The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-05-18

the object to be accomplished, to carry them for
ward; being as confident of their truth and of the
overthrow of slavery in this land, by their power,
either through the fundamentally of such means
as are now in operation to bring the nation to re-
pentance, or those awful demonstrations of Divine
nterposition which have never failed to be admin
stered for the deliverance of the oppressed, as
they are that the Lord liveth and still regardeth
the work of his hands
Since our last Report we have raised for the
State Society," and for our own incidental expen-
ditures, about eighty dollars, besides about twen-
ty-four dollars for the purchase of an Anti-Save-
Iry Library. We have adopted efficient measures
to furnish every family in town, not previously
supplied, with an Anti-Slavery Almanac, and to
give every individual in town, of suitable age, an
opportunity to sign petitions and remonstrances to
Congress for all the several obj ects in relation to
slavery, which have hitherto engaged our atten-
ton in this manner.
Small as our contributions may appear in COM
parison with the munifcent donations of many,
yet when compared with our former subscriptions,
they afford no evidence of any abatement of zeal,
or the least ground Of discouragement-espec
ly when it is remembered that in making colec-
tons the present year, we have not as usual had
the benefit of any lecturer or public agent; and
also that several of our members have withdrawn,
for the purpose of uniting with other societies.
But when our feeble efforts in behalf of the slave
are viewed in the light of the Golden Rule-of
our obligation to love our neighbor as ourselves,
and remember those in bonds as bound with them,
they sink into utter insignifcance.
We are bound to confess our great delinquency
in the fufilmentof duty TO our brethren grooming
in bondage, being sensible that were we fully to
sympathize with them in their wretchedness our
sacrifices in their behalf would be more abundant,
our labors more unceasing, and our patience and
perseverance more unfailing.
When the doctrine of IMMEDIATE EMANCIPA-
TON was first proposed by William Lloyd Garri-
son as the only available remedy for Slavery it
was sneered at by the leaders in church and state,
as the merest phantom of disordered magma
ton. Men the most conspicuous for their exer-
tons in the moral enterprises of that period,
seemed unwilling to risk their reputation by CIV
ing it the smallest countenance.
1t was long that the LlBERATOR, sing and
alone, proclaimed this doctrine, and in thunder
tones assaied the system of slavery as the giant
sin of this nation, and with arguments the most
conclusive, demonstrated the duty, the safety and
the expedency of its entire and immediate aboli-
ton, and with appeals the most heart moving its
Editor entreated the cooperation of the philan-
thropy of New England in the great work to
which he had soemnly devoted himself. At
length light flashed upon the minds Of a few be-
nevolent individuals, who found to their surprise,
that the more the new doctrine was examined the
more its truth was confirmed, and the more clear
ly were they convinced of their duty to embrace
ii and carry it forward.
Anti-Slayery societies began to be formed; but
not many of the rich and honorable believed and
the enterprise was more an object of contempt
and ridicule than of envy. None but the fanat-
les themselves esteemed it honorable and Meth
er ecclesiastics nor politicians thought of making
it subservient to their schemes of popularity or
power But change at length came over the
aspect of things. The Colonization Society,
which had for several years monopolized all the
northern sympathy for the slave and by its syren
songs had lulled the nation to death-like slumber
on the subject of Emancipation, was now stripped
of its mask and shown to be worse than useless as
means of removing slavery
The public mind of Great Britain was aroused
in favor of Immediate Emancipation, and the
great problem was demonstrated on the black
board of the West Indies, to the entire safaction
of all candid enqurers and the truth of the doc
trines of abolition and the duty of all to unite in
the enterprise were so apparent, that none but the
ignorant or wicked would venture to call in ques-
ton the one or oppose the other. The violent OPP
position which the friends of emancipation had TO
encounter only inspired them with greater zeal
and devotedness in the prosecution of their work
of reform, and having truth, righteousness, HUI
mainly and all the best sympathies of our nature
on their side, they succeeded rapidly in gaining
converts to their doctrines and the Anti-Savery
reform progressed with rapidity greatly beyond
the anticipations of the most sanguine, and far
surprising any moral enterprise that had ever So
lcied the attention of American benevolence.
Abolitioniss were no longer regarded as I'M
worthy of notice; the opposition that had assail-
ed them and which was proof that their growing
strength was dreaded, was now turned into fatte-
ry and their scheme which so lately had been
ridiculed as visionary and fanatcal, was now re.
garded as desirable instrument for political and
party purposes.
Remainder mert weeh.)
AmalgamatiOn.