The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-09-28
From the Herald of Freedom.
The African Prisoners.


We are inclined to treat their case as an aboli-
tonist rather than as an inquirer into their liabil-
tiles under the rules and regulations of this slave
holding country called laws. AS an abolitonst
we say, defying contradictions that they ought not
for moment to be kept under duress. The whole
procedure against them from king Sharka down
Judson is all of a piece. 1t is pro-savery violence
all oft. This is what we take notice of. We
shall not trouble ourselves or our readers to 90
through the legal authorities or arguments bear
ing on the case Of these imprisoned men. If they
would treat them as they do white men, we don't
so much care,as to the result. Their lives are as
important and no more so, than any other equal
number of human beings, of the great multicoor-
ed and dispersed family. We look to see what
hand slavery has in disposing of them, and TO make
what use we can Of the whole occurrence against
the internal institution of slaveholding. And tho
we feel no small interest in the heroic Cingues,
we don't claim that he have his life and his rights
merely because he is a hero or master spirit, but
because he is a man. Had he been ever so cow
ardly or ever so imbecile in mind or spirit we
should be equally strenuous and more so in his be-
hall, for it is the poor and feeble brethren of our
race of whose lights we ought to be most tender.
We are aware that a good deal of enthusiasm
displayed by the pro-savcry press is based upon
any thing rather than justice and love of the
right 1t forgets Cngues' color in admiration of
his vaIor and his talent and personal prowess.-
But all this will evaporate by and by, when we
call it to carry out the feeling in behalf of three
millions of Cingues brethren and sisters, who are
now welterng in the slough of slavery in this
country. Why don't this sympathy rise for them?
Who shall kinde at the wrongs of Cingues and
sheer at the infinitely greater suferings of the
plantation? If they hang Cingues, they won't
defeat him of the chief object of his rising He
rose for liberty. He has got that, and if he dies,
he dies freeman. Liberty will be che1plv pur-
chased by death Death is infinitely lighter than
slavery. He loses his country, his sweet home,
his dear wife and children, His heart will be
with them
" There where his rude hut by the" Niger "lsy,
There his young barbariens, all al play,
And there their .afiic " mothor,--lle their sire
Butcher'd to make a" Yankee holiday"
But they won't hang him. Weo are fearful they
won't try him. The Sovereignty Of Cuba is ma
king application to Van Buren, to deliver up this
stray property. See if he will incur the irown of
the South and hazard the baubIc Of the presiden-
cy by refusing. Try them and acquit and treat
them as innocent men, or as MEN, the country
ment and conquered for the hour by Cingues' Will
liam Tell proves. How could we look the South
in the face after it Abner said to- ASahel, How
then shall hold up my face to Joab thy brother 81
What will become of the Union2 The South
would get together in the Rotunda at Charleston,
and with flaming speeches from Calhoun and
Preston, Dissolve it into non-entity: They would
stare at the North so fercey that it would, go in
to dough-laced Mysteries. They won't dare ac-
quit. And to condemn will be a delicate mat
ter. Counsel are engaged who will be compelled
by their oaths to unfold the whole law, and to
show forth their right of acquittal by own Ven
ean jus tice, and the full reasons ofacquittal will
be recorded and the nation will read it, and the
blood of the murdered Cingues will cry in ears
that were deaf as the adder to the voice of Love-
Joys. They will hardly dare hang. Cuba will
relieve the republic. She will ask her imperial sis
Ter for her slaves. She will get them. The brave
Cingues crosses the gull-stream once more, and
should God not open to his mighty genius some
second way to victory and liberty, or his unwary
tyrants slacken his chain, so that he might bound
Indignantly over the vessels side, and escape them
in the depths of the ocean, they will revenge upon
him the daring eArontery that raised hand against
The divine prerogative of mastery. They won't
attempt to get him to the plantation They have
no fancy to undertake reducing nn breaking MN,
making his Hannibal form handy in the reptile
harness. No overseer would covet the manage
7eW of him. He would as soon harness the
Unicorn" to harrow the valIies after" him
He would gladly swap Cingues for almost any
,ro-sIavery editor in the New England states and
,ay that boot which is due to that servity ofspir-
/ that would make slave No, they would save
lis more docile and submissive companions for
he plantation, but they would make of the gallant
zero signal example of shareholders vengeance
which knows no bounds. Those laughing Afric
iris would be reared to adorn by and by Don Jose