The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-05-04

pended any great portion of their time and strength
in dwelling on cases of extreme cruelty. They
are aware that these are commonly considered the
mere abuses of the system. They have therefore
taken great care to discriminate between the SyS-
tenn and its appendages. Instead OF making war
with the branches they have laid their axe at the
root, and mean not to be diverted from their pur-
nose bv controversy about the beauty or ugliness
of the foliage.
The tree is nevertheless known by its tauitS.-
We will proceed to examine the fruits of the
slave system. And let us inquire, in the first
place, what is meant by the kindness which is said
to be shown to the slave Some men are very fond
of their horses, and some of their dogs. Slave
holders may have their pet slaves. Do they treat
them as human beings--as men ? Or do they on
ly caress and pamper them as animals So long
as they hold them as chattels it can scarcely be
conceived that they receive them as brethren.-
Would they consider themselves or their children
kindly treated if treated as they treat their pet
slaves Is it kindness which extends to the i'm
mortality of its object?
But the slaves are contented" Then, of
course they are im5ruted a6uSed' acronged =
most horribly, immeasurably wronged No hui
man being was ever conented' in slavery, till his
intellect was boted out and the aspirations of his
immortal spirit smothered 10 death. Reader are
you a parent? Look at that sprightly child Of
yours yonder. Suppose it it were now made
Slave. So long as you could see its ETHEREAL mind
survive the calamity, you might perhaps, endure
to think Of the subjugution of the body. But
mark See how your child sinks, at length, to
the level of its degraded condition See how
thoughtessly it laughs, and dances, and sings 1t
is contented TO be mere animal, chattel thing
1t had rather be a slave than freeman! This is
too much to be borne. Your heart sinks at the
sight, and you droop in the desoaton of utter des
pair You have now doubly lost your child will
man rob God? Yes! Slavery has robbed our
great Father in Heaven of his immortal offspring
whom it degrades and imbrues They are con-
tented, are they Il? Then the system has completed
its soul-murdering work If a slave ever were con-
tented, such fact should be the strongest con-
domination Of the system.
The slaves, we are told, are very merry. They
laugh, they dance, and they singn And this
proves that they are happy, does 1t 2 Nay, verify
Unless it proves them senseless and insensble, it
proves the reverse { | said of laughter, it is mad
and of mirth, what doeth it?' Who does not know
that an af1ectation of mirth is the badge and the
sad refuge of the deepest wretchedness that rev.
elry draws its excuse from misery that she drinks
to drive away dull care 2 Why else is this world
of woe and sin such mad house Of mirthful in
sanity?
IT'S fearful spectacle to see
So many manacs dancing in their chains,
Then shake them in despair, and dance again.
What low notions of happiness must those
have, who prove the happiness of the slaves by
the roar of their occasional mirth The lowest
sinks Of vice and misery in our cities, nigh. be
proved to be the abodes of enviable felicity, by this
course of argument.
And again, what do men mean when they talk
of the kind treatment and the contentment, and
the happiness Of the slaves? Can happiness ex-
list where the will is constantly thwarted? Is not
the slave entirely subject to the will of his mas
ter?' Is it not 4 contradiction to call man hap
ply who is constantly controlled, against his will,
by the will of another? The very definition of
whose condition is that of person who is sensi-
Bile that he can never be guided by the exercise Of
his own powers of volition?
What absurdties will not men undertake to be-
leye? What contradictions will they not utter
A man, made little lower than the angels, is re-
duced to the condition of thing But he is we'll
treated He is forbidden to make God his sover-
eign, or to call man his brother. But he is well
treated! He is compelled to labor without wages.
But he is well treated He is not permitted to
cultivate his immortal intellect. But he is we'll
treated Though bound to the Judgment he is
forbidden to read the Bible. But he is well treat
ed He is denied the protection of law, and de-
barred, on penalty of death, from any act of self
defence. But he is we'll treated He may not
change his residence in pursuit of happiness,
except upon pain of death, without judge or jury.
But he is well treated He is outlawed if he
seeks freedom, and sustains life with moety of
his own earnings. But he is well treated He is
confined to one spot of earth by the severest of
all codes. But he is contented He is compel
led, in a land of Bibles, to be heather. But no
matter He IS contented! He is doomed to wal
low in the mire and filth of promiscuous concubin-
age. But never mind He is contented in his
filth and heathenism!
Can they be called rational beings who talk in
this manner? Is it an atheist who reasons thus
or is it chrisan-a christian minister? Is it
man? Or is it being who believes himself
brute-wthout any soul-and who thinks his fell
low men we'll treated when they are treated as
brutes2
What do men mean when they use such Ian
guage ? Do they know the import of their own
words Or do they pirate like the parrot, and
strive to prove themselves, Gnstead of the SANDER
ed negro) connecting link between men and un-
thinking animals? would not be causelessy Sc
we're. But could | conceive it possible that a hui