The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-05-04
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nearest friends, on the condition that n fraction
of their earnings should be contributed for benev
client objects, and you be dumb to all connlaint ar
remonsrance.
To kidnap your child would be no greater NOR.
al crime than to kidnap the poorest colored man,
thousands of whom are kidnapped from their birth
Bring then the case home. Let your child be the
victim lido not ask you what your efforts would
be. They would be immediate. But the wretch,
edness of your soul would not approach to that
deep-toned agony of the slave parent whose chill.
dren are torn from him, until you had made every
effort which the utmost vigilance of parental feel
night backness of despair. | look upon man.
stealing, or manrobbng or American slavery by
any name, to be as much more heinous in the
sight OF God than common theft or highway rob-
berry, the immortal soul of man is of more val
ue than dollars and cents.
The crime of robbing man ofhimsef and fam.
lily, and all mis- earnings, and loading him with all
the trappngs of slavery, is UNNECESSARILY greater,
and incomparably baser; and were your wife
or child the victim, you would feel this truth in all
its force How would it seem for Shareholder
to come forward with portion of his slave prod
uce as an offering or donation, and publicly make
prayer like this-O Lord thank thee for our
blessed patrarchal, domestic institution, which
is the corner stone of our republican edifce, and
enables me to live on the hire withheld from my
'laborers,' kept back from them by fraud, and BY
that superior power with which thou hast so mer-
citully endowed me; and as a token of my graft
tude for this peculiar privilege present this small
sum for the furtherance of the spread of the glo-
rious gospel among all nations-except our slaves
For, o Lord thou knowest it would excite them
to instruction if they were allowed to read thy
word. And although thou hast witnessed their
groanS'-their muttered curses and wrthing hearts,
as they have been driven by the lash to their dali
ly toll, and hast cursed those who use their neigh
bors service without wages'-yet as they are
lazy vicious Set and will not work without being
compelled by fear of punishment, and as they
love me so we'll that they would not be free if
they could : Notwithstanding their frequent un-
grateful attempts 10 run away from my kind care,
and as they would cut our threats if we set them
free. | beseech thee o Lord to bless this contri~
button; make it an instrument of much good, and
pardon us from all the woes threatened in thy word
TO those who rob and Cypress thy poor, and blot out
from thy remembrance all the cruelties and aqu-
ties-the millions of stolen persons-sacrifccd
lives, and damned souls, that have been numbered
under this system of slavery before this offering is
brought! And thy name shall have all the glory
forever. Amen!
Accountable as this carricature may seem, vet !
appeal to your judgment and ask, is it not correct2
Can a STAKEHOLDER present his contribution and
pray over it in the words of TRUTH conformably to
the facts of the CASE and to the word of God, and
agreeabIy to the dictates of his own conscience,
without making such prayer? And would God
bless him. unless he break of his sins by RICH
and his iniquites by showing mercy to
the poor!'
The contributions Of shareholders are the fruits
of the unrcquited toll coerced from slaves by cru
elites unnumbered accompanied with their tears
and groans, and blood. The reception of their
donations into the christian treasury, affords them
the highest countenance in the world 1t is au-
horizng them to rob the poor, to give to the Lord
and saying to them-go on: use thy neighbours
service without wages and instead of giving him
for his work, give as portion of the spoil, and
we will endorse your character; we will join
hands with you in this wickedness; we will apol-
ogize for you; we will testify to your unbranded
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS christian charity--your uni
versal philanthropy love for the heather
your desire for the spread of the gospel and the
conversion of the world And although you have
robbed Gods poor and your offerings are the price
of their blood,-yet we are not so supersttous or
were those wicked chief priests
who put our blessed Lord to death, and thought
it not lawful to put the thirty pieces of silver"
into the treasury. We will shake hands with
you in this iniquity, and cover it with veil of
charity We will accept of the sop, and sanctify
the deed Is not this swallowing the camel -
But perhaps some may ask, is it not better that
shareholders should give their money in aid of
&c. than to expend it in the purchase of
slaves? | answer, they have no right to do ei=
Their, The precept of the gospel is, Restore
what thou hast wickedly taken" Restore the
slave to himself Give him back all that belongs
to him as an immortal man, Render unto him
9 that which is just and equal" The idea of gir-
ing, necessarily implies receicing. We cannot
'oceive the fruits of robbery knowingly, without
becoming accomplish, and sharing in its guilt
We have no right to do evil" or sanction evil,
that good may COME nor to continue in (the)
i'm of countcnancing slavery "that grace may a.
pound" by its contributions into the Lords treas
Try. "What concord hath Christ with Belial 2"
What communion hath light with darkness -
Would you consent unto theft, or robbery, for
,ary share of its fruits offered you as bride to
silence Would you make a common stock with
band of midnight robbers?
"Charily tcgjns at home :" not by Withholding
he Bible, education, clothing, wages, &C. from
he poor laboring slave-and to gain high char,
cIer far liberaity and benevoence, and cover IN