Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-09-28


/ Plotting and planning and putting off had
failed. The question must be met. II was
liberation or prescription. 1t was liberty or
slavery. What should be done? One
member Fl think brother Kimball of Bethel
moved that the question be tried as TO wheth-
er should have a seat in the meeting
and the decision on this he said would set
tie the question as to whether ] was to be
heard there. But bis tact failed him. Gen
eralsEip was not the thing in the case. j
informed the meeting that il would be USE
4 less TO take action on that motion, for il
would not dispose Of the case. 1t was not
Il seat with any sectarian body that sought
or that could accept of ] chose to take
responsibility only for my own acts, and for
such as endorsed. They pro essed TO be
Christians and to be seeking the interests
of Christianity. took them on their own
professions. Had come among them as a
protesting Christian. Claimed a common
interest with them in the great and good
cause. Denied the right of any to monopo-
lie time or place in relation to it. Main
tanned the obligation Of all to hear. Who
ever injured the cause injured all the friends
of the cause; and all the friends Of the cause
had right to be heard in its behalf. Broth
er Angler had, the day before, alluded in
his sermon to the case of Paul before Agrip-
pa in his chains. Did they intend to be
more intolerant towards me than this heath
en- king was towards his chained prisoner !?
had almost forgotten to say that, in the
| course of the back and forth and round-and-
round conversation in the case, brother
Clement. of Thetford, a very innocent and
inoffensive man, being Chairman, felt called
on by the promptings of the course pursued
by his more violent brethren, 10 call me to
order. 1t did not occur to him, so far as !
remember, to call any others to order. What
his rules of order were, that such a course
should be allowed as was pursued by others
throughout did not learn. What they
acere NOT do know. They were not the
great law Of love, forbearance and good
will. sat down as soon as duty would al
low, after brother Clement made known his
request. AT the same time UTTERLY discard,
disregard, and set at nought the usurped au-
thority of such bodies over the consciences
OF men, have great respect and regard for
the feelings of such men as brother Glenn
ent. | regretted the necessity of putting
him to pain. But it arose from his wrong
situation, and not from my wrong dispos-
ition. If brother Clement had placed him
self on a level. by the side of me, on the
floor, anything that his disposition could
have asked should have been yielded Instant
ly and cheerfully; and then there would
have been no want of the most perfect or
der, arising from the great and glorious prin-
ciple TO which have alluded, which alone
can secure any order that is worth anything
among men. But he allowed himself un-
willingly perhaps, to be used as the instru-
ment OF clan that had put on hoofs and
horns and were fully determined TO trample
the rights OF humanity in the dust. MY dis
position was, and is, to yield everything to
brother Clement which his kind heart would
requlre-but nothing TO the Chairman of ty-
rannical ecclesiastics. My personal rights
and privileges in the case were a small
thing. The rights of mankind had long
been cloVen down. And for me to refuse TO
sacrifice for their redemption, would be re-
creancy to the great cause Of benevolence
which had professed TO embrace. Sever
al brethren now arose in succession, remon-
strated against prescription, and declared
themselves in favor of my being heard.
The current was manifestly setting strongly
In this direction, when brethren Blood and
Kimball, who had been most violent in their
determination to have me gagged, turned
square about and got themselves out Of their
position as well as they could. One Of them
moved that be heard 80 minutes, and the
other seconded the motion. Either they
acted without regard TO principle, one way
or the other, or both, or else their principles
were very suddenly changed. Nothing
could be more manifest than that they were
driven to make their last move as they did,
by the sentiment which they felt coming
down upon them from every quarter. They
showed themselves willing slaves, ready 10
do the bidding of the mojority, whenever
they could know what that was.
Such are the effects Of religion alia NOR
slity that go by majorilies and numbers.
/ Christianity knows no such rules or motives.
The vote was carried overwhelmingly. So
occupied 30 minutes. Il has taken SO
much room to describe the preliminary pro-
ceedings in the case, shall not undertake