The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-07-11
Fourth Of July.
J. HoLCoMB

The Anniversary day has come again. tits, as
John Adams predicted sixty eight years ago, re-
membered with pomp, shows. oonhres aud illu-
limitations, from one end of the continent to the
other The rays Of light and glory do yet beam
family amid the gloom that then Swallowed this
broad land. But darker cloud than that which
the old patriots eye could pierce has hung its black
folds all over the Southern sky. 1t IS formed of
the mist that rises from blood and tear-dlops In
the very garden where the old freedom tree was
planted by patriot hands and watered by patriot
blood sounds the harsh cIank, not of British, but
of American chains The lion has been driven
from hls lair. but the wolf prowls unmoiested.-
The Nations shouted when the rod of British tyr
amy was broken by this young Republic, and
hailed with cheers the dawn of Its heedom-day,
but what do they say of its noon when the sun is
cast down from heayen7' They look upon our
starry flag waving proudly as ever over the Ma
toms capitol and ABOVE all our green hills with
the inscription LIBERTY They mark our sails
whitening every sea and crowding every port with
their lofty banners on the wind, all telling of free
dom. They note our coin scattered through the
market places, with the superscrption and the
image of the Goddess of Liberty. They listen to
the American orator as he pleads for Grecian, for
South American, and for Irish Liberty. They
hear the united voice of statesmen IN the new
world, denouncing slavery as grievous curse, a
heinous sin. If testimony were any thing, it
would seem as if the United States were oudest
in condemning and cursug the viper she folds 80
fondly TO her BOSOM But what matters it that
the shout of freedom echoes from the hills to-
day, that beacon fires flash upward to the skies,
that bells ring out their merrlest notes, that drums
roll and cannons peal to celebrate the day of lib
erty, if high above them all swell the wild shrek
and the sound of the lashstroke and fetteI clank!
What mockery for land TO boast of freedom,
where one in six are sldoesl With wi at scorn
does the worlds eye look upon this nation of hyp
ocrites = The land of the free and the home Of
the brave keeping in chains more human beings
than any other nation, not excepting save-cursed
Brazil. Denying the right of suffrage, the right
Of marriage, the right to look in Gods free book
10 twenty-seven hundred thousand of ouI breth-
rem and yet waking every forest aud cavern OF
our mountains TO thunder of liberty! Plotting
mad schemes of party triumph over dsmembered
States aud the horrors of the battle field, and yet
sending up GU the southern breeze the pean-song
of humanity, and justice, and equal rights. Bar
ring the doors OF prison-houses upon free white
citizens for obeying the nob!est impulses of the
soul by pointing the trembling, bleeding fugitive
to the North Star and whispering him God speed
and then prating of just laws and glorious in
stitutions = For this the cheek of the American
missionary is mantled with the blush of shame, as
he travels over the hills of Persia and talks to Mo-
hammedan despots of the guilt OF slavery, when
tauntingIy bid TO look at home, where in christian
republican America, slavery is bIacker and bIoodi-
er than IN the darkest lands Of sin
What has the world been doing while the Unit
cd States has been increasing her traffic in slaves
by adding new States and expanding half mill.
=