The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-09

ty, so far as they concur with my best judgment,
but not line farther,-l obey God at the same
time that obey man. When, therefore, the two
tickets come before me, must take and use that
which think will best subserve the interests, both
fiscal and moral, of the great and good land in
which God has given me to live.
But, there are, now, three tickets where there
we're only two before TO the administration and
the opposition, there is now added the antinasonic
ticket. What Is my course now! Answer: First,
examine tie merits of the case stated by the men
who have agreed upon this ticket. What is the
case that they make out? Listen to no clamors
against them, raised by those against whom they
are acting. Be swaycd by no prGudiccs, for or
against them. Examine the merits of their case
IT, with the faithful exercise ofyour best lights and
faculties, they make out no case against treema-
sorry, you are under no obligation to do aught a.
gainst it; and you leave the antimasonc ticket to
be sustained by those whose convictions are differ
en from yours; and take that Of the two, pure
ly political tickets, which, on purely political
grounds, you may prefer. But, if they make out,
to your satisfaction that the oahs or other obliga-
tons of masonry are adverse to the moral purity
of the party administering or taking them, or to
the impartiality and integrity of the party or fra
tcrnity bound by them,-and thus to the safety of
spect TO the security of the citizen, or the righteous
administration of It's laws If they make out this
case, | say, you see that here is not merely or
chiefly, a question of money, but one of morals i
here, not SO much the fiscal as the moral interests
of the community are implicaed and my first du-
ty to the state is to do what may to protect its
highest interests. If they who are with me inI
feeling political subjects generally, will, when act
ing legislators, the protection of the public
morals nthis particular, fthey will obey God rather
than men, may give them my vote, because they
will do so; if not, | must withhold my vote from
them because they will not, and cast it for those
who will. If it be asked, Will you then abandon
your party? | answer; When True to party
means False to Cod it is time for Inc to quit it.
The same principle and the same reasoning are
applicable to the two-nay, the three, more recent
parties the Peace, the Temperance and the Abo-
lition parties,--which respectively claim morality
as their basis, and purpor to have, as their object
the abolition Of war, ntoXcation, and
domestic slavery. If upon careful examination, |
find either all of these claims sustained,-i. e.
find the parties what they purport to be; and II |,
with my lights or opportunities for forming Judg-
ment upon the subject, am verify convinced that
war, drunkenness, and involuntary servitude, are
moral evils and therefore adverse to the highest
interests Of the individual and the state; and if |
believe, moreover, that moral action, by means of
political machinery, will tend to remove or dmn-
sh these evils, must, and, if am more a moral
than political man, | shall cast my vote for those
who, in my opinion, will most efficiently legislate
for the moral well-being of the state; and if those
who are of the same political party with myself
will not do this, must abandon them in favor Of
such as will If, for this, | am called TO account
~ my fellow-partizans, my answers short; When
ny party run away from morality they run away
rom me. Nor is there hazard, in this to the COM
nercial, manufacturing, or other rccuniary tenn
Doral interests of the state. Your money cannot
guard your morals, but morals will your money.
They who will protect the former will not prove
to the latter. Protect the morals of a
and they will protect its industry and
all its results. Seek first the kingdom of God,
md his righteousness, and all these things will be
added unto you