robbery then, in
stead Of making this reason for not dealing faith
fully with their Alabama patrons let them, besides
telling these patrons that God hates robbery for
sacrifice; tell the same truth TO their New York
patrons also
Your Board would perhaps be reluctant to de-
prive itself Of the patronage of savehod crs, as it
surely would do were it to take the Bible for its
guide, and to tell them that God hates robbery for
sacrifice. "And Amazah said to the man of God,
but what shall we do for the hundred talents,
which have given to the army of Israel? And
the man Of God answered--the Lord is able to give
thee much more. than this" ed Chron. XIV o.
| If your Board apprehend that their funds will suf-
fer loss by their faithful dealing with sIaveholding
contributors, let them be conso.ed with the relec-
Ition, that the Lord can mmch more than supply the
loss. He can raise up for your Board better friends
than shareholders are. He can Himself be its better
IFriend-better than he has ever been, and better
than he will consent to be, whilst the Board con-
tinues its fellowship with Shareholders
But a rupture between your Board and the
Shareholders would not be dreaded by the Board
alone. 1t would be dreaded by the shareholders
also. If the friendly relation which now subsists
between the Board and the stakeholder gives the
Board access to his pocket, it is productive of no
less advantage to him. The keepers of the |
Lords treasury released the Jew for given sum,
from all obligations to subsist his parents. But
the treasury was not the only gamer bv this ar
rangement. The terms of the Communication were
doubtless very favorable to the wretch who cast
off his helpless parents. The sum fixed on
by the keepers of the treasury, the price Of the
triumph of avaricc over GIial piety, was, no doubt
temptingly small. So also the sums which the
STAKEHOLDER pays to benevolent and religious in
are very small, compared with the
whole amount of his robbery. His conti utions
to these institutions are cheap way for the
Shareholder to maintain his hold on the public res
pcct. He thereby gets these institutions to en-
dorse his character, and to give him place not
only amongst the friends of humanity but amongst
he disciples of the Saviour. Let these insitu-
ions but withdraw their favor from him, and it
nay be, that he can devise no method for holding
up his head in the world less costly than that OF
putting away his giant iniquty. 5
| need say no more to explain my views of the '
luty Of your Board in the matter under discussion a
believe the Holy Scriptures justify the following f
c
1st The Lords treasury is not the place for b
money that is fraudulently obtained. ii
Cd. Such money is not to be kept out of His ii
reasury by an inquisitorial examination of the il
haracter of the gifts which are offered to it, and
W the adoption and enforcement of rules for the I
bsolue exclusion of portion of them. n
3D.. 1t is to be kept out by faithful and Scriptu- ri
al appeals to the corrupt contributors to it; by a
tbo,,, bocl, thor II
md by rebuliing them of the sin and convincing d
hem Of the unacceptableness of their offerings e
t may be asked, what authority | have for assign
nc TO the keepers of the Lords treasury the duty a
described in the Sd proposition? do not assign h
t to them exclusively; though it must he obvious h
hat there are especial reasons why they should Il
'erform it. Is it said that they were prophets,
Who ministcred those reprools for wrong giving, c.
o which have referred? Grant it. But is it p
lot altogether probable that those reprools were b
aiken up at the lips of the prop ets and reiterated b
" many? And even were it true that such re- lc
roofs should come from public teachers only p
oes not your Board abound in public teachers 3 Il
Gut it is not true that they should come from any 81
lass of persons exclusively. If God says that he it
ates robbery for sacrifice, then it is the duty of 81
all, and especially of the directors of benevolent Fl
nd religious societies, to impress this truth, as we CT
ringing the fruit Of robbery to the treasury of the
,ord. L
| cannot close this communication without say tie
10, that greatly respect and love your Board in
comprises some of the Wisest and hottest men to
f the land 1t is entitled to that confidence ofthe de
hristian public, which it has so long enjoyed Of
rea very great, and lamentable as is its error or
l respect to slaveholding contributions to the in
ords treasury, it is not to be rejected because off hi
1t is to be delivered from this error by the fiji
lain and affectionate dealing of its friends and W
lie blessing Of the Lord upon that dealing. 1t IN
ill be delivered from it, and that speedily; and OF
hen it is, it will be ncomparably more prosper op
us than it ever has BEEN for it will then be in tn
dcarer than it ever has been to the -
cart Of piety and to the heart of God. pr
| scarcely need say, that have not written this tn
tier to increase my stock of public favor. Small, on
yceedingly small, as is this stock, nevertheless WI
ave no socitude to increase it. We arc better TEL
f with little than with much of this dangerous tic
osscssion. My plain remarks on the character ett
the Shareholder and ON other topics will doubt 81
SIS give offence, The only apology | have to tel
ake for them is, that they are truth, and truth vo
hich needs to be spoken ell