Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-08-23
From the New York Commercial Advertiser.
ANOTHER VOICE OF WISDOM.

ANOTHER VOICE OF WISDOM.
1t is with strong feelings Disqualification tina,
we place before our readers the following elo.
quent appeal TO the misguided men who are
iaborng so earnestly TO distract and divide the
Union on the difficult subject Of slavery. Il
is from the eminent and venerable ROGERM
SIlERMAN-with but one exception III,
most accomplished lawyer and ablest man Of
New England--and was written in answer 10
an invitation from the Anti-Slavery Society Of
this State, TO be present at the Convention re.
Gently held in Albany.
That 1t expresses our sentiments, (but inf.
nitely better than we could ourselves express
them) we need not say to those who have OBJ.
served the course of this paper on the slavery
question; those sentiments being adherence Of
human slavery, deep regret for its existence
any where, but much more ia our land, an earn
est wish for its speedy termination and willing
readiness 10 do any thing and every thing bv
which that great object may be accomplished
but wthal firm and honest conviction ,ha,
the methods pursued by the Anti-Slayery So.
cieiies have no tendency TO promote that o.
ject, while they do threaten mischiefs not les
deplorable. These opinions are forcibly and
persuasively advanced in the noble lete,
which we have been happy enough TO obtain
for publication and we respectfully commend
IT TO the dispassonate consideration of the we'll
intending but lljudging men to whom il is ad
dressed:--
FAIRFIELD. June, &c, 1899
GENTLEMEN III have received your LEI.
ter OF the 20th instant, inviting me to attend
the National Anti-Savery Convention TO be
held at Albany, and requesting my views OF
the subject, il | should be unable TO attend
Ii is much TO be regretted that an object so
dear TO humanity, and SO important 10 our
National honor. as the abolition ofslavery in
the United States, is not pursued in man.
ner more conducive 10 its Accomplished,
than has hitherto been adopted by the AMI.
Slavery Society. have no reason TO doubt
the benevolence of integrity Of its members:
but the maxims of wisdom may be violated
by the rashness ofvirtuous zeal, as really as
by the waywardness Of corrupt mind
however differently they may be viewed by
the casuist-and suferings, unintentonaly
inflicted or prolonged by the errors Of
friend, may be as intense as il caused by the
malice OF an enemy. That emancipatioa
can never be effected in the slave States bul
by voluntary enac,ments oftheir own legs
latures, or by successful resistance on the
part fthe slaves, is often admitted in your
publications, and the latter course you mus,
justly decry. Thus the declaration of the
Anti-Savery Society. convened at PhiIadel-
phia in December. 1888, in contrasting the
| revolutionary struggle OF our fathers, for Ma
tional liberty, with that which your society
are making in behalf OF the slave, expressly
says that 'their principles led them 10 wage
war against their oppressors. and to spill hu
man blood like water in orde- to be free
Ours forbid the doing OF esiithat good may
come, and lead us to reject, the use of all
carnal weapons for deliverance from bond.
age"
The same declaration in regard to the
power Of the several States has this Ian.
guage: I'VE fully and unanimously recog-
nize the sovereignty Of each State TO lecis.
late exclusively on the subject ofthe slavery
which is tolerated within its lmitsm Both
these Just opinions are still more forcibly an
nounced in your Address 10 The People Of
the Sd Of September, 1885 Now il is well
known that slavery exits only by force Of
municipal law, and can never be abolished,
5y those which you all allow TO be the only
admissible means Of its abolition, until those
| who enact the laws shall rolnntarily restore
to the oppressed negro The liberty 10 which
all men are entitled How is this TO be &C.
complished2 BY what means can slave
owners be induced to consent to the manu-.
mission Of their slaves? Until that consent
is Obtained, the slave as you admit, will be
held in bondage. Can you discern that any
progress has been made toward this most de.
sirable result by the means which you have
hitherto adopted2 DO the people OF the
Southern States manifest a disposition 10
yield the point, or begin to listen TO your per.
suasons, as iflheir minds were approxima,
ting toward conviction2 On thelcontrary
since the institution Of the Anti-Slavery So
ciety, have they not more closely riveted this
chains of the unhappy African? Are not
the privileges OF the slaves for acquiring in.
structon, and attaining intellectual and NOR
al elevation, much abridged within the last
few years2 Not long since. the question of
gradual emancipation was gravely debated
IN the Legislatures Of some Of The principal
Southern States.
The phianlhropist began to rejoice in
the anticipation OF measures similar TO those
which have restored liberty 10 the coored
population ofthe North But recently, even
among the people OF the free States, a spirit
has existed, from some cause, against the
course adopted by the Anti Slavery Society,"
which has manifested keener bitterness, and