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

land, until it became a universal moral
force which the battlements of slavery
could not withstand.
But what were the consequences which
followed this emancipation? Here was a
great multitude of people, ignorant, de.
graded, vicious - the victims of most ex-
asperating wrongs. Did they not in the
first frenzy of their newly acquired free.
dom tarn upon their former iyrants, and,
In plumber, conflagration, rapine e. muir
der, seek to cleanse the earth OF the mem.
ory of their expressions? 80 thou Of
little taith," can not heaven take care of
the consequences of obedience TO its be-
hests2 Is it an ordinance of God, that
safety for men or nations is found in crime,
but not in dispensing justice? Is it not
safe 10 do right? Can it ever be safe to
do wrong? Then is there a devil upon
the throne Of heaven--a perverter of the
right ways of the Lord. Bur if thy faith
in heaven is yet so weak, read and exam.
inc with me the record of that most beau.
tiful and sublime event. [ read from the
journal of Thome and Kimball, trust
worthy men, an account Of what occurred
in Antigua. This case is but a sample.
"The Wesleyans kept watch
in all their chapels on the night
of the 31st July. One of the Wes-
missionaries gave US an &C
count Of the watch meeting at the
chapel in St. Johns. The spacious
house was filed with the candidates
for liberty. All was animation and
eagerness. A mighty chorus ofvoices
swelled the song of expectation and
joy, and as they united in prayer, the
voice of the leader was drowned in
the universal acclamations of thanks
and praise, and blessing, and
honor, and glory, to God, who had
come down for their deliverance.-
In such exercises the evening was
spent until the hour of twelve APP
preached. The missionary then pro-
posed that when the clock on the ca
thedral should begin TO strike, the
whole congregation should fall upon
their knees and receive the boon of
freedom in silence. Accordingly, as
the loud bell tolled its first note, the
assembly fell PROSTATE on
their knees. All was silence, save
the quiverlng halfstihed breath ofthe
struggling spirit. The slow notes Of
the clock fell upon the multitude;
peal on peal, peal on peal, rolled over
the PROSTATE throng, in tones of an
gels voices, thrilling among the des-
olate chords and weary heart strings.
Scarce had the clock sounded its last
note, when the lightning flashed WV
idly around, and aloud peal of thun-
der roared along the sky-God's pill
lar Of fire, and trump of jubilee i
A moment of profoundest silence
passed-then came the burst-they
broke forth in prayer they shouted,
they sung, Glory 'alleluia;' they
clapped their hands, leaped up, fell
clasped each other in their free
arms, cried, laughed, and went 10
and fro, tossing upward their unfet-
tered hands but high above the
whole there was a mighty sound
which ever and anon swelled up; it
was the offerings in broken negro
dialect of gratitude to God.
After this gush of excitement had
spent itself, and the congregation
became calm, the religious exercises
were resumed. and the remainder Of
the night was occupied in singing and
prayer, in reading the Bible, and in
addresses from the missionaries ex-
planning the nature OF the freedom
Just received, and exhorting the freed
people to be industrious, steady, ODE
1ient TO the laws, and to show them
in all things worthy of the high
boon which God had conferred upon
hem.
The first of August came on FRI
lay, and a release was proclaimed
from all work until the next Monday.
The day was chiefly spent by the
great mass of the negroes in the
,hurches and chapels. Thither they
locked 'as clouds, and as doves to
heir windows The clergy and
Missionaries throughout the island
we're activity engaged, Selling the OPP
oortunity in order to e%nlighten the
people on all the duties and respon-
abilities of their new relation, and
I'LL ...- 49, - L. 49,. D "