The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-11-02
D. S. MURRAY, PRINTER.

Inc wings, 'GepiiFed OF our lnalenable
ight 10 office, by this Tyler nd.
mnislrallon. Aud beth1nk you, gen.e-
men, how could your Liberty parry do
better than to vote Wi!h US Tor .an who.
If he does hold some three score oil slaves,
add maintain that $two hundred years Of
/ Legislation has sanctioned and sanclihvd De-
gro siaVey,' Is atthe same time the cham
! pjon Of Greek liberty, and Polish Liberty,
and South American liberty, and, in shor.,
Of all sorls Of Liberties, SAGE LIBERTY AT
HOME
Yes, friends, we have considered all
this, and more, viz: that one sixth part
OF our entire population are SLAVES, aud
| that you,, with your sub-treasures aud
national banks propose no relief for them.
Nay, further, it is because both of vou,
when In power, have used your authority
to rlyet closer The chains Of unhappy anu
lions, that we have been compelled 10
abandon you, and form Liberty party
having for lis first objec! The breaking of
these chains.
| VIVA! is slavery? For upon the an.
swer 10 this question must The Liberty
/ pIlNf Tx pShN lJl Us luGtiiEullOu.
The slave laws OF the South tell us
! that 1t is me conversion of men into anti
cles OF property. The Transformation of
sentirn. immortal beings into 'chutleis
perso@aL' The principle Of ID reciprocity
/ OF benefits which, 10 some extent, churac.
terlzes all Other relations, does not exist
in that of master and slave. The master
holds the pillow which tutna The SOIL Of
his plantation, The horse which draws il,
and the slave who guldes it, by one and
the same tenure. The profit OF The mas.
Ter is the great end OF The slaves exist
ence. For this end he is fed, clothed. aud
prescribed for III sickness. He learns
nothing, acquires noElng for hunsei.--
He cannot use his own body for his own
benefit. His very personality is destroy
ed. lie is mere instrumental means
in The hands ofanother for The accomplish.
nent Of an end in which his own Interests
are not regardeJ-a machine moved not
by his own VIII, but anolher's. In hun
The awful distinction between a perS0u aud
a thing is annhlaled; he is thrust down
from The place which God and Nature
asslgnel him, from the equal companion.
ship OF rational intelIleencrs--a man herd.
ed with beasls-an immortal nature class.
ed with The wares OF the merchant
The relation Of parent AMI child, mas.
ter and apprentIce, government and sub.
jecI, are based upon The principle of be.
nevoence, reciprocal benefits, and the
wants of human socety---relalions which
sacredly respect the rights aud legacies
which God has given to all his rational
creatures. But SLAVERY exists onIy by
annlhlallng or monOpolzlng these rights
and IegacieS. In every o!her modlGca-
ton OF society, mans personal owner
ship remains secure he may be op-
prcssed-depriyed of priyiIeges-loade
with burdens-hemmed about with lee
cal disab Iites-his liberties, restrained.
But, through all, the right to his own
body and soul remain inv.oate. He re-
tains his Inherent, original possession of
himself. Even crime cannot forfeit it
for That law which destroys his personaIi-
ty makes void its own claims upon him
as moral agent; and the power TO pun.
Sh ceases with the accountability oil the
criminal. He may suffer and die under
the penalties of the law, but he suffers as
man, he perlshes as man, and not as a
thing. To the last moments of his exist
ence the rights of a moral agen, are his;
they go with him to the grave; they con-
slitutc the ground of his accountability at
the bar of Infinite Justice-rights fixed,
eternal, eparabe-allributes of all ra.
tonal intelIigences time and elernty-lhe
same in essence, and differing in degree
only, with those of the highest moral Be-
ing-of God himself.
Slavery alone lays its grasp upon the
right of PERSONAL OwNERsAIP-that
foundation right, the removal Of which
uncreates the man right which God
himself could not take away, without abb
solving the being thus deprived of all
moral Accountability; and so far as that
being is concerned, making sin and hoi-
ness, crime and virtue, words without
significance, and the promises and sane
tons of Revelation, dreams. Hence, the
GROWING horror of slavery, TINT which
lifts it above all other iniqlitlcs, is not that
it usurps The prerogaIives Of Daily, bat
that it attempts that, which even He who
has said 'ali souls are nine cannot do.
without breaking up the foundations of
His moral government. Slavery is, in
fact, a struggle with the Almighty for do
minion over His rational creatures. Ii
is leagued with the Powers Of DlrIiness,in
wrestling man from his Market 1t is
lifting brazen brow and vio-
lent hand 10 Heaven, attempting rever-
sal of Gods laws. Nan claiming tho
right TO uncreale his brother; TO undo that
last and most glorious work, which CD
himself pronounced good, amid the re-
loicing of the hosts Of Heaven! Man ar
rogaling to himself the right to change,
fnr his own selfish nnrnnses. The hnan1l