The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-09
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For the Voice of Freedom.
Robbery on a Large Scale.
Mr.. EpIToR:


nv It'll 1882 the Hon. Henry Clay that there
5000 900 slaves in United States, which he estimates
at twelve hundred million dollars at the market price
This gives 1900 dollars every STAKEHOLDER, provided
there be only 25O 900 shareholders in the States said
be the fact pretty sum to be sure and no wonder
that Shareholders cling to such boom But how did they
acquire this property' by their own industry Mo- slave
holders proud to dig. By inheritance from their
ancestors? No. for the slaves Of their have gone
with them meet their oppressors at the bar of Cod
How then have they acquired this property answer by
oppression and robbery. Violence is in their hands, and
by violence they have acquired all the slave property which
they hold TO say that the law sanctions what they have
done, only saying that they have established nquy by
law Who make and sustain slave laws? Shareholders.
They make laws TO justify oppression and robbery and
then cry to conscience peace peace As well might pi-
rates make laws to justify piracy and then say that the
sanctioned all their acts of cruelty and blood.
1t is palpabe TRUTH founded in the nature of things
that child cannot forfeit his liberty before he is born
Hence all men born equally free, and hare certain
rights Whch inaHena6le. This is as true with res
pect to the children of the poor of the rich-the black
the white But if all the coored children for fifty
years past have been born Free by what have they
lost their liberty? Surely there be in truth an
they have by violence been robbed of their liberty
And those who hold them in servitude contrary
their wishes, all thieves and robbers. man that steals
my purse, is thief; how much so when he steals
my body, all that have and am According the Hon.
Mr. Cays statement them the Shareholders of the South
have by violence stolen property the of twelve
hundred million dollars in sixty years. This robbng
large scale;-seaing like gentlemen who too high
minded to stoop to petty thefs, How those foolish
fellows must appear, who get into states prisons for
housekeeping and horse-sealing, when compared with
those gentlemen who steal by millions and make laws
to justify robbery
The Hon. Mr. Clay has not, however, estimated all that
he and other honorable Shareholders have stolen. Where
the wives, and children and all the endeaments of
fe,-the personal, civil and religious rightshe Bible,
and the souls of three million of slaves, for whom Christ
ded All stolen. Here is something that be esti
mated by and dollars something that slave laws
not whltewash something for which honorable men
will have render to Him who has said, an
souls mine.''
In the opinion of Mr. Clay, obstacle in the way of
abolition measures is the vast amount of property which
Shareholders have acquired in their slaves The argument
to imply, that if they had but little property in their
slaves they might give them up; but they have so
much stolen property they cannot part with it. On this
principle, who had stolen horse worth only ten
dollars might consent restore it to the rightful
while he utterly refused part with another stolen horse
which he considered worth five hundred dollars.-Or
gang of pirates might consent dismiss old soop not
worth taking into port while they strenuousy maintained
their right to dcan and plumber brave ship loaded with
bullion What, require to restore 1900 900 900 dollars
which have fairly taken and claim property un
der the laws by which pirates governed? The demand
is intoerable, and will never consent to it.
According to and the divine law, he that hath
stolen should more but should what he
has stolen with double interest Let those men-steaers
who, according their showing, have stolen human
beings worth 1900 900 900 dollars make such restitution
the law of God requires, they must pay 4
900 their slaves Will Mr. Clay and other honorable
Shareholders advance their reasonable proportion of such
sum? Or will they, under the authority of save-laws
hold fast their stolen goods Gods law at defiance, and
require the rightful redeem his property
There is another point of view in which Mr.. Clay ar
gument deserves consideration the fact that saveho
ders now hold 1900 900 900 dollars worth of property
the bones and snews and lives of their feow-men, be
abolish slavery then the fact that Shareholders have acqu
red twice that amount of property in their felow-men
twenty years hence, will be stronger why no
against slavery should be taken So that Mr.
Cays reasoning, slavery with all its horrors must be for
ever enacd upon guilty and wrcched country Isl
4his really the opinion of such statesman Can he feel
willing unite the destnies of America with iatermindbe
saveryto throw his weight of influence into the scale
against the liberties, the rights, the hopes the happiness
Of countless millions of his felowmento stand up before
the world the determined advocate Of nermnable sla
very? envy him not the glory of such position
suppose Mr. Clay has presented the most weghty pro-
slavery arguments that his powerful mind could in
to the field. If they had lodging in his heart am
glad he has disclosed them. All men may now know
where he stands respecting the slave question. And all
may what arguments great can bring forward in
support of very bad Surely the mountains have
labored and brought forth KIAH BAYIEY
Hardwick.
For the Voice of Freedom.
tThe slayeS. if emancinated. cannot take care