The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-01-19

lnelled against his WILL and sit he must A sher
if orders his posse; bystanders mast turn in
Men are compelled to remove nuisances, pay fines
and taxes, support their families, and turn to the
right as the law Directs" however much agains
their wills, Are they therefore slaves? To con
found slavery with involuntary service is absurd
i Slavery is condition. The slaves FEELINGS to-
ward it. are one thing; the condition itself, is an
other thing: his feelings cannot alter the nature
of that condition. Whether he desires or dctest;
it, the condition remains the same. The slaves
willingness to be slave is no palliation of the
shareholders guilt. Suppose the slave should
think himself chattel, and consent to be so re-
garded by others, does that make him chattel
or make those guiltess who hold him as such g
may be sick of life, and tell the assassin so thai
stabs me; is he any the less murderer? Does
my consent to his crime, atone for it? my partner
ship in his guilt, blot out his part of it? The
slaves willingness to be slave, so far from les
sening the guilt of the owner" aggravates it
If slavery has so palsied his mind that he looks
upon himself as a chatel, and consents to be one
actually to hold him as such, falls in with his de-
fusion, and confirms the impous falsehood These
very feelings and convictions of the slave, f such
were possibe,) increase hundred fold the guilt
Of the master, and call upon him in thunder i'm
mediatey to recognize him as a MAN, and thus
break the sorcery that cheats him out of his birth
right-the consciousness of his worth and destiny
Many of the foregoing conditions are appendix
ges of slavery. But no one, nor all of them to-
gether, constitute its intrinsic, unchanging ele-
ment.
We proceed to state afirmatively that, ENsLA-
WING MEN is REDUCING THEM TO ARTICLES OF PROP
ERTY-Ina1ing free agents, understanding
persons into MingS-sinking immortality into mer
chamdase. A aaUe is one held in this condition
In law che owns nothing, and can acquire no.
thing" His right to himself is abrogated. Ii he
say mig hands, my feet, my body, my mind, MY
SELF, they are figures of speech. 10 use himself
for his own good, is CRIME. To keep what he
earns, is stealing To take his body into his own
keeping, is anSurrection. In word, the profit
of his master is made the END of his being and
he, a mere means to that end-a mere means to an
end into which his interests do not enter, of which
they constitute no portions MAN, sunk to
thing the intrinsic clement the principle of sla-
very MEN, bartered, leased, mortgaged, bequeath-
ed invoiced shipped in cargoes, stored as goods,
taken on executions, and knocked off at public
outcry! Their rights, anothers conveniences ;
their interests, wares on sale; their happiness, a
household utensil their personal inalienable ow-
fship serviceable article, or a playthlng, as
n suits the humCr Of the hour; their deathless
fture. conscience, social affections, svInpathies,
4-marketable ~kssqsedires-l7' Wefepeat it.
Sae reduction Of perSoaS TO things J not robbing
man of privileges, but of himself not loading with
burdens, but making him beast Of 6urdenj not
restraining liberty, but subverting it; not curtail
ing rights, but abolishing them not inAicting
personal cruelty, but annihilating personality
not exacting involuntary labor, but sinking him
into an implement of labor; not abridging human
comforts but abrogating human nature; not de-
privin9 an animal of immunities, but despoiling
rational being Of Misunderstanding MAN, to
make room Tor a thing!
That this is American slavery is shown by the
laws of slave states. Judge Stroud, in his
" Sketch of the Laws relating to Slavery" says,
" The cardinal principle of slavery, that the slave
is not to be ranked among sentient beings, but a.
mong MjmgS-obtans as undoubted law in all of
these 1.-THE save] states" The law of South Car
DINA thus lays down the principle: Slaves shall
be deemed, held, taken, reputed and adjudged in
law to be chattes personal in the hands of their
owners and possessors and their executors, adj
ministrators, and assigns to ALL NTENTs, CON-
sTRUcT1oNs, AND PURPOSES WHATSOEVER. "-Bre-
wards Digest, 800. In Louisiana, " A slave is
one who is in the power of master to whom he
belongs; the master may sell him, dispose OF his
person, his industry, and his labor; he can do
nothing, possess nothing, nor acquire any thing,
but what must belong to his master. Civ. Code
of Louisiana, Art. IS.
This is American slavery. The eternal dis
tinction between person and thing, uamped
under foot-the browning distinction Of all others
alike the source, the test, and the measure of
their value-the rational, immortal principle, con-
secrated by God to universal homage, in bap-
tism of glory and honor by the gift of His Son,
His Spirit, His Word His presence, providence,
and power His shield, and staff, and sheltering
wing; His opening heavens, and angels minis
terng, and charots of fire, and songs of morning
stars, and great voice in heaven, proclaiming e.
ternal sanctions, and confirming the word with
signs following.
Whatever system sinks man from END to a mere
MEANS just far makes him SLAVE Hence West India
apprenticeship retains the cardinal principle of slavery
The apprentice during hree-ouhs of his time, is still
forced to labor and robbed of his earnings just far forth
he is MEANS slaue True, in other respects sa
very is abolished in the British West Indies. Its boodest
features bottod outbut the meanes and most despi
cable of aorcng the poor work for the rich without
pay three fourhs of their time, with legal officer to fog
them if they demur the outrage, of the provisions
of the Emancipation Act' For the gories of that um
nary abolitioniss thank God, while they that
rose behind clouds, and shines through eclipse.