The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-06-15

Il Whetner 1t was lawful 10 pay tribute 10 CpSar, II
4 avoided the snare by an indirect and indecslv
g answer He disclaimed all intention of destroy
: ing the ritual of the LevitcaI law, and left it a
e a matter of grave controversy between the prime
pal disciples till the abolition of that law was eY
: pressly disclosed in vision to Peter.
But, although the Kingdom of Christ was nc
f of this world, and although Christ himself eau
tiousv avoided all direct collision with existing in
situations, religious or POLITICAL it was distinctly
foreseen even during his life, and still more clear
ly Immediately after his death, that the MoSai
law, the Roman worship of idols, and the Roman
dominion over tributary provinces must eventual
be abolished by the prevalence of Christianity
And whoever faithfully studies the Christian sys
tenn as code of religion and morals and exerci
ses in reflection upon it the intellectual faculty be
slowed upon him by his Maker, cannot po$sibl,
fail OF coming to the conclusion that all violence
tyranny and oppression, all exercise of uninS
power by man over man, must ultimately fall be
fore it. In the book of tuturity therefore, it is
written as clearly as in the Gospel of Christ, tina
war and slavery shall cease to exist upon earth
that nation shall no more rise against nation, nei
Their shall there be war any more But of the pc.
Rod of time within which this revolution in the
history of mankind, and this publication Of the
human character is to be consummaed, we have
no distinct revelation, nor is human reason com
petent to forcsee That hundreds and perhaps
thousands of years must elapse in the progress oil
this improvement in the condition of the only ra-
tional tenant of the terrestrial globe there canno,
be doubt, nor is it less clear that the principles
proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence as
self-eviden truths, to be carried into practical ex-
ecution by all human Governments, are among
the most effective means by which the progress is
to be completed
That the glaring inconsistency between the in
stution oil domestic hereditary slavery and these
principles proclaimed as selfevident truths was
one of the errors and in6rmities of man, which
would most speedily be made to vanish from the
American code of legislation, was universally ex-
pected. In thirteen States of this Union slavery
has been actually abolished. In seven more, until
very recently, the friends freedom have cherished
the sanguine hope and expectation that this curse
would be banished from their borders; but, in the
mysterious ways of Providence, while, in the
opinion of mankind, slavery has been growing
more and more odious; while the civilized ma
tons of the earth have been combining to extcr-
inmate the African slavetrade, and to class it with
the detested crime of piracv here, in our country
slavery, like wounded rattlesnake, has turned
upon her pursuers, and not only thrusts out her
deadly fang in sel-defence but threatens with her
mortal venom to contamnate US all.
In seeking for the source of this strange retro
gression in the public opinion of our southern
Confederates, it is painful to observe that it must
be traced to three causes, from which far other
consequences might be hoped and were antci-
paed. They were, |. The introduction of the
culture of cotton. 2. The prohibition of the AZ
rican save-tradc; and 3. The institution of the
Colonization Society. The consequence of these
incidents has been, by one and the same opera
ton, greatly to increase the pecuniary value Of
the slaves as property, and to aggrava,c the cru
city of holding them in bondage. The cultiva-
ton of cotton has given double or treble value
to their labor; and as, by the laws Of Nature and
of Natures God that labor is their own the cruel
ty and oppression of depriving them of it, and of
appropratnG it to other men, is proportionalIv ag-
gravated. The prohibition of the importation of
slaves from Africa, combining with this increased
value of slave labor has given to the domestic
producer of the living article Of merchandise all
the benefits of monopoly which the Colonial
ton Society has still further promoted by reducing
the number of the living chatteIS, and thereby in
creasng the demand for them in the market.
wish to take no part in the controversies be-
tween the Abolition and Colonization Societies,
all of which believe to have been formed under
the influence of laudible motives, and all to pro-
mote the ultimate emancipation of the slaves in
this Union. believe the plans hitherto proposed
by them all, so far regards the abolition of slave
ny, utterly impractcabe; and | believe them all
equally LIABLE at this time, to the charge of perth
naSiously persistng in the pursuit of objects Oh
viously and VIGOROUSLY impracticabe.
will not undertake dogmatcally to affirm that
colonies of civilized colored men cannot be eStab-
lished and made to flourish on the coast of Afri-
ca !; nor am prepared in advance to deny the in
nuence which they may hereafter be destined to
exercise in civilizing the native land of slavery IT.
self. So far as these may be the objects of the
Colonization Societies, they may have my lervent
good wihes though very little of my hopes. But
for the emancipation of the slaves or the abolition
of slavery in the United States the search for the
philosophers stone the casting of nativities by
the course of the stars, were rational amusemens
in comparison with the serious undertakings of
the Colonization Society.
With high and sincere respect for many ofthe
leading members of that society, grave objection
to which it has in my mind been always liable, is
that of double face. Consisting of Distinguish
ed citizens from the free and from the slavehold-
ing States, it is commended to the patronage of
the North and of the South upon totally different