The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-09-07

SachuSettS
The Convention adjourned till tomorrow morn
ing at 8 o'clock,
FRIDAY MORNING, 9o'clock
The Convention met and was opened by praye
by the Rev. Mr.. Littlejohn. 1t was now agree
by general consent, that as this was to be the las
dav of the convention, all speakers be restricted
to ten minutes, and not speak more than twice, ex
cept by leave.
The debate on the three resolutions was resum
ed.
Mr. Sawyer, of Ontario, advocated the first OIL
the ground that if the Wings would set up sucl
man as Henry Clay, twas the duty of abolition
lists to defeat him, and put the buyer and seller o
human flesh where he would stay put. Mr.. S
then went into strong eulogy Of of Mr.. Granger
especially in combating the Colonization Society
as one of the greatest southern humbugs ever at
tempted to be imposed on community. If the
Wings put up Mr.. Clay, they would make fifty
thousand aboIitionsts in Western New York, il
the twinkng of an eye. He hoped they would
do it. 1t would be the most glorious day the alb
olitonists had ever seen.
Mr. Goodell, as a rebuUer of the eulogy of Mr.
Granger, referred to several declarations made by
that gentleman on the floor of Congress agains
" abolitonist incendiaries.
Mr.. Culver said the first resolution was in such
a shape that it required man of great capacity o.
throat to swallow it. 1t did not appear to have
been we'll digesed, nor drawn in the careful and
guarded manner in which the resolutions of this
Convention ought to be framed, for they would all
be sifted with the closest scrutiny. 1t forbade any
vote being given to any candidate whatever I'M
less he were an immediate abolitioniSt. The Ian.
guage was positive and without exception or quail
ification. 1t screwed up the conscience to such a
4, Il, =
rsy. Let the question be looked at practically.
If a candidate were perfectly right on all the doc
trnes of abolition except the expediency of max
ing it immediate, this resolution would cut. him
off at blow. Surprising aboilionists were able
to put Mr. Adams or Mr.. Van Buren, into the
presidential chair, and had their option between
the two. Mr.. Adams adopted the whole round OF
abolition doctrines, except that he makes emanci-
patton in the District Of Columbia prospective
Yet under this resolution he would not get vote
and the practical effect of the resolution would be
to place in the presidential chair the worst man in
the nation, and would keep out of it one who was
almost the best man. Surprising Mr. Adams
was set up as a candidate, and should be interro-
gated according to the usual list of of questions
and through all the first FIVE viz. on the adms-
sion of Texas, the right Of petition on the inter-
nal slave trade an the recognition of Haiti, and a.
gainst the admission of any slave state, his an
swers should be full and satisfactory. But on the
sixth, viz. immediate abolition in the district of
Columbia, he should hesitate. Not being opposed
to the measure ITSELF but believing that it ought
to be prospective and not instantaneous. Ought
any concetous man to refuse voting for such a
candidate, and thereby secure the election of man
who could not give an affirmative answer to a
single of the six interrogatores Was it right
thus to tie up his hands WAS it Of no use to
have President who was right on all these five
points? If not, why were these interrogatories
put? If not, why were these objects pettoned
for! Was it nothing to have man who would
throw his whole weight on the side of full nvesti-
cation and fair discussion who would bring out to
the light of day the dark and dreadful secrets of
the rice-swamp and the cotton-feId-the brand
ings the shootinos, the starving5 and the whip
pings to death Would this be no gain? Yet
the Convention were for forcing down the throat
ofevery abotionst resolution which must pre-
vent it utterly They should never be respected
by either party, if they made a cipher of their po-
ltical franchise. He wanted to let the world UNI
derstand that church members had something to do
with politics, and that man did not give up his
franchise when he became the friend of the slave.
lie was not for giving up voluntarily his political
rights He would not go sneaking, cringing
round the balot-box, and do just what a set of
scoundrels wished him to do, but would persue
that open and manly course by which he could
do most good.
10. MIR. Earle, ofPennsy lvania, after pressing the
propriety of greater courtesy in language towards
the several religious and political parties and secs,
declared his decided appreciation of the first reso-
luton as it stood. He commented with some Sc
verify on the course Of Mr.. Adams in relation to
the to the sanction of slavery in the State of Lou
isiana, and in deceiving the abolitonSts on the
subject of emancipation in the District of Column
bia. He denounced any thing like compromise
with men who did no take the whole ground a.
gainst all slavery everywhere and at all times.
AS long as they went on the principle Of voting
for man who was merely the better friend of abb
two candidates presented, it would be
easy for men to vote for Mr.. Clay under the no.
ton that he was a better abotioniSt than Mr.. Van
Buren,, and to go for Van Buren, because he was
a better abolitionist than Clay. But the man
who voted for either, or for any other man who
was not an abolitonist throughout, involved him
self in the guilt of perpetual slavery with all its
guilt and misery. Would man employ as a
workman on his farm man who stole his neigh
boris sheep? Or would he employ as captain
a man who would take bride from pirates and
lend them aid in their depradations Could he
do this and not be sharer in the quilt of all their