The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-23
" UNE HEIR 12.

stronger language against slavery than Mr. Jelfer-
son has done? "Cruel war against human ma
ure, violating its most sacred rights "piratcal
warfare" Fopprobrum of infdel powers" mar
ket where men should be bought and Sold" "exe.
cradle commerce, '"assembage Of horrors ""crimes
committed against the liberty of people" are the
brands which Mr. Jefferson has burned into the
forehead of slavery and the slave trade. When,
SIR, have l. or any other person opposed to slave
ry spoken in stronger and more opprobrious terms
of slavery than this? You have caused the bust
of this great man to be placed in the centre Of
your capitol, in that conspicuous part where every
visiter must see it, with its hand resting upon the
Declaration of Independence engraved upon mar
ble Why have you done this Is it not mock
erv? Or is it TO remind us continually of the
| wckedness and danger of slavery? | never pass
that statue without new and increased veneraton
for the man it represents, and increased repug-
nance and sorrow that he did not succeed in dri-
wing slavery entirely from the country Sir, if
am an abolitionst, Jefferson made me so; and |
only regret that the disciple is so far behind the
master, both in doctrine and practice. But, sir,
other reasons and other causes have combined to
fix and establish my principles in this matter new
err, trust to be shaken. free state was the
place of my birth free Territory the theatre of
my juvenile actions. Ohio is my country, en-
ueuIGu W lHe ny every louu ItCOlleClOu one
gave me political existence, and taught me in her
political school; and should be worse than an
unnatural son, did forget or disobey her precepts
In her Constitution it is declared. That all men
are born equally free and independent and that
there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary SER
vitude in the State, otherwise than for the pun-
shment of crimes Shall stand up for slavery
in any case condemned as it is by such high au-
thority as this? No, never! But this is not ALL
Indiana, our younger Western sister, endeared to
us by every social and political tie State formed
in the same country as Ohio, from whose territory
slavery was forever excluded by the ordinance Of
July, l7S7-she too, has declared her adherence
of slavery in more strong and emphatic terms than
we have done. In her constitution, after prohibit
ting slavery, or involuntary servtude being intro
duced into the state, she Declares But as the
holding any part of the human creation in slavery,
or involuntary servtude, can originate only in
tyranny and mSu1pation, no alteration of her con-
stution should ever take place, so as to introduce
slavery or involuntary servitude into the State,
otherwise than for the punishment ofcrimes where
of the party had been duly Convicted Illinois
and Michigan also formed their constitutions on
the same principles. After such cloud of wit
nesses against slavery, and whose testimony is so
clear and explicit, as a citizen of Ohio, | should
be recreant to every principle of honor and of JUS
tice to be found the apologis or advocate of slave
ry in any State, or In any country Whatever
No. cannot be so inconsistent as to say am OPP
posed to slavery in the abstract in its separation
from human being, and still lend my aid to build
it up, and make it perpetual in its operation and
effects upon MAN in this or any other country
also, in carly life saw slave kneel before ms
master, and hold up his hands with as much ap-
parent submission, humility, and alteration, as a
man would have done before his Maker while his
master, with outstretched rod, stood over him
This, thought, is slavery; one man subjected to
the will and power of another, and the laws aflor-
ding him no protection, and he has to beg pardon
of man, because he has offended man mot the
awsD as if his master We're superior and all
powerful being. Yes, this is slavery, boosted A.
mercan slavery, without which, it is contended
even here, that the union of these states would be
dissolved in day, yes even in an hour! Hum-
iatng thought, that we are bound together
states by the chains Of slavery! 1t cannot be
the blood and the tears of slavery form no part
of the cement of our Union--and it is hoped that
by falling on its bands they may never corrode
and eat them asunder We who are opposed to,
and deplore the existence of slavery in our coun-
try, are frequently asked, both in public and pr-
vate what have you to do with slavery? 1t does
not exist in your State; it does not disturb YOU
An, SIT, WOulu 10 OOu IL were SO-lnat we nau
nothing to do with slavery, nothing to fear from
its power or its action within our borders, that its
name and its miseres were unknown to US. But
this is not our lot; we live upon its borders, and
in hearing of its cries; yet we are unwilling to
that if we enter its territories and Vi
olate its laws, that we should be punished at its
pleasure. We do not complain of this, though it
might well be considered just ground of COM
plant 1t is our 6resides, our rights, our privile-
ges, the safety of our friends, as well as the sove,
reigntv and independence of our State, that we
are now called upon to protect and defend. The
slave interest has at this moment the whole pow
err of the country in its hands. 1t claims the
President as Northern man with Southern feel
ings, thus making the Chief Magistrate the head
of an interest, or party and not of the country
and people at large. 1t has the cabinet of the
President, three members of which are from slave
States, and one who wrote book in favor of
Southern slavery, but which fell dead from the
press, book which have seem in my own fam
lily, thrown musty upon the shelf Here then Is
a decided majority in favor of the slave interest
1t has five out of nine Judges of the Supreme
Court; here, also, is a majority from the slave
states. It has, with the President of the Senate,
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
md the Clerks of both Houses the army and the
-. 49,, I ,,o L,,roaus have | am told ohnIit tho