The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-08-31
We, often have two pro gIa.
arrassing dilemma.

eXhorted to vote Tor the latter as the least oil the
two evils. will go for neither Their zeal for
the right Of petition and free discussion, is found
ed on expediency alone. The candidate regards
the rights of freamen ony-of light coored men,
and does not advocate the rights of man as man.
Away with such an advocate of human RIG hts
His advocacy is leprous hypocrisy. He knows
that the saunch iriendsof the right of petition
and free discussion, control the ballotbox; and
he wants their votes And when the same expe-
qiency which now influences him to such course
shall demand the sacrifice of these rights, he will
for the sake of votes, as readily trample on the
rights of the free he now lramples on the rights
Of the enslayed.
word in passing, on this matter of free dis
cusson, the advocacy of which by candidate IS
made to cover multitude of sins. Where were
those Jealous free discussonists in 1852 when
this right was rodden in the mlre, and we were
driven from our halls, and could not deliver an ad-
dress but we had a storm of brickbats beating a.
bout our heads When we could not give away
a tract without being tarred and feathercd, nor
hold convention in public building, but it was
sraightlv burned to. the ground? Where are
thew? One was lo1ng on his sofa in luxurious
ease deprecating the mad course Of the fanatics );
another was porting over aw-books in search Of
authority to shield the mobocrats another was
writing articles for newspapers, apoogzlng for ri
OTIS and arson and another was rolling up his
sleeves, and club in hand heading the anarchists.
But we braved the tempest and by the blessing of
God, crossed the. angry flood, and now we are ad
vanced beyond it, and are scaling the heights Of
immediate abolition. Now forsooth, we are met
by political candidate Zone Of those very men,
probably y who ayows himself free discussion
list, and who very modestly says to us, with a
bow, " Vote for me- and will not throw you back
,oll
buffetted" Indeed And is this his only claim
to our votes? Away with him. Give us the man
who will defend the right of free discussion, and
all other rights, at all times, and on principle, be-
cause they are rights.
A word to my friend MIR. Cornish. He prays
us not to plunge this holy cause into the muddy
stream of politics. Oh no. He says" Go to
the polls and vote; it is your duty" But when
there, if we follow his advice so far from keep
ing our cause out of this muddy stream, we shall
plunge it in head downwards. Now, if it must
be immersed, am fer plunging in feet foremost,
and for bringing il out clean and alive Mr.
President, it is too often the case that those Of our
friends who are so extremely anxious TO keep our
cause cut Of politics lest it should be polluted by
the touch, are the very men who you will find on
election day, early at the polls their hands full
Of tickets, voting with all their might tor pro sIa-
'SlS uletl. l. MS Is hScpluS uUOIlllOl Jul Vi pun
tics with a vengeance
Built is no longera debateable question wheth-
er the anti-slavery question shall enter into poll
tics--it is already in, and necessarily so. Slave
iy itself is created and sustained by the law. Law
is the creator and preserver of the system and
law is the offspring of political action. The A.
merican Congress stands around slavery in the
District of Columbia as body guard, facing out
ward, with weapons in hand, ready to charge bay
onet upon liberty. The slave trade has Shot its
roots deep into the soil Of political action, till its
branches overshadow the land. The whole sys-
tenn as it exists in the thirteen slave States, is
nourishcd by politics, and riots and fourshc5 by
their fostering care. Political action is its vital
fluid, and by it it lives and moves and has its be-
ing Keep the question out of politics? Avoid
the winds and tempests of political action? Why
Sir, the storm is blowing already like hurricane.
The CANVASS Of our stately ship, United States, is
torn to tatters the shrouds are swapping; she is
on her beam ends and the waves are making a
complete breach over her. We have piratcal
commander and. an idiot at the helm, The heav-
ems are black with midnight, and rocks and break
ers are directly ahead The question is not now
whetherwe shall 90 to sea, but being at sea and
in such storm, whether we shall put a true man
on the Observation-Disclosures we shall call all |
hands TO the pumps, and place a sane man at the
Wheel so that, with the help OF God, we may
ware ship, and shuo the reef and save the noble
bark, and her precious cargo, and gallant crew.
That's the question. We have heard of a man
whose epitaph run thus " was we'll; | wanted
to be better took physick, and here am" We
call him fool But, Sir, that is not our case.
We are not WE'LL and the question is not whether
we will be sick, bat the question is whether being
sick, we shall take or refuse the " matchless san
alive" of political action-the only remedy that
can save US. Will we ask the South to take it in
arge doses, while we ourselves will not taste so
much as drop? Will we ask chivalrous Vir-
gna to annihilae slavery alta single blow
throughout the length and breadth Of the old do
mnon, while we will not abolish it in our own
petty ten acre plantation? My friend, Mr. Cor
nish, is very DESTROYS of keeping the moral and re-
igious interests of this cause above the political
We'll, Sir, let us say to him, that voting is NOR
al and religious act, as much as prayer, "Wheth- 4
err we eat or drink or whatsoeyer.ye do, do all to
the glory of God" saith the Scriptures. know
be will subscribe to that doctrine, and ask him,
if we discard morals when we elect the powers
that be, and which, through us, are ordained of !
God? He admonshes Us to take things as they
are; and how are they? Why, sir, every aboli-