The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-08-31
VOL. V. NO. 10.

honor and safety OF our country as dear
to US as to our missionary in Persia O.
Does he feel constrained to exclam-
"America must sink slavery, or slavery
will sink America" and shall We make
no effort to shake the milestone weight
from the neck of our country? Shall
slavery sink America, and we not 90
down?
There is one part of Mr.. Perkins letter
which can not suffer TO pass without an
expression OF my hearty concurrence. 1
refer to the expression Of the pain he feels
in observing "lhe heat and vituperaton
which have characterized too much of the
discussion on the sub ject of slavery" and
his "still greater pain at the appalling
apathy in regard 10 the terrible evil of
slavery that pervades the great mass of
the ministers and christians and people of
America, and prevents them from doing
anything, and seems 10 nerve them with
an almost desperate determination not 10
do anything for its removal" Much as
our good friend was grievcd with the
viluperalion 10 which he refers, he did not
hesitate TO say that he was more grieved
with the appalling apathy manifested by
ministers and christians upon the subject
| do not wonder he was more greved.-
The apathy is appalling. Three millions
of slaOes think of that word J in the Unit.
ed States Three millions Why, "a
dozen of our white countrymen in slavery
in Algiers would excite this nation almost
10 phrenzy; and yet how little feeling is
produced by the slavery which brushes
three millions in the bosom of our own
country. What has become OF the in.
junction to "remember those in bonds as
bound with lhem2" Is it not in the Bible
that hes, or that ought TO lie, upon every
mans table, and whose benevolent spirit
ought TO ill every mans heart? And
shall it produce no feeling, and the utter
ance OF no remonstrance in behalf Of the
millions of our countrymen upon whom
these bonds are fiscned2 Is there moth.
ing 10 be said and nothing to be done
because there are those who, in our opin-
ion, say and do loo much? Is all our
benevolenee 10 evaporaie in finding fault
with VIVA: we deem their excessive zeal
on this suhj"cl? If their way is wrong,
is there no right way? Shall we hold
our peace because there are those whose
zeal seems to us extrava9ant and hur[ui?
If we would moderate that Zeal, le. us
exhibit the true zeal. To hold our peace
utterly, is 10 provoke the very ntemper.
ance We condemn. Such undcninbIv has
been the effect of the apathy OF Whih!l
Mr.. Perkins speaks SO poinledlv. In,
stead Of this apathy, the whole christian
community, should, it seems to NE, awake
to a consideration of this great national
evil, and speak out in decp-loned, but tom.
perate aud steady condemnation OF it,
Looking calml Y from his distant position,
Mr.. Perkins says he feels "a deep ctn.
viction that ii is The solemn duty of all
who fear God or regard man in America
10 do something" and that it is equally
his belief that ga feeling heart for tie
untold miserics of the injured African
even the Christian part of the
would net he long in finding
out what that something is. SO think /;
and SO thinking, send you M. Perkins
excellent letter, hoping that it may aid in
awaklng deeper interest for our Cpprcss.
cd countrymen in the hearts of those who
profess to reverence the preccps, and sym,
palhizc with the heart, of the Savior of
men. There is great deal to be done
before ibis terrible evil is removed from
our country. 1t must come TO bear with
IN intolerable weigh, upon the heart Of
he American Church, until il shall be
tonscd from its "apalhy,' and shall put
orlh lis whole moral force 10 ban,sh
'Iavery from our land and send it back 10
he dark regions from whence it sprung.
June 7. 1913. VIM. SLApr,