The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-23
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, MARCH S3, 1889.

farest prospects and brightest hopes Who ha
said that these petitions are unjust in principle
and on that ground ought not to be granted 2
Who has said that slavery is not an evil ? VIII
has said it does not tarnsh the faiE fame of on
country Who has said it does not bring dissi
patton and feeblcncss to race, and poverty ant
Wretchedness to another, in its train? Who ha
Fsad it is not UNI us TO the slave and injurious tt
the happiness and best interests of the master g
Who has said it does not break the bonds of hu
man affection, by separating the wife from the
husband, and children from their parents? Ir
fine, who has said it is not blot upon our coun
trys honor, and deep and foul stain upon her in
shtutions Few, very few perhaps none bu
him who lives upon its labor regardless Of its mis-
cry; and even many whose local situations are
within its jurisdiction acknowledge its injustice
and deprecate its continuance, while millions o.
freemen deplore its existence, and look forward
with strong hope to its final termination. SLAVE
RY word, like a secret idol, thought too obnox.
ous or sacred to be pronounced here but by those
who worship at its shrine, and should one who is
not such worshipper happen to pronounce the
word, the most disastrous consequences are imme-
diately predicted the Union is to be dissolved and
the South to take care of itself.
Do not suppose, Mr. President that feel as il
engaged in forbidden or improvident act No
such thing | am contending with local and
peculiar interest, an interest which has already
banded together force sufficient to seize upon ev-
cry avenue by which a petition can enter this
chamber, and exclude all without its leave. | an,
not now contending for the rights of the negro
rights which his Creator gave him and which his
fellow-man has usurped or taken away. No, sir
| am contending for the rights of the white person
in the free states, and trying to prevent them from
being trodden down and destroyed by that power
which claims the black person as property. I am
endeavoring to sound the alarm 10 my fellow-cit-
lzenS that this power, tremendous as it is, is en-
deavoring to unite itself with the moneyed power
of the country, in order to extend its dominion
and perpetuate its existence. am endeavoring
TO drive from the back of the negro szoce the poll
tcian who has seated himself there to ride into Of
flee for the purpose Of carrying out the object of
this unholy combination. The chains of slavery
are sufficiently strong, without being rveted a
new by tinkering politicians in the free states.
feel myself compelled into this contest, in defence
of institutions of my own state, the persons and
fresdes of her citizens, from the Unsuitable grasp
of the slaveholding power as being used and felt
in the free states. To say that am opposed to
slavery in the abstract, are but cold and unmean-
ing words; if, however capable of any meaning
whatever, they may fairly be construed into a love
for its existence and such sincerely believe to
be the feeling of many in the free states who use
the phrase. |, sir, am not only opposed to slave.
ny In the abstract, but also in its whole volume
in its theory as we'll as practice. This principle
is deeply implanted within me; it has "grown
with my growth, and strengthened with my
strength" In my infant years | learned to hate
slavery. Your fathers taught me it was wrong
In their Declaration of Independence the doc
trlnes which they promulgated to the world and
upon the truth of which they staked the issue of
the contest that made us a nation. They pro-
claimed "that all men are created equal that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unai-
enable rights; that amongst these are life, liber-
ty and the pursuit Of happiness" These truths
are soemny declared by them. believed then,
and believe now they are self-evident. Who can
acknowledge this, and not be opposed to slavery I?
1t is, then, because | love the principles which
brought your government into existence, and
which have become the corner stone of the build
ing supporting you, sir, in that chair, and giving
to myself and other Senators seats in this body
it is because love all this that hate slavery Is
it because | contend for the right of petition, and
am opposed to slavery that have been denounced
by many as an Abotionist? Yes; Virginia
have so denounced me, and called up
on the Legislature of my state to dismiss me from
public confidence. Who taught me to hate slave
ry, and every other oppression? Jefferson, the
great and the good Jefferson Yes, Virginia
Senator's it was your own Jefferson, Virginia's IA
vorite son, man who did more for the natural
liberty of man, and the civil liberty of his country
than any man that ever lived in our country it
was him who taught me to hate szave7y; ii was
in his school was brought up. That Mr. Jefler-
son was as much opposed to slavery as any man
that ever lived in our country, there can be no
doubt; his life and his writings abundantly prove
the fact. | hold in my hand copy, as he pen
ned it, of the original draft of the Declaration of
part (which was stricken out, as
he says, in compliance with the wishes of South
Carolina and Georgia will read it. Speaking
of the wrongs done us by the British Government
in Introducing slaves amongst Ms he says: HeI
the British King) has waged cruel war against
human nature ITSELF violating its most sacred right
Of life and liberty in the persons of distant peo-
pie, who never offended him, captivating and car
rying them into SLAVERY in another hemisphere,
Or to incur miserable death in their transportation
hither. This piratcal warfare, the opprobrium
Of infdel powers, is the warfare of the Christian
King of Great Britain. Determined to keep open
4 market where MEN should be BOUGHT and SOLD
he has prostitued his prerogaGve for supprcssug!
every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain
his execrable commerce. and that this assemblage