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

croachments ofthe SLAVERY Power, of its deter
limitations for the future; of the ascendancy it has
already acquired, and of the utter impossibility of
securing the freedom of the North, without the
speedy abolition Of slavery at the South. The
Constitution is in effect destroyed, and the Union
is virtually dissolved, so soon as it is made plainly
to appear that they no longer subserve and pro-
tect these inalienable rights which our fathers
proclaimed in the Declaration of independence
And since the SLAVE Power is evidently waging
a deadly warfare against those high principles
and objects and aims,-and in this contest it is
plain that either slavery or liberty must give way
it follows that opposition TO slavery, and active
efforts for its suppression, are the appropriate and
indispensable expression of attachment either to
the Constitution or to the Union.
1t is idle to suppose that the power of slave
nv can be curtaed, or its control circumscribed,
by any efforts which are not directly aimed at its
extirpation. The experiment of fifty years ought
to satisfy every mind that slavery cannot maintain
itself in free country except By making continual
encroachments upon liberty There can be no
compromise. There is no standing still, no mid
die way or middle ground. No man can be con-
sidered an efficient opponent of the political as
cendancy Of the SLAVE POWER, who is notwil-
ling to engage in direct open and determined eff
forts for the abolition of slavery itself Cutting off
the branches will don good while the trunk of
the tree is guarded from harm and carefully nour-
shed. The political dominion which slavery has
gained, is not only prncp pie source of corruption
and danger to the liberties of the free it is also
a main pillar ofsupport and tower of defence to
the system ofslavery itself. Shorn of political
power, slavery would fall by its own weight, and
die of its own imbecilily. And the political pow
err Of slavery is only to be met by political action
on the part of the true friends of liberty. 1t is
to this duty that we now call your special atten-
ton, and invite the cooperation of every freeman.
That slavery, fit goes on unchecked, will soon
PROSTATE the liberties of the country, seems too
plain for argument. The vital principle of lber-
ty is the doctrine of the inalienable rights of per-
sons. The vital principle of slavery is that "what
the laws declare to be property is property" and
therefore if the law declares certain persons to be
property, those persons longer possess any rights;
thus making property the paramount right of man,
and its protection and advancement the supreme
and of government or in other words, adopting
'covetousness as the vital principle ofhuman socie-
cy. Who does not see that people thus actua-
ted cannot remain free? They might retain the
forms of liberty, as Rome continued for long
time the farce of elecing her consus, by the gra-
cous permission of her emperors, but the rights
and liberties of the people are sold and gone Ri
val candidates and rival parties may arise, each
with words of liberty; but las we already see
among ourselves) each vieng with the other in
subservency to slavery.
1t is to the struggles of the SLAVE POWER to
acquire, retain, extend and use its political ascen
dancy in the councils of the nation, that we owe
nearly all the violence of party warfare and all
those fluctuations of public policy so injurious
to the interests of industry, to the stability offered
it,, and to the progress Of improvement. The
SLAVE Power has at length thrown offall Disguise
and boldly avows the principle of changing the
course ofpubc measures with view to advance
the interests of 81 avery by impairing other inter-
ests Thus, in the language of President Mon
roe 4" we have found this evil to prey upon the Vi
tails of the Union"
Slavery, then, is the greatest political evil in
our nation, and should be treated accordingly.
The question of its abolition is the greatest poiti
cal question now before the people for decision.
And resistance TO slavery is the highest political
duty now resting upon every freeman. From the
strong hold ofpolitical ascendancy in which it is
now so firmly entrenched, it must be driven out
and destroyed by the only force that can reach the
BALLOT BOX. We call, therefore, not
upon a select class ofmen, to act for the aggran-
dizement off party or the success of scheme.
But we call upon EVERY MAN, who cherishes
a love for Human Rights, to unite in destroying
this grand enemy of Human Rights upon ev
cry man who venerates the Declaration of indie
pendence, to apply the principles of that Decara-
ton in annihiating an institution which stigma
ties those principles as an unmeaning flourish 81
upon every man who loves the Constitution of the
Union, to employ the powers secured by the Con-
stuion and the opportunities yet afforded by that
Union, in destroying a system Vii has already
made the Union rope of sand, and the constitu-
ton yoke of iron upon every man who loves
liberty for himself desires TO leave its blessings
to his children to employ the liberty he has left
in overthrowng the most dangerous system Of
despotism the world ever saw.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Let us treat slavery as it really is, as the enemy
Of the Constitution, the enemy ofiberty, the enc
my of human rights, the enemy of God and man.
Let US solemnly resolve that we will vote for no
nan to any office of trust or power, who either
holds slaves or upholds slavery; since no man is
worthy of office in republic, who is too ignor-
mt to comprehend or too base to maintain the first
principles oflbery. And because our public men,
both parties, have gone so far in subservicncy to
slavery, and are so accustomed to barter away the
interests of liberty for the honors of Office or the
lggrandizement of party that we know not whom
n truSt of rs detornne that ve will SuOnnrt M