The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-08-31

From the Bangor Gazette.
Letter from the Hon. John Quincy Adams.
The following letter from Mr.. Adams
was read on the occasion of the recent
celebration of West India emancipation
in this city.
QUINCY, 9TH July, 1843.
ASA WALKER, G. A. STAcKpoLE, and
F. M. SABINE, Esqs.
Com. Of Corr. Of a Meeting Of the citizens
of Bangor and us vicinity, holden on the
Eth of May l84S.
FELLow-CITIzENs-
have received your letter of the 9th
ult. and perhaps in answering it, my SAT-
est and most prudent course would be to
express my regret, that the precarious
state of my health, and particularly of
my voice, would not warrant me in I'M
dertakiug an engagement to deliver
public address upon any subject what
ever, on the first day of next August
This answer | have been most reluctant
ly constrained to give to several other
kind invitations to address the people on
various subjects in the course of the en-
suing summer and autumn. But The oc-
casion of which you propose to celebrate
the anniversary, is viewed in lights so
entirely different and opposite to each
other, that it cannot be denied to have
assumed both religious and political
aspect, and this must be my apology,
while returning my thanks foryou friend
ly invitation, for frankly unfolding to you
other reasons which would have dctat-
ed to me the same conclusion, even if
the state Of my health admitted of my
compliance with it.
The extinction of SLAVERY from the
face of the earth, is a problem, moral,
political, religious, which at this moment
rocks the foundations of human society
throughout the regions of civilized men.
1t is indeed nothing more or less than
the contamination ofthe Christian relig
ion. 1t is only as IMMORTAL beings that
all mankind can in any sense be said to
be born equal-and when the Declare
ton of Independence affirms, as self
evident truth that all MEN are born equal,
it is precisely the same as if the afflrma-
ton had been that all men are born with
immortal souls. For take away from
man his soul, The immortal spirit that is
within him, land he would be a mere tame
able beast of the field, and like others
of his kind, would become the property
of his tanner. Hence it is, too, that by
the law of nature and of God, man can
never be made the property of man.
And herein consists the fallacy with which
the holders of slaves often delude them
selves by assuming that the test of prop
erty is human law. Tho soul of one
man cannot by human law be made the
property of another. The owner of
slave is the owner of living CORPSE
but he is not the owner of man.
The natural equality of mankind, az
frmed by the signers of the Declaration
of independence to be HELD BY THEM as
self-evident truths, was not so held by
their enemies. 1t was not so held by the
king and Parliament of Great Britain.
They held the reverse. They held that
sovereign power was unlimitable. That
the tie of allegiance bound the subject
to implicit obedience, and that the nat
ural equality of mankind was fable
This was THE question Of the American
revolutionary war. In the progress of
that war, France, Spain, the United
Netherlands became involved int. The
governments of France and Spain, alb
solute monarchies, had no sympathies
with the American cause the rights of
human nature. Vergennes had plotted
with Gustavus of Sweden the revolu-
ton in Sweden from liberty to despotsm.
Turgot, very shortly before the surren-
der Of Burgoyne, but after our Deelara-