The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-01-11

was an ab0lItonlSt, and was so all his lite
am one. hope with all my soul tina
I The day will come when "sIaverv' shall
be word without meaning, in the
English language and in all other Ian
uages-when there shall not be found Il
slave upon all the earth. Then, ia nv
ju igement, will be the consummatlon o.
The Christian religion; that win be the
long hoped for day when the lion shall
lie down with the lamb, aud when all The
glorious promises and prophecies OF The
Od Testament, PROMISES aad predictions
repeated and confirmed by Jesus Christ,
shall receive their complete nifilIment--
La that day believe that man will be a
nober, purer, more elevated being by
far than we see him now; then be will
approach much nearer 10 the angels. In
that sense | am an abolltloni>t: n the
sense advocated and avowed BY any abG-
iillon society that am now acquainted
with, | AN no., and never have been.
| believe, however, that in hose societies,
and IN many OF the anll-savery associa-
tioos of This day, (and many Of them have
| published most severe animadversonS and
denuuclallons directed against mr) there
are men OF as mach intelligence, as much
vrtde, as high rectltude, and as ardent
patriotism, as Is poss 'ssed by any man up.
on this floor; sun, us to the measures they
pursue and advocate, think they are Of.
ten and greatly mistaken. The tendency
OF their course is to retard theiI object, 10
hinder the coming OF that blessed day tor
which they are all striving. They no
doubt think just the same thing of me DIS
think of them. | depend upon none of
theta. | have had mule intercourse with
these societies generally, and hold com
municnlIon with very few of them. The
opinions | hold, hold from God and
from my own Jud gment, as well as from
the language of the Declaration of hide
pendence, which still, believe, is per
mitted TO hang in his hall, turning to-
wards the place where it hangs, how
ever any portion otit may, in practice,
have been turned out of doors. But,
while saying this, wish to make no un-
meaning insignificant professions of at
tachment to the liberties of this country
or to the union of the States. wish,
indeed, that the Union may last for ev-
er: and, as one important means of Sc
curing that result, | wish for the aboli-
ton OF slavery throue hout the Union. -
believe this to be indispensable to its
preservation, and so / think it will turn
out. But, then, wish ii to be effected
peaccabiy and quietly, by the will Of
those who now hold their fellow men in
bondage, convinced, as believe they
will be, that such an issue is as much
their own interest as il possibly can be
OF those who shall be Disseminated.
wish no interference whatever with the
Institutions oilhe South; | wish to have
nothing to do with them. That is the
prayer OF many whose petitions are now
before the Committee on the judiciary.
These petitions ask not that Congress
should interfere with slavery as it exists
In the States, but only that they may be
liberated from all connection with It. =
They ask to be delivered from the bur-
den of aiding to carry those laws into
effect, burden which they feel to be
onerous upon them. For myself wish
to be clearl y understood that dsclaim
all purpose or desire to interfere with
the institutions ofthe South. claim to
entertain as strong and ardent a desire
for the continuance of this Union as any
man in this House, or In this communi-
ty /; ann such | believe to be the feeling
of the great masses whom represent,
and Of the people Of the State of Massa-
chusetts, and of the Legislature, which
passed the resolutions have had the
honor to present.
The time has been when, for present.
ing here petition asking Congress to
take measures for peaceablc dissolu-
ton ol the Union, | was brought before
thus House as criminal as Il cuIprit,
guilty OF constructive treason and of per-
jury. Was that an assault on the insti-
tullons of the South? 1t was a simple
request to which life petitioners lelt
themselves reduced by the obstinate re-
lusal ofthis House to receive their peti-
tIons: aud if the members from the
South do not know it, | will tell them,
that this is one Of the very causes which
go to weaken the attachment ofthe peo-
pie OF the whole North and Northwest
to the Union. 1t does weaken it, it
has weakened it; and | should therefore
consider the abandonment of these re-
strlctive rules against the reception of
petitions as enc of the most fortunate
occurrences that can take place Tor the
peace OF the country, and the perpituity
OF It's present form of government This
would lake away every argument of
those who now say to the petitioners,
& You are slaves Your petitions are
refused even to be heard; yonr right of
petition is denied; you are turned out Of
doors by your own Representatives;
~ hat IL this ITninn ,r ,yh nj nnn n ho IN