The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-04-06


and healed by that compromise so far as they ex-
listed at the North, have never been healed to this
day. And they bleed afresh whenever the eye
is turned to Missouri. Northern freemen greve
to see the accursed system of holding and using
men as cattle extending over that noble tract in
cluded within the limits of Missouri, fairer and
more fertile spot than which is not to be found on
this whole continent, in which if this system con-
tinues unchecked in its career, uncounted mil
lions of slaves are to be born and bred and worked
like oxen and horses, till death shall deliver them
from their bondage AS to the compromise, a
Northern member at the time the Missouri ques-
ion was settled declared that instead of comprom-
Use the admission of Missouri with her slavehold-
ing constitution was effected by sheer manage
ment and remarked, "Thus judgment springeth
up as hemlock in the burrows of the field"
Mr.. Clay virtually admits that aoeighty reasons
might justify departure from what he considers
the compromise so far as Florida is concerned.
Let weghty reasons then decide the case. Con-
gress has need to free itself and the country from
the inconsistency, the hypocrisy, the cruelty, and
the aggravated and heaven daring guilt of uphold
ing by its legislative acts the most attrocious
and abominabe system of oppression. We claim
TO be free nation. We claim to be the asserters,
the advocates, the defenders of the rights of man..
We, the people of the United States claim before
the world, and before High Heaven, to have or
dained and established constitution in order to,
establish op6 tho blacCipnc IF Thar.
ty to ourselves and our posterity. These are the
most weighty reasons, why we the people Of the
U. States in our national acts, should cease to falsi
fly these claims. One word on Mr.. Clay's argu-
ment against the power of Congress to prohibit the
internal slave trade. The grant in the constitution
is power of regulation and not prohibition. Just
look at the constitution, Art. |. Sec 8. "The Con-
gress shall have power 3. To regulate COM
merce with foreign nations, and among the sever
al states, and with the Indian tribes" Mr.. Clay
argues that this right to regulate does not author
ize prohibition Does that great statesman in
tend to make his country believe that the power
to regulate commerce with foreign nations confers
no right to prohibit single article Of commerce.
DO6S ne nalDIdlll lldl law Ol congress
the sale of rum to the Indians is unconstitutional?
Would he have US believe that Congress has new
er prohibited even for day the traffic in single
article of commerce with any foreign nation, or
with any Indian tribe? If the power to regulate
gives no power to prohibit any article ofcommerce,
BY what authority did Congress prohibit the i'm
oortation of slaves from foreign countries under
penalty of death? And why did the constitution
iorbid their doing it until the year 1905, if its
trainers supposed they were giving Congress no
power to prohibit the importation Of any article
whatever? Alas for the Craftsmanship of Hen
~ Clay This great opposer Of abotonism COM
plains of unneighborly conduct on our part, The
does not accuse us of selling southerners when
they come among us, and dispensing with the forms
of law, trying them by committees and sentencing
then to the Infamous punishment of the whip or
the gallows,) and he asks What would be tho't
Of the formation of societies in the slave States the,
ssue Of violent and infammatory tracts, and the
Reputation of missionaries pouring out impassion-
ID denunciations against institutions under the ex-
lusive control of the free sates!" Be this our
answer, and let the whole South hear If we
lave institutions in the free states which you think
o be oppressive cruel and wicked, tell US so..
Put forth against them all your powers Of argu-
nent and persuasion. Write with all the vehe-
nence you can muster. Paint those Institutions
n colors as black as your own negroes Take ex-
nipple from us. Use the most infammatory lam
yuage you can find in any anti-slavery book, or
pamphlet, or paper and hurl it at US, with might
md main. Form societies, and rouse up if you
AN your whole population. Get them all embodied
n societies for exertng moral and within consti-'
utional limits, political influence against these
wicked institutions Raise money, employ lectur-,
RS, purchase presses, issue millions OF papers and
racts, send them by mail into every nook and
orner of the free states. We will gladly pay the
ostace. We will not burn them. We will read
verv word We will weigh every argument.
,end hundreds of missionaries here among us to
ddress us. We will not hang them. We will
OF set price on the head of your President even.
We will welcome him TO our hospitalties inferior