Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-06-07


moral character of man is the truest index
it becomes them to be particular on this point
But who will speak on this subject, who will pub
fish when the dueList stands before him with DiS
toE at his breast? And what aggravates the res
trant, the more unprincped and vile the man,
the greater need speaking the greater danger of
unveiling his enormity. While bent upon promo
tion and desperate in his course, he is prepared to
seal in death The lip that shallpublish his infamy. 6
What should you think of law that forbade the
people to speak of the immoraties Of candidatBA|
for officc-which made death the penalty of trans
lgresson?
We should not endure it moment.
Gtaring Inconsistency.
IF the road to Washington was beset by robbers
if they sacrificed yearly as many as are now
slain in duels, could the wretches live unmolested?
Their crimes notorious, could they mngle in soci-
ETY.? Could they boast of their proves, and glory
in their shame? Could they enjoy the confidence
of the people, and receive their sutfrages, and be
made guardians of civil liberty?
The inconsistency of voting for duelists is glar
| ing. To profess attachment to liberty, and vote
for men whose principles and whose practices are
alike hostile to liberty-to contend for equal laws
and clothe with power those who despise them
to enact laws, and entrust their execution to men
who are the first to break them, is farce too RI
diculous to be acted by freemen. In voting for
the dueIist, we patronize criminal whom, in our
| law, we have doomed to die. With one hand we
erect the gaows, and with the other rescue the
victim; at one breath declare him unfit to live,
and at the next constitute him the guardian of our
rights
Cancel | beseech you, the laws against dueling
-annihiate your criminal code-level to the
ground your prisons, and restore to the sweets of
society and the embraces Of charity their more IN
nocent victims. Be consistent. If you tolerate
one set of vilIains, tolerate them all; if murder
does not stagger your confidence, let it not waver
at Inferior crimes.
| In our prayers we request that God would be-
stow upon us good rulers; just men ruling in the
fear Of God. But by voting for duests we dem
onstrate the insincerity ofsuch prayefs-for when,
by the Providence Of God, it is left to our choice
whom we will have,we vote for murdererS Unless,
therefore we would continue to mock God by hyp-
ocrltical prayers, we must cease to patronize men
of blood. By eevating TO important stations men
whose hands are stained with blood, we do little
less than reward them for their crimes.
THE ONLY REMEDY.
! Withholding the public suffrage from duelists,
is the only method in which there is the least pros
pect of arresting the practice of duemg.
We may reason and rdicue, and lament and
demonstrate, and threaten, and egisate, and null
tiply penalties, and the evil will still progress
There is no way to deal with these men, but to
and no way to effect this but to take the punish
ment into our own hands. Our conscience must
be the Judge, and we must convict and fine and
disgrace them at the polls. Here and nowhere
beside, will our voice be heard and our will be-
come law. Withhold the public suffrage from
the duelst, and the practice of duels would speedi-
y cease
DUTY OF MINISTER'S.
Nothing is necessary to awaken and embody in
r one formidable rhalanX of opposition, the great
mass of our plain and honest people, but to place
the crime in its horrible aspect and fearful connex-
ions full before them. Only let them see, and
they will feel-let them feel and they will act will
hur Indignantly every duelist whom they have ell
evated, from his eminence, and consign to meriteo
infamy every one who shall solicit their favor
Nor is it impracticable thus to exhibit the sub
lect. Ministers of different denominations, all
united, would be able to effect it perfectly. Let
each in his appointed sphere, make due exertior
to enIghten his flock, and the fire of indignation
would soon begin to blaze through the nation
And if besides such exertons, further efforts shoulc
be needfu the newspaper, the magazine, anc
! tract, may be enlisted as auxares
Nor can any one reasonably object to such con
duct on the part of mnisters nor will any one
; probably attempt it, who does not, for himself Of
some fduorite, fear the consequences. Our obi
cations are most solemn to lift up our voice, ant
to put forth our exertons against this sin. Ou
God calls us from heaven-the damned call III
from heII-the blood of murdered victims from the
ground lifts UP its voice and minges with the or!
of the widow and the fatherless-the example
Of our Saviour, of the prophets, of the apostles
Z forbid us to be silent or inactive.
1t is the duty of ministers to direct the attentoI
of their people, and arouse their just indignation
, towards criminals of this description.
: TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY.
Let 1T be knooeu that you will not uphold despo
tism and murder, and the names of De$pots AM
.NurdererS will longer disgrace your t'cEetS o
+ SUFFRAGE The fighting of duel will become
o dsgrace-a milestone about the neck of aspiring
ambition. ....
You have often lamented the prevalence of du
cling, but have not known how, as individuals, tt
S arrest the evil. Now, you perceive what you car
e do. The remedy is before you; it is simple ant
easy and certain; and if you do not apply -lt yol
continue to vote for duelsts, and thus to uphold
the crime, you are partakers of the sin, and are &C
countabte for all the euits Which enSue, and which
/, you may now so easily prevent. :,
Finally, the appointment of duelists to office VII
. justly offended the Most High, und assuredly cal
S down the judgment Of heaven. Duelllng is
r great national sin, with the exception OF SINAI
;. section of the Union, the whole land IS dehet
d with blood
On the floor of Congress, challenges have beer
threatened if not given and thus powder and bal
e have been introduced as the auxares OF dellber
it aton Oh, tell it not in Gath, publish ltnot III thu
streets of Askelon! Alas, it is too late to concea
i our infamy. We are murderers-a nation o
e murderers-while we tolerate and reward the per
e petrators Of the crime. And shall not visit TO
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