The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-08-31

Two candidates, the one very BAD man, anu lie
other considerable" bad man, las we say IN
New England,) and he asks if he may not vote for
the man, who though considerably bad, is not
quite so bad as the other? All! Sir, that is the
rock on which we split TRUST in heaven, no abb
olitionist will consent, on this principle, to swal-
How STAKEHOLDER like Henry Clay. If he does
let him remember that he swallows at the same
time sixty slaves whips, chains, iron collars and
ALL. lie takes Henry Clay with his retinue.
These halfway good men; these not so-bad as
Ithey-might-be men, are the very men we are TO a.
void.
But the reverend brother asks usif one candi-
date is very bad and.the other not so bad, may he
not vote for the not-so-bad-man, in order to avoid
the very bad and thus take the least of two e.
wills.
| answer, no. OF two moral evils take Meth
er; and why? Because, one wiser than We
one whose omniscent eye scans the whole circle
of eternity, and surveys all possible contingencies
and circumstances, has said, thou shalt not do e.
vii that good may come. But if we are to gov
ern ourselves by expedency, even them | would
prefer the worst of the two. OF two pro slavery
men the worst is the best. Give me the man, if
we must have slayeite, who will use the longest
whip, and bind the heaviest chains, on the free
North: one who will crush not only blacks, but
whites, and you hasten the hour of emancipation:
for, maintain, that the BLACK man has no hope
from US till we are bound with him, and the
chains rust into our very bones Such man will
soon lash the reluctant North TO its duty. Give
me the man who is for burying the right Of petit
ton and dancing on its grave and. moi. the man
who will first contend for the right, and then
strangle that for which you petiion--the man who
will shake hands like friend, while he stabs you
under the fifth rib. Let me rather have bad
man, with his utmost vengeance, Qor he will a.
Iarm the nation) -han one of these halfway good
men, with his hypocrtical cant about free discuss
non, and his Siren song of Tomorrow. BY yield
ing him your confidence, you enable him TO. stab
you the more fatally. But let others take the
responsibility Of electng such men--Tl none of
Our friend, DR.. Gibbons stated, as the difficult
ty of his case that it was not possible to find a
man in Delaware, who could be run as an aboli-
ton candidate. Sir, think can find one, | think
there is one sitting at the table pointing to DR..
Gibbons)- J. a laugh. Let him do as would do
were | in. State where | was the only honest
man. Lwould vote for myself and think | ought
to be elected Load laughter and applause
But the truth is, Mr.. President that we have male
ourselves such serls Of party, that party leaders
think they own us; and more than this, we talk
and act as if they had sort Of claim to US. Ehey
hold thing copceded, that there ought to, be
but two parties, and that we should belong to the
one or the other Of them, and that we must vote
for whomsoever they shall choose oset up But
for one contest their right to set up a candidate
for me- True, | will use my common sense and
vote for the man most likely to be elected if APP
prove his principles, (and of course, should Sc
ect nominee of one Of the parties if he were a
fit man., hot | am not bound to vote for him be-
cause he is set up" Set up? In this free
country every man is up, and thatman. is the tall
est, according to my measurement, who reaches
highest up on the SCALE of moral principle. Sir,
it is time that we twisted this party collar off from
our necks 4; that we shook off these shaclles from
our heels.
A single remark before I sit down, as to the
duty of voting at all. In my Judgment, this con-
venton should proclaim it to every abolitionist in
the land, that it is his duty to vote. There is no
motive so powerful in its influence over human
conscience, as the motive of moral obligation.
Don't think to stop man from doing evil by tel
ling him it is inconsistent with his professions. 1t
is not Gods plan. | will tell him it is wrong; !
will draw him by the irresistible cord Of duty, and
not drive him by the hiss of Inconsistency am
for the stern proclamation of truth in this case.
And, sir, don't expect to deter me in my course,
by the craven cry, that | am trampIing on con-
silence. Tie atol tan conflict from the lightning
I'LL now, has been assault on conscience. Ii the
man who refuses 10 60 to the polls has good con-
science, nothing that | can soy-nothing that this
can say, will injure him. A good con-
science is shield that smiles at arrows If the
man, aferdue reflection, firmly believes himself
to be right, no paper pellets, that can be thrown
from This platform will daunt or wound him, The
difficulty TO be surnounted is not merely to pur-
5uade men to vote right when at the polls, but to
get up the thousands upon thousands who never
vote at all and thento induce both classes to vote
or the slave. 10 accomplish this, the argument
Of inconsistency used by class of aboIilonists
md which they would lain have this convention
employ, is but rope of sand It is defective in
principle, and falls 10 pieces at the touch. Ii we
would draw reluctant men into the field of action,
We must use the iron-nked chain of moral obliga- 4
-right--duly.
Mr.. Cornish briefly rejQincd further urging the
'iews he had before stated. As for mans voting
or himself, it was a.soemn. farce, and would el-
ect nothing for the abolition cause Had the
BROTHER from Delaware taken such advice, what /
aspect would be have conciliated for himself or
lis abolition friends? And admitting, as had been
aid it might in.some cases be best for the inter-
ISIS of abolition, that The worst Of two candidates