The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-11-30

Il ICSlOuo lOl SuliOohlt W. AN">' VI go
gain, keenly goads US by tauntingly, but
S lastly pointing TO American Slavery, thai
1 foul blot of Inconsistency which SO mars
t the escutcheon of our Republican glory
1 Are these goaIings less frequent, or pun
= gent, or less keenly felt by Mr.. Perkin:
t than when he wrote the letter
Again he says" neither the Christ
r ians nor the Statesmen OF America need
be told that the nations of civilized Eu'
rope are gazing, and Kissing, and frown'
f ing upon the denominations Of her domes.
tic savery.' And have the nations ceas-
ed 10 guze, and hiss and frown since Mr.
Perkins visited the United States Are
, not their Kisses and frowns more frequent
, and more intense and rebuking2
f And again he says" 1t does appear TO
me that an evil so appalling in magnitude
AMI guilt as American Slavery--lncur'
ring as it does The rebuke of the world,
f and provoking as it must the irowns OF
Heaven, cannot, when fairly spread out
10 view in the light of the present day,
much longer find advocates or Apologies.
or neutrals among American Christians
or American Patriots And sOhy should
it not aow "appear" to MIR. Perkins as it
did Two years and three quarters ago q
Has his visit to the Uniled States turned
"lhe light" of that {" day'' INTO darkness,
and the "fowns of Heaven" into smiles,
that he should look with diminished dis
appreciation upon neutroIity' among
American Christians, or American Pa.
trjo,s on this GREAT snhipoi
1t was this neutrality" which seemed
most deeply to affect the mind Of Mr.. Per-
klns. La another part of his letter he
gives it the name of "npatiy" Having
spoken of the pain he felt Gin observing
the heat and vnuperation that have char
acterized too much of the discussions on
the subject of slavery on both sides of the
question: and the extent to which he had
been shocked in observing "the wild, alb
surd and monsrous eXcrescences that
have grown out upon some Anti-slavery
ORGANIZATIONS In America" he says
"But olwithstandiug these fragrant
blemishes on Aulislavery organizations.
still greater pain and establishment have
been excited in my mind by the appalling
apathy on the terrible evi! of slavery that
obviously pervades the great mass of the
ministers, and Christians, and people of
America"
There was, probably, less Of this "apa-
thy'' when Mr.. Perkins left the United
States than when he wrote his letter two
years before-lhanks to the untirng eff
forts 10 rouse the nation to just sense of
the "terribLe evil" Bat was it not, and
is it not, still "appalling?" How few
churches and Ecclesiastical Bodies in the
United States have spoken out on this sub
ject in tones of rebuke beiuing the terri
bleness of the evil? The last General
Assembly Of the Old School Presbyterian
Church refused TO receive any petition,
and suppressed all discussion, upon the
subject while the last General Confer
ence of the Methods! Episcopal Church
not only refused all action against slave
nv, but decided that the testimony OF col
ored persons, whether bond or Tree
bers Of The Church or not members
should not be admitted in ecclesiastical
trials ia those States whose laws prohibit
such testimony before the civil tribunals.
Aud what did the last Congregational
Convention of Vermont do on the subject
of slavery? Nothing With the terri
BILE eviP' standing out in bold and 6 Ioomy
relief before their eves-crushlng three
millions of their brethren within its iron
embrace, and sustained by large portion
OF the Church, there came forth from their
councils no voice Of remonstrance, or en-
treaty, or rebuke. A was silent!
And il we turn from these ecclesias,i,
cal bodies, and. go into the churches, and
mingle among their members, what do
we hear? How few prayers ascend from
the pulpits and the praying circles in be-
half ofthose who are " in bonds 81 u How |
few talk and pray and act as though they |
were " bound aOib Nem?" How diff
cult is it 10 introduce and maintain, even in
Christian circles, free and hearty inter
change of sentiment hostile 10 slavery and |
expressive Of the deep and strong sympa-
thy for the slave which an Qn;rammeied |
Christian spirit must feel when contem-
plating his condtion-an outlaw, alike
from natural right and Christian charity, !
in the midst OF "a Republican and a Christ
ian land.
Is there no "apathy" in all this? and
in some of it, something worse than apa-
thy! and are you prepared to say that, if
Mr.. Perkins were Intercepted be would
withdraw or modify single expression
he has used IN condemnation CT it?
have been instrumental in the recent re-
publication OF his letter in this State add
feel, therefore, a special desire 10 know
why it has ceased-ii, indeed, it has ceas-
e1-to express his opinions upon the sub
ecls Of which it tire ats.
In the conclusion of his letter, Mr..
Perkins says-"l bid those God speed
who are nravinp and toiIinp 10 remove