The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-16

ing tide of public sentiment on the great question
of the day. All pro-slavery cavers should be care
full what they write. With the honest abolition
list the Mercury has no quarrel. Then it is pos
sible for man 10 be an abolitonist without part
ing with his honesty This admission is made
by the Vermont Mercury in the year one thousand
eight hundred and thirty-nne, just after the same
concession had been made by Henry Clay
~ The Quakers, them are a fine set of folks.
Why? Because they have not not O5truded their
opinion into the political arena The free exer-
else of the elective franchise an OJtrusion Que
ry is the Editor of the Mercury guilty of an OBJ
trusiom in making the adoption of his wing creed
an indispensable qualification of candidate for
office ? Again: is there anything inQuisitoriaz
in free suffrage, when exercised by freeman {?
Would it not be we'll to have a board of censors
appointed to keep special watch over the ballet
box and ward off all obtruders3
~ What is meant by the abstract question
of slavery?" Abstract robbery, abstract theft alb
stract cheating are perhaps very improper. On
the abstract question of intemperance there is
doubtless as little difference of opinion in New
England Who talks of intemperance in the alb
stract? The pro-slavery riots at Woodstock and
other places show quite Significantly what is meant
by abstract opposition to slavery, and how much
of the very spirit of slavery is rampant in New
England 1t is that opposition to slavery which
shot E. P. Lovejoy, and burnt down Pennsylva-
MIA Hall, and scourged Amos Dresser-all to pre-
serve the compact, TO be sure.
(4) How many Norhern-born men have gone
south and become adopts in tyranny shareholders
of the most reckless stamp? Have such New
England men gone south against their will The
reason, by the way, why northern man makes
the most cruel slave-drver is this while in free
State, he found the stimulus of wages an ample
motive to induce his hired hands to perform their
allotted task at the south, the lash being subst-
tuted for cash. the labor is reluctantly and careless
ly performed; every thing goes by force and goes
hard. The master, unused to the hardness of
slave labor, becomes impatient, tyrannical, and
soon outstrips the native Of the patriarchal region
in his insolence and outrages upon his victims
(5) Desires never broke a chain, especially alb
stract desires The Hibernian had a very sincere
desire that the ship should not sink after she had
bilged; but when called to the pumps to do his
part in averting the calamity, he replied, " Och
but Pm only passenger !"
(6) A story twice told Those who talk about
a compact by which slavery was to be immor-
talized, as an element of our republican govern
ment and an eternal embargo established over
free speech in New England, and free voting in
the national district and territories, are bound to
bring forward their proof Abolitonsts don't look
upon the Constitution as an instrument which has
for its great object the protection and perpetuaion
Of slavery. The Constitution states its own OBJ
ects explicitly: !, to form more perfect union
3 to establish justice 3, to insure domestic tran
guilty; A, TO provide for the common defence s.
10 promote the general welfare 6, to secure the
blessings of Liberty TO the people of the United
States and their posterity. These are the declar-
ID objects of the compact Which Of them frowns
1pon freedom? nay, which does not call for uni i
'ersal emancipation? 1.-THE Constitution was in
ended as perpetual shield for slavery why the
ause for the abolition of the slave trade after t
1903? Why the guaranty of republican form I
If government to all the States? Let the pre- c
ended compact be shown, and then let it be shown,
so. wherein abolitionists have been guilty of its
nfraction.
We are pointed to Hayt, and told of butchery
nd bloodshed." An hours examination of the u
history Of St. Domingo will satisfy any mind, not
mpervious to truth, that butchery and bloodshed "
n that island, have never resulted from emanci-
ation, but always from attempts on the part of the
whites to usurp authority and trample on the lib
rty of the blacks. Nor does the history of the
world furnish an example of an enfranchsed peo-
lie requiting the boon of freedom by violence and
loodshed.
~ The old story. The Editor would have us 9
nfer from this that the opponents of abolition nev-
r indulge the use of harsh language. o no. The tt
editor himself few weeks back speaks of apra-