The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-06-15

identity a compromise; in my estimation an hon
est and honorable compromise; but whatever of
divine the Executive Committee of the American
Anti-Slavery Society perceive in the immediate
emancipation of the British Colonial slaves, do
not understand them as considering the payment
of the twenty millions ofpounds stirling to indem-
nifty the owners Of the slaves as partakng any
share Of that divine authority.
If | understand correctly the sentiments of the
Executive Committee of the American Anti-Sa-
very Society they approve and applaud the par
Iiamentairy process so far as it extends to enamel
patton; but reject, not without Indignation, that
part of the British precedent which grants, at the
expense of the nation, an equivalent to the dispos-
sessed proprietor.
For myself, feloW-citizens freely confess that,
believing as do that freedom is natural and in
aenabIe right of man, and tha by the laws Of
Nature and OF Natures God, an immortal soul
cannot be made chattel, am yet disinclined to
make of these opinions articles Of religious creed
with the pretension to impose itupon others. If
asked whether consider it a sin to hold a fellow
creature in bondage for life, might answer that il
would be so in me but am not commissioned to
denouncc the Judgment of God upon those who
differ from in religious belief whether upon the
slavery question or upon any other. have heard
from my Master the Injunction, Judge not, that
We be not Judged and from more than one of his
Apostles, the question, Who art thou that judgest
another mans servant, or another? The days of
denouncing prophesy are past and when | see
that slavery has been permitted by Almighty God
to exist from the earliest periods of history, sacred
or proane, down to the present day, though look
forward with earnest hope and intense desire to
the day when it will be hanished from my coun-
try and from the world, have no vocation for the
exercise Of force or Constrant or injustice, even
for the liberation of the slaves.
IF the abolition Of slavery is ever to be effected
in this country it must be either by force, that is,
by civil and servic war, Oh by the consent of the
owners of the slaves. All the aboIitionists and
all the anti-slayery societies totally disclaim all in
lenhon Or purpose to employ or 10 sanction the
employment Of force, and complain with reason
that the impuation of any such thing to them IS
SANDER Immediate emancipation, therefore, is
in their purpose to be effected with the consent OF
the masters, and without indemnity to them. In
what page of the volume of human nature they
found the recipe for this balsam to the sore Of sla-
very, or IN what cell in the Imagination it was de-
vscd, know not FEANELy, it is said, made
the discovery that an ehason of oil WIli smooth
the mountain waves OF a stormy sea but no phi
losopher has yet appeared to make the experiment
of pouring it into the summit Of smoking era
"
With. the most sincere belief in the integrity of
your intentions, and with reverence for the benev-
oIence and purity of your purposes, let me ask
those of you, my friends who believe the imn,e-
diate emancipation of the slaves of this country,
with the consent of their masters, without Indem-
nifty, and without the use of force, practicable
thing, whether the success Of your moral suasion
upon the minds of the Shareholders hitherto has
been encouraging to your hopes or expectations of
ultimately prevailing upon them to give up at once
their opinions and their property? Have you con-
verified many to the true faith of immediate eman-
'ipatioh wlhout indemnify! Is the temper with
which your arguments are receieea nay, is the
temper with which they are urged, Of shat char
acter which concates acquieseence, aDd ripens
hesitancy into conviction! With what feelings
towards you is the heart Of the STAKEHOLDER i'm
pressed? With what feelings are your hearts
impressed towards the stakeholder! Do men
gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles g You
appeal, with exultation 10 what you consider per-
haps prematurely, the successful result of the inn
mediate emancipation of slaves in the British Col
onies and yet you cavil he conditions; you re-
ec all idea Of Indemnify to the mGarrsteabeg,
you style him, at the very time when you are pc
itoning his representative to lIberaie his slaves.
# one hundred millions Of dollars have been cheer
ulIy, magnannou.lv paid by the People Of Great
Britain for the Liberation of 100000 slaves, four
ines that sum at least, would be required of the
People of this Union to Iiberae the slaves held III
bondage here, at the same rate of indemnity. But,
It the present market price of slaves, that would
lot amount TO one-third part of indemnity for the
'alue lost And how was the emancipation of
laves in the British Colonies accomplished By
ct of Parliamentary assembly in which the col
nists had no representation. In direct conradc-
ion is the principle upon which our Revolution
vas founded. If the question bad been submit
ed to the decision of the Legislative Assemblies
f the Colonies themselves, do you imagine that
ny such emancipation would have been effected,
ven for twice or thrice the amount of the indem-
ity allowed by Parliament?
One of the petitions transmitted to me at the late session
Congress be presented to the House of Representa-
yes, signed by John Jay and 43 citizens OF New York.
rayed that Congress would propose amendment to tho
Constitution Of the United States the refusal to admit
nv new slave State the Union The petition did
,ecfv the mode of amendment desired, but have long
cen of opinion that if the object is ever to be attained
saceaby and with the consent of the Shareholders, of
hch have but very faint hope, must be by that pro-
ss and never will be accomplished by any other and
ok the OCCASION when asking leave of the House pre-
mt the petition include in the request the permission