The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-01-19
From the A. s. Almanac, for 1889.

had the majority in Congress--consequently the
poacer and responsibility. How have we used this
power? We have maintained slavery and the slave
trade at the seat of government forty-eight years
E-egalized slave auctions there-built prisons and
hired jailors to keep safely runaway slaves and
kidnapped free blacks, and sold both for jail fees
adopted laws inAicting death on slave who
breaks into a store-house and steals fye SAalingS
worth Of tobacco and ordaning, that a slave set
ting fire to building shall have his head cut off,
his body cut in quarters and set up in the most
public places-inficting death on slaves for more
than tVenty crimes, not punishable with death to
others-depriving free colored persons of suffrage
and of the free use of the Post Ofice--and
imprsoning such as have not certificate of
register" and selling them to pay costs. (See
PIP. 6. 8-also Cd Sess. 90 Cong. V. l. No. 43.
Also Wash. City Laws, p. 249, and act Cong.
May &c, 1920 We legalized the African slave
trade for 20 years--gave southern property" a
representation, by which S. C. with white pop
ulation $4,000 less than VT, has 9 members Of
Congress and II votes in the election of Presi-
dent, whilst Vt. has but members and electo-
raj voteS-promised TO send back slaves that flee
to u.s. and to help their masters TO kill them if
they struggle for liberty. We robbed free color
ed citizens of jury trial by the act of '93-denied
naturalization TO colored foreigners by act of Cong
April IA, 1S02-haye made desperate efforts to
re-enslave 10000 Canadian freemen and to get
Great Britain to deliver up all who fee thher
from republican slavery-(See Instructions of Mr.
Clay, when Secretary of State, to Messrs Gala
tin and Barbour, ministers to Great Britain, y
surrendered to slavery all the national territory
south of SO l-20 north lattude-added seven
slave states to the Union-bought territory to
large the slave market and keep slaves from run
hino away, La for Is millions, and Florida for
five millions, besides twelve millions just spent in
| killing the Florida SesniayleS because they retail
lated Sggaa Ia86fs ars Kidnapped their wives and
tchfdrsi- TGa6g 70 E1d1ap Saves VINO T1d
fled from us to other nations-chosen slave hold
ing presidents for ten out of the first twelve terms
chosen slaveholding speakers Of the House of
Representatives for twenty-five out of the last
twenty-seyen years-remoyed the seat of gov
eminent from free to slave state-passed law,
Jan. 1910, for the lorcble removal of slaves
from one pert of the District TO the other-made
the direct tax lien on savcs,--( Laws U. S. v. 3
p, 96-9S,) and authorized the T. s. Collector to
seize and sell them, and if sold for less than the
debt, 'the Collector shall purchase the same in be-
half of the U. S. for the amount Aforesaid
Act Of Cong. 1913, sec. 24,)-passed laws for
transporting from one state to another slaves to
sell, also for selling under State laws re-captured
Alricans-4epealedi in 1905 the act prohibiting the
introduction Of slaves into La. and throughout our
national legislation have sustained slavery by the
phraseology of acts of Congress, in which slaves
are called 'property, ""articIes ""goods "efects
merchandise" Finally, Dec. q, 1887, we vo-
ted that the petitions of 100000 citizens of the
free states should "be laid on the table without
being debated, printed, read, or referred" These
are few things which the free states "have had to
do with slavery in their political capacity, as parts
of the Union. We will now specify some things
which they have done as separate communities.
Most of the free states have been stare states;
and in Conn, r. l., n. j.. and Pennsylvania
slaves are still held. Illinois has a system of
"indentured apprenticeship" soft name for slave
ry The Legislature in Indiana struggled hard
to make that slave state, memorallzed Congress
on the subject, &c. (See Jour, H. R, 10th Cong.
p. Az The states of N. Y, N. j., Penn, and
Indiana have laws authorizing Shareholders to
bring their slaves into the state, and hold them;
n. Y. for nine months, Penn, N. j., and Ind,
for six months. In most of the free states color
ed citizens are deprived of suffrage and civil Of
ice and in Ohio, of the benefit of the school fund
and of their oath in courts of law Though our
own colored sailors are imprisoned in southern
ports for their compzerion-though our white citi-
zens have rewards offered for them by southern
legislators, and are lynched and hung by slavehol
ders without Judge or jury-though slaveholding
magistrates and postmasters by thousands have
turned mail-robbers, riAed U. S. mail bags, and
are continually stealing packages and pillering let
tiers, yet not one Of the free states has uttered a
syllable of relnonstrance against such outrageous
violations of the U. S. Constitution, in the shape
of the meanest and most despicable public theving.
--
Lafdezs-"Tel us Of the schisms and the COL
lisons which rend all Christendom. These things,
they should remember, verify at least one prophe-
sy of our Lord that be came not to send peace on
earth, but sword" Nor let them forget, that
while Lightning and thunder seem to ill the upper
regions of ecclesiastical dignity and power, the
valleys are nevertheless refreshed with soitenlngI
showers and sunlight and are filled with such as
dwell in serenity and peace, joyfully and silently
preparing for usefulness here and glory hereafter
Yes, far below, and far away from the regions of
turbulence and strife, thousands and tens OF thous
ands dwell, who have never bowed the knee tot
the Baal of party enmity and wrath!
"Unseen they live, and praise and pray;
They long for heaven and tread the way