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


any project of the philosophers of Laputa The mupli-
cation of AnSlavery Societies within last three wears
has appeared rather weaken than promote their
cause, least, their prospects of immediate early
success. With the increase of their numbers, new and
collateral questions, always controverbe aud perplexng
like parasite suckers from the main of the tree have
sprung divide their counses, and introduce dssen-
sions among themselves. The capous dsputations of
moral and political causry about non-resistance, defen-
sive war; the rights of women, political action Govern
ment, the social condition of the coored the
agemen given to the slaves escape from their masters
and exaggerated representations of the mserie OF their
condition, have emnenty concurred not only to counter
act their influence the main object of their association
but to mako them unpopular and odous, only in
the South but in all parts of the Union Their annoyance
of candidates for popular election, by putting searching
questions them tests, importing once promise and
threat, has propated to them the goodwill of any
party, and has made them obnoxious all. The purity
of the principle of these formal nteogatocs, for answers
to be followed by surages very questionable, with ref
to the freedom of elections The expedent itself
has seldom been successful TO accomplish its object
1t has in almost every instance disclosed the weakness of
the abotonsts party distinct from the great political
competitors for the favor and the of the People
My objections to the immediate abolition of slavery in
the Territory of Florida the with those which
have here set forth against the measure in the Dis
trct of Columbia, with the addition that the conditions up
which the Territory coded to the United States by
Spain formally spuate for its admission into the Union on
the terms secured to the primitive citizens OF
the United States To impose condition upon
the inhabitants SINE qua non, of admission to the
Union State, would be, in my Judgment breach of
faith. voted against the admission of the State of Ark
because her Constitution expressly denied her
Legislature the power of emancpatng slaves. Should the
Constitution oftorda contain the provision, should
vote in the same manner but the faith of the nation is
already pledged the admission of Florida the
terms upon which other Southern States have been admit
ted and have right now to require more of her
than has been required of them.
The petitions against the admissions of ana State here
alters the Constitution of which shall tolerate slavery were
not susceptible Of an Affirmative negative res
oluton to that effect would have binding force even III
adopted by both Houses of Congress thew cannot cir
cumscrbe the powers of their But, with the
exception of Florida, never would to the adnis
sion Of any new slave State.
have fully and freely exposed 10 you, felow-cti-
gems my views with regard the multitude Of petitions
which YOU have coHacA IS my charge, The opinion of
the civilized world has been for maturing 1T" set
tied conviction that slavery in any Of It's forms Is sin
and reproac' any people. More than three thousand
ago the debascmen Of the human character. by It's
operation upon the slave HIMSELF noticed by the great
Of the Poets, who says that the day which makes
a slave takes away half his worth Its degrading and cor
ruptng influence upon the heart and mind of the
is not less phosophcally true. The theory which
attempts convert slavery into blessing, and sayehca
ing into a virtue, is, i'll my deliberate Judgment more
amentable debosemcnt of the human soul than the
endurance Of servitde effect, II places the animal
man below the level Of he brute creation. It surrenlers
his soul to the dominion Of his yilcs PASSIONS bellies the
Divine revelation of God Of mercy and insults the throne
of Omnpoence. 1t reduces the natuiu relation between
and exclusively 10 the standard of physical force,
and tyranny and Oppresslon inflicted by the strong
and suffered by the weak to comprise the whole duty of
This system bears the relation to that of the Dec
laraion Of independence idol worship the worship of
the God The substitution of its creed for that of the
natural rights of would bring him back to the oorna
tive Of the worship of Moloch and Mammon,
and devils to adore for dees.'
Should this system become the prevailing doctrine of
the South is impossible that this Union should long
anue AS its avowed basis rests exclusively upon phys
cal force physical force will resort not only
tain its institutions but to encroach upon the nstu
of freedom elsewhere. This disposition is already
manifested in many ways in the brutal treatment expert
by citizens of the free States if but suspected of IA
yorng abolition in the slavehoding ursdictionsn the
nsolent demands upon the free States deliver up their
citizens for alleged offences against the slave lawsin the
conspiring of American shareholders in foreign land
against the life of of the great champions of human
bery-n the ruan threats of assassination, addressed
to of Congress for daring present your petitions
in the surrender of the post office to lynching LAWN
the murder of Lovejoyin the burning of the Pennsy
mia han Southern commercial conventions to force the
natural channels of trade from North to South-in South
ern railways and banking companies combined to link the
Mammon of the West with the Moloch of the South and
the strains of commentator upon the and-robbng pac
of the Anglo Saxons, and their vruous adherence
Of CUSTOM embellshed by their blackleg and
punctualy for their debts of honor
Fellow-eitzens when witness like these trans
acted in the face of day when hear principles like these
issuing from the professors chair, from the chanccor's
bench from the diplomatic saoon and from the land job
bers gaming and dinner table, all in fjghtfu harmony
with one another, hang my head in dependency the
prospects of the rights of man, for the short remnant OF
my days. throughout this nion and in the District
of Columbia, Yet do not despair for the cause of hui
man freedom. believe the which its voaries are
now called to Defend and which they may yet hopeo de-
fend and to vndicae is that of our free institutions against
the daring encroachmons of slavery upon them 1t is for
them that you will have ultimately to stand to your arms
and it is for them that would gladly you buckle
on YOUR armor desire not to interfere with the instu-
ons of slavery where they establish he'd would not
abolish slavery without due regard to indemnify the
STAKEHOLDER for his loss and, to avoid the necessity for
that would begin the process with generation yet unborn
adhere faithfully the spuatons of the Constitution of
the United States, which have pledged my faith before
God to support and can lend my hand to project for
the abolition of slavery these United States without the
consent of their That the day will when
slavery shall be extingushed not only in the District of
Columbia but throughout country and throughout the
world believe because it has been explicitly promised
in the holy Scriptures, and because the progress towards
that improvement in the condition Of man upon earth
clearly indicated by the whole tenor of human history
But that the day yet far distant not permitted to
doubt and that in country it will be preceded
nd in