The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-04-06
New York Legislature.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF ABOLITION.

| LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF ABOLITION.
The judiciary committee of the Assembly, to
whom the ant-slavery petitions were referred, set
apart Wednesday and Thursday evenings of this
week, to hear the counsel on behalf of the petit
TONERS in relation to the several topics embraced
on their petitions. Public notice was accordingly
given and the committee met in the assembly
chamber of the capitol at o'clock on each of said
evenings large audience having in the mean
time assembled, large number of the members
being in their seats, while the spectators filled
those of absent ones well as lobby and gale
ries of those in the latter place, many were la
dies.
Avan Stewart, Esq, occupied the first evening
in an able speech of near two hours length, set
ting forth the power of Congress over slavery in
the District the fallacy of implied faith to main
tain slavery there, the odiousness of slavery and
the slave trade in our nations capiol-where, if
in the whole wide universe, there ought to be a
spot sacred to liberty it should be there. He ad-
vered also to the right of petition in contradis-
tinction to the celebrated report of Col. Young in
the State senate, twenty times the usual number
of which had been printed and sent forth TO the
citizens Of the empire State, to put an end to abo
lition agitation
On this part of the subject Mr.. S. alluded to
the fact, that while the slave side Of the question
received all attention and Difference in Congress-
in both houses, the abolition side must be put
down by all manner of stratagem, outragng all
decency and the Constitution to boot-and not
content with that alone, not content with thrust
ing our petitions unread, unheard, unreferred or
imprinted upon the table, and thence to the grave
of oblivion, they next required of US TO become
their shepherds dogs, to bark back their runaway
slaves
The second evening, William L. Chaplin, Esq
first took the floor ; and after briefly describing
some of the characteristics of slavery, particularly
in the District of Columbia, he presented some of
the most popular objections to the antislavery
measures, and then advocated their business and
propriety in his usual animated style, in speech
Of one hour and half
Mr.. G. brought up one fact which was new, no
doubt, to many present, and will be TO your read
ers and that was, that General King, of Alaba-
ma, that great southern nabob and patriarch, owns
fifteen hundred slaves ! Think of that, reader,
fifteen hundred human bodies and souls having no
a0W of their own-subject entirely to the will of
one man ! mere goods and chattes to all ntents
purposes and constructions whatsoever IN his
hands-piece and parcel in the same lot with hor.
ses and cotton bales Mr.. G. spoke of the Dis
trct of Columbia from his own knowledge and
observation-said it is the Guinea coast of Am
erica'-doubts whether any ten miles square in
the U. S. presents as much suffering and distress,
as many of the horrors of slavery, and as much
crying and tears-there black men and white
men, and black and white women of mind and
intelligence, are il the cofle-gangs, on board the
slave ships, in the jas and upon the market
shambles of the District offered for sale almost
every day Now no true American can but blush
with shame when he knows and reflects upon
these things.
Mr.. Stewart followed in speech of one hour
and forty minutes. Any effort to give correct
ideas of this most effective speech would do it
such manifest injustice, that | shall not attempt
the task, Mr.. S. will undoubtedly furnish the
press with it, as well as that on the preceding ey-
enng. Suffice it to say, the audience hung up
on his lips, unclaimed by his powerful eloquence
and adamantine arguments, in almost breathlesS
silence till eleven o'clock.
During the evenings of the discussion, one
could not he p rejecting upon the mighty differ
ence between the grave and fixed attention Of SEN
ators and representatives in the empire State, du-
ring an anti-slavery debate and the miserable
anti-repubcan rows and braws enacted by SINH
lar dignitares in the national counses under sim
liar circumstances. This demonstrates on the
one hand, the light of abolition through the innu-
ence of truth and on the other hand, its shade
through the influence Of the dark workings of the
demon spirit of slavery. So we go--tluls aboli-
ton is dying away Z. W. GoopwN
Albany, March 18Th, 1889.