The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-09-21
VOICE OF IgIg3 DOZLlo
brandon, Thursday, September 81, 1919
w. G. BROWN, Editor, pro. ten,
The Dedham Anti-sIavcry Plcnick.
August L, 1913,
We can not denrive onrselves IF The

holden at Dedham, Ms, taken from ar
account published in the Boston Christian
World. They had met to celebrate The
day, when, five years before, the chair
had been struck off from 100000 human
beings-a larger number than the whole
population Of Massachusetts Who car
read the account Of the midnight bell toll
lag the ath-dirge Of slavery, and call.
ing from their living graves" to life and
freedom, hundreds OF thousands of their
fellow beings without tears of joy. New.
er before had the sun risen so bright upon
those Isles; it had been dark before-it
had been "cast down from heaven !"--
What are the blue skies, or the green
earth, or the breath of balmy winds, or
the song of spring birds, to man, when
he feels himself an inferior being and
moves and acts like the brute, in compli.
ance with the wishes of another! More
consonant with the feelings Of the mother,
as she goes mourning for her parted child,
that storms and tempests should beat upon
her - that no living thing should smile !!
When, al midnight, the bell of the Ca
thedra rung, peal on peal, we are told
they sprung up from their kneeing plac-
es, flung their free arms upward, and
while tears gushed from their eyes, shout.
ed again aud again for freedom The
morning sun beheld them freemen. Hence
forth they were to receive wages for their
toll. The Iash-stroke was no more 10
ring through their cane. fields, telling of
agony and blood. The ties that bound
kindred hearts, were to be held as sacred
with the meanest slave, as with the haugh.
tiest lord. The old scar-wreathed and
oi)-bowed negro looked up with his dim,
fearful eye to the rising sun, as he heard
The sound Of rejoicing, and blessed God
that he had lived to see the day. The
despised names Of WiIberforcc & Clark.
son and Sharpe were whispered from lip
10 lip,as men who, uuder God, had wrought
out their redemption. But to the extract.
The arrangements were of the
most convenient character the plat
form for the speakers being placed
in front of a beautiful natural am
phltheatre, in the densest part of the
grove, and seats rising one above
another having been provided, capa-
bic of accommodating all present,
who were in number from three to
four hundred.
The banners which had been car
rled in the procession were then
tastelully disposed at the rear of the
platform, and among the adjacent
trees. Their bearings and inscrip-
lions were as follows:
Ordcr Of the Banners, acjM their IN
scriptions, &c.
l.. God himself is with US for
our captain; 2 Chronicles, xiii. H."
Borne by Francis Jackson, presi-
dent of the day supported by Will
lam Bassett, and J. L. Hilton, vice
presidents.
2. Immediate Emancipation the
duty of the master, and the right of
the slave. Fiat Justitia, ruat calam."
3. "This is the Lords doing n'-I
Figure of an emancipated slave, in
the attitude Of triumph, treading the
whip under his feet, with his chains
falling off. " Slavery abolished in
the British West Indies August LIST,
1884. Laus Deo!"
4. Portrait of George Thompson,
advocate of West India emancipa-
ton, with the following inscription
Here, as on Britains cliffs sublime,
freedoms charged prophet late hath trod,
And cried to our dark consts OF crime
The LORD alone-lhe Lord IS Goo.
And instant let the chains be riven,
From offcoch Ethiop's swarthy limb,
And songs arise from earth TO heaven,
The glorious exodus TO hymn"
S "Shall republic, which could
not bear the bonds of a king, cradle
a bondage which a king has abol-
ished :" Words of the late DR..
Follen; the banner borne by his son.
6. The Liberator; commenced
January LIST, 1881" The initials
w. L. G. inclosed' in a chapIet of
oak leaves. 81 am in earnest! /
will hot equivocate I will not ex-
cuse! will not retreat a single inch
And | will be heard :" Words of
Garrison, in the first number of the
Liberator. The banner was borne