The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-04-27
THE V0TULA OLE EBRAD0M0
Letter of Hon. w. Il. Ranney,

inst.
Till very lately have entertained the pleas
ing expectation of meeting the friends of humans
ty and of equal rights on that occasion, and in be-
ing able to take some little part in devising meas
ures to effect the great and philanthropic objects Of
this association. But recent ill health and bad
travelling will probably disappoint those expecta
tons.
You very truly remark, eve are engaged in q
great work" If the liberation of the descendants
of Jacob from the yoke of oppression in Egypt
was aided by divine and miraculous interposition
surely an effort to confer the blessings of freedom
on three millions of enslaved human beings, in this
age of enlightened policy, and in this land of boast
ed liberty, may be justly denominated both great
and good. 1t is work in which the patriot, the
statesman, and the christian can cooperate, and
with absolute certainty of success. The same God
who frowned with signal judgments on Egyptian
oppression, yet lives, and his attributes of Justice
and mercy are in no sense diminished. 1t was fifty
said that the Almighty possessed no attribute that
can be enlisted on the side of the Shareholder in
this contest and that by southern man, we'll &C.
quained with southern institutions" We con-
tend not in own strength, nor with blood
stained weapons-but relying on infinite power,
we place our dependence for victory in arguments
unanswerable, in reason undehroned and in the
gospel unperverted.
If our fathers of nc were justified in resisting
with the sword British oppression, how much more
are their children in attempting to expumge through
moral suasion, so disgraceful stain upon our ma
tional escucheon as American slavery?" If du-
ty demands sacrifices at our hands in behalf of
perishing pagans on far distant shores, how much
more imperious the claim of our colored brethren
in the South to come over and help us ?"
If liberty blood-bought treasure, is boon
worth the purchase-money, let it be shared equal
ly by every American-born citizen and let every
erotic transplanted by the hand of violence, re-
ceive of the richness of our soil and the salubrity
of our cline, equally with our native plants And
if our laws punish as piracy traffic in human bone
and muscle upon the high seas, how can the same
article be used as merchandise with impunity upon
our shores shores pronounced sacred to freedom,
and coSecrated even by the blood heroes, states
men and patriots who unsheathed the sword, throw
ing away the scabbard, in defence of the declara-
ton, That all men are created equal; that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalien-
able rights, and that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit Happiness" Was there ever so
great contradiction in theory and practice before
Can any other portion of the world present so Gu
rious an anomaly? A boosted nation of freemen,
an asylum for the oppressed, government of the
people-and yet, every ffthman, woman and child
a slave to whom is denied by law the light of
science, the consultations of religion, the rights of
men reduced to the lowest possible degree of
degradation and suffering to crafty the avaricous
propensites of fallen man. Truly mayit be said,
the United States are by-word and reproach
among the nations of the EARTH And thisis not all
"a government of the people, and yet government
deaf to all entreaty on this subject,-the voice of
petition stiaed, the cries Of the oppressed are I'M
needed, and the shackles of unrequited servitude
would be rendered perpetual, even by the repre-
SeuGllVGS Ol tlc Tree Sldteo anu Hot oHly So
the subject refused discussion, the privilege of
speech and the freedom of the press restrained, and
the advocates of the rights Of man, the defenders
of the principles of our declaration ofndependence
are insulted and abused as nsurrectionsts, fanat-
les, dis-unionists and murderers And why Be-
cause we would interfere, say they, with the Pc
culiar institutions of the South We interfere
with no institutions that are founded in Justice and
promote the best interests of man-but of injustice
and oppression, avarice and cruelty, ignorance and
vice, robbery and lewdness in whatever shape
or connection, we are the uncompromising enc
mies and whatever we would disapprove in an
individual, we disapprobate in communities how
ever numerous Or dgnifed, 1t is no mitigation
of an offence, that many are engaged in it, or that
it has long been practised. Though hand join in
hand, the wicked shall not go unpublished" is both
reason and scripture.
Although vengeance belongeth unto the Lord"
vet the most humble and obscure have duty to
The and If these hold their