The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-11-23
For the Voice of Freedom.
To E. Fame, President Of The Vermont C0yOni.
ton Society,"

10 f.. Paane, President OF The Vermont Colonial
ton Society.
SIR: The Report of your Society, for 1889, l
have just read, and have done it with more than
common attention. and deem the relation you sus-
tain to it as sufficient apology for addressing
what follows 10 you.
This document appears to have been written
with care, and evidently not without much concern
for the reception it might meet with from the pub
lie. There is, in t,a strong effort to set off the
colonizationiss, as the only friends of the colored
man who unite !iberality and discretion in their
efforts taking marked care, at the same time, to
impress the STAKEHOLDER with the assurance of
your purpose to do nothing without his concur
renee.
Having never connected myself with the aboli-
tionists, for reasons which imply no reflection on
them hoped to find in the colonization society
those principles, which would furnish me an op-
portunty of uniting with the benevolent in an eff
fort for the liberty of the slave. With this view
read your report, where, besides the principles ]
peared 70 be their oppcsites. do not intend by
this remark any reflection on your consistency,
but because | was strongly impressed with this
fact, feel it my duty to expose it. Far be it from
me to adudge your society culpable for holding, on
the save-question the doctrine of the slave-states
but TO do covertly, and yet study 10 seem utter
ing the language Of northern humanity in refer
ence to the oppressed, is not only disingenuous
and disreputable, but deeply wicked. And that
this is done in the report before me is, to me- very
obvious.
The report states the object of the society 20 be
the extinction of slavery" And, as if not con-
tented with This excellent avowal, it presently in
forms US that colonzat;onists "fee that the LIBERIA
ton of 100000 of slaves is not enough to COM
pensate for all the ,crongs inficated upon hecoumt-
less millions of robbed and murdered africans.
Their sense ofjustice, therefore, reaches to Africa,
herself" Soon after this we are informed tina,
many of the slave states (wbo, the report says,
are embraced in the fields" of the society," are
ready to yield their property in man when it can
be done advantageously to the slave and master.
And that it will be at any time advantageous to
to the latter is plain from the fact disclosed by
the report, that these states do not hold sares as
benefit, bit endure it as an epI. The inference is
that, as reason and experience satisfy OF the safe
ty to the slave himself of freedom, abolition is 10
be, ere long looked for by these states. Thus
does the report contain as colonization doctrines
that the colonization society, embracing many
slove states are deeply Impressed aoiM sense Of
The guilt of slauery--that TO testify that sense
they about to not only li6erate our o'om slaues
bit euen "elerate Africa to a rank among cioaliz-
ed and christian nations"
Now, sir, does the report mean so? Not at all.
1t means just the contrary. 1t maintains, sub
stantially, that the general and immediate aboli-
ton Of slaveryiis mpracicablc-that though "be.
nevolent slave holders" may occasionally free
some, yet if they be effective, the just and nat
ural sentiment, Of compensation is TO be observed,
since such manumissions, without compensation
would be an "unreasonabl e sacrifce"--that if
funds be procured free Africans "may be- coon-
zed-that this is all which the society can do
but, this it is capable Of "efiectng"-that in do
ing this it has the blessing" of benevolent
shareholders" and their fraternal cooperation in
other respects-that for the reasons above given
even the benevolent Shareholders" and much
less the others, need not be expected at any time
TO- Free grdtnitously, any effective slGueS get they
,ciU, as just stated, aid the society in carrying of
The free people Of color.
What now, sir, are these admission and avow-
ais less than positive proof of that for which
have adduced them? You not only tell us OF the
"impraccability" Of general abolition" but, in
substance, that no "useful purpose" can be answer
ed by asking for it--that the "abstract condition
Of liberty" could not much improve 'lhe physical
or moral condition of the slave" And yet it is
your society that are about to free our 30O0,OOOI
and then enlOh,ed Africa And "by the success