The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-08-17

The narrow limits permitted us, admit
only of bsief notices OF The most important
topics. Any view, however, Of the political
history of the last fourteen years, must be
glaringly incomplete, if it does not embrace
a prime eiementin all our woes. 1t is AMER
1cAN SLAVERY. AS politicians, we possess
and claim no right TO break in upon the
State institutions, behind which the slave
system is entrenched. The States alone
possess the power to proclaim liberty 10 all
within their jurisdiction for the dishonor
and guilt of violating the laws Of God and
1rampIing upon the rights of Humanity: they
are preeminenlly responsible. AS States,
they are sovereign we cannot use The pow.
err of State within their jurisdiction. But as
individuals, the citizens OF the slave-holding
States are our neighbors and brothers; and
as individuals, We are bound, in considera-
ton oftheir welfare, and OF the rights of the
slave, by all moral influences TO persuade
them to righteous and immediate action
1t is when Slavery leaves her entertainments,
and assaults US upon our own ground; when
she casts off her State armor, enters the
wide field of national politics, and acts with
in the cognizance of our government, as well
as theirs, that We claim the right to confront
and resist her, by all the means the state
can use, by all which the constitution war
rants, and by all which by amendment, that
instrument may be made to recognize. In
this character, Slavery has long presented
herself; in this character she now stands,
nor is the mode of her assaults so we'll con-
cealed as 10 escape US. 1t was long since
proclaimed by the representative oil a slave
holding state, and has TOO long been openly
and shamelesslypractised.
Said John Randolph in the debate on the
admission of Missouri--"We do not govern
them the people of the North, by our black
sLaces, but by their o1vn aohite SLAVES. We
kno1o 1chdt ae are doing. We Of The South
are always united, from the Ohio to Florida
and we can alw avs unite but you Of the
North are beginning to divide. We haze
conquered y0U once, and zoe can, and We
qoilL, conquer you again. Aye, sir, we wiU
drive you TO the WaU, and when we have
you there once more, we mean 10 keep you
there, and nail you down like base money.
Aye, fellow-citizens! they have had US
Ito the wall once more;" it was in '29 and
the twelve succeeding years of tyranny were
but the fulilmen! of tho remainder of the
prophecy. Slavery, aided by its northern
ment and wreaked upon US its vengeance,
III tuC al - ~ C9ttOJCu- ~
of Protection expunged-the currency pros
trated-the right of petition denied--Liberty
of speech and Of the press restrained-and
in the proaigacy and disgrace of the Florida
war. The same unholy league of the slave
power with the recreant sons of Northern
freemen, is still maintained and il aims
again 10 force upon US the same evils, and to
perpetuate its tyranny, by the annexation of
Texas to the Union. The alternative threat
ems to be Resistance or Disunion and we
cannot therefore complete our rapid view of
the principles and the policy Of the Demo-
cratic Wings of Vermont, without uttering
the sentiment that Resistance 10 the sLaUe
pocer, by all right means, is an Imperative
duty.
The foregoing is extracted from an
address TO the people Of Vermont, pub
lished by order of the late Wing State
Convention, under the direction of the
State Central Committee Very good
doctrine - much truth told in so shOrt a
space. Can any of you gentlemen ofthe
State Committee, or Of the Convention
who adopted this Address, continue longer