The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-09-26

y
uneasy, apprehensivc, and full Of fearful
forebodings, when we hear such doctrines
put forth in such high quarters. They
are full of evil omen Tor our beloved coun
try. Acquiescence in the continued anC
permanent existence of slavery in our lane
is fatal Symptom OF The decay Of the spir-
it of Liberty among us.
Such was not the temper OF our fathers
Doctrines, like these constituted no part OIL
the political faith Of Jefferson, or Madison
! or Henry, or Wythe. Let US REGAL to our
recollection, fellow citizens, the tes;ino-
MES OF our statemen on this subject In
his notes on Virginia JEFFERSON said
THE whole commerce between master
and slave, is perpetual exercise OF the
most boisterous passions; the most unre-
mtllng despotism on The one side, and de-
grading submission on the other. The
parent storms, the child looks on, catches
the l;neaments of wrath, puts on the same
airs in the circle OF smaller slaves, gives a
loose TO the worst Of passions and thus
nursed, educated, and daily exercised in
tyranny, cannot but be stamped with obi,
Gus peculiariLies. The man must be u
prodigy, who can retain his manners and
morals undeflced in such circumstances. 1"
Judge TUCKER, in a published letter to a
member of the General Assembly in 1907
speaks OF the "banefu effect OF domestic
slavery on our moral character, and of its
inconsistency with the truesl principles Of
Republicanism." Mr. JOHNSON, in the
Convention for revising the Constitution
in 1929 said, Slavery has been the foun-
datioo of that impiety and dissipation
which has been SO much disseminated a.
mong our countrynen." Mr. MOORE, in
the Legislature OF 1882, SAID, 81 think
that slavery as it exists among us, may
be regarded as the heaviest calamity, which
has ever belaIIen any portion Of the hu-
man race" Hear, also, 4 statesman Of
Kentucky, THOMAS F. MARSHALL. In
his letters on the act OF 1888, he remark.
ed as follows: 81 have SAID that | coH-
siIered negro slavery, political mjsfor-
tune. Inc phrase was too mild. 1t is
cancer, slow consuming cancer-a with.
ering prs'lence, an unmitigaled CURSE
| war born in slave State--I
was nursed by s'ave-my life has been
saved bv slave. was never
North Of the Chesapeake bay. My friends,
my family, my sympalhies, my education
are from Virginia, YET consider negro
slavery rs a polica cancer and curse,
aud she has taught me SO 10 consider H."
Nor did the statesmen Of Virginia con,
fine themselves 10 simple expressions Of
hostility 10 slavery, They proposed, they
advocated, and they anticipated the adop-
ton of plans for lis removal. JEFFERSON
declared his belief, that the spectacle Of
Justice in conhict with Avarice, Tor the
overthrow OF slavery would soon be wit,
messed in Virginia. WAsu1NGroN ex-
pressed his conviction that the day when
Virginia would have laws for emancipa-
ton was mot remote"
Far from desiring that the powers of
the general government should be used TO
uphold slavery, Virginia did all she could
10 impress upon that government, the char
acter OF hosJIitiy 10 The system.
'rhe first American Congress assem-
bed IN IVA. Our fathers, then convened
for the purpose OF comforting together on
the best means Of delyerance from British
aggression, upon their own rights, were
reminded, naturally and necessarily, Of
he rights of the enslaved. Acting under
a deep sense of the responsibility whic b
their own relations 10 slavery imposed up
on them, they subscribed aud published a
solemn declaration and covenant agalns:
the traffic in human flesh. These were
their words awe will not import or pur-
chase any slave imported after the first
day Of December next, (l77D after which
we will wholly discontinue the sIavetrade,
and will neither hire our vessels, nor sell
our commodities or manufactures to those
who are concerned in it." This was the
first testimony OF the American People
against slavery. II was solemn tesli-
mony under The most affecting crcum-
stances; Virginia through her delegates,
united in it, and was bound by it.
La less than two years afterwards, when
the people had been driven by the pride
and violence of transatlantic tyranny to
the last appeal Of Nations, the Congress of
the Colonies, invoking the witness of
Heaven TO the rccltude oftheir intentions,
pat forth the justly celebrated Declaration
of Independence. Scoring to place tine
yindlcaLon of their own resistance to op-
preston upon lower or narrower ground,
they planted themselves at once upon the
immoveable foundation of the inalienable
| rights of man, ave ho,d" said they,
"these truths to be sef-evdent that ALL
MEN are crelted EQUAL; that they are en-
dowed by THEIR CREATOR with certain
INALIENABLE rights; that among these
are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit OF hap.
piness." This declaration pledged the
nation anew against slavery. 1t announc
ed for the first time 20 the world, the doc.
trine of the equal righlS of all men tn lih