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

: ghted-lhat the Offices of the natior
have been chiefly filled by Shareholders
and that slavery rather than liberty is the
leading object of Governmental care. Ii
Is very manifest to any one who will eXa-
mine the history Of the country that these
complaints are not without foundation
They daily become louder and deeper
They compel US to look forward to dis
solution of The Union, as an event almost
certain 10 occur, iflhe wrongs complained
Of be not redressed
And why should not these complaints
! be heard? Why should not these wrongs
be redressed? What Interest have the
PEOPLE OF Virginia in this porversion OF
the powers Of The General Government to
the maintenance of a system which has
crippled and destroyed her prosperity ?
" hat interest have the people of Virginia
in providing home market for the slave
gro va sugar of louisiana, or foreign mar.
ket for the slave grown cotton OF Carollna
and Georgia, at an expense 10 The nation,
Of millions Of dollars per annum? Is
there any thing in the system Of sIavehod-
ing so attractive and so dear that for it we
are willing to give up substantial wealth,
honor and power?
Does any body in Virginia believe that
alave holding is right in Itself ? that it will
bear The test OF the golden rule, "what.
soever we would that men should do unto
you, do We even so to them" There may
be here and there an individual sIaveho.
der, who will maintain that he is warrant
ed in holding slaves by the precep,s of the
christian religion. Bat such persons are
few. Most. admit the wrong and
depIore the eviI.-Bu', thew say
what can we do? We answer to in>
dviduaI slave holder, cease from doing
what you feel to be wrong. Give fair
wages to your laborer, and let their ser
vices be not compulsory but voluntary.
We answer 10 the people collectively, re-
peal the laws which sanction savehoding.
Purify the statute book from all enactments
which authorizes one mans work without
wages Look the monster evil, Slavery,
directly il The face AID go about getting
rid of y, us you would 10 the case of any
o'her Statute. made evil. Surely the men
Of Western Virginia, especially, ought 10
consider this matter, In all the Western
District, there were, according TO the CEN
sus OF 1910, only 53,727 slaves, while the
free population was $3.50. In the
Eastern District the free While population
was $50 $50, while the slaves num-
berel $3.50. The Western District
has, in he House Of Delegates Sc Rep.
resenia,ives- the Els ern IS. La the
Western it has Is Represeulatives-the
Eoslern 10. The odous principle Of rep
reservation for slaves, Which has been al
lowed to prevail in the National Govern.
ment, prevails also in the States, and with
the same consequences. The fixed in
teress ofthe majority concerned in free la
Dor, are sacrificed TO the claims and cap,
rices ofIhe minority Interested IN slave la
Dor. The political power Of the Safe is
East OF The Blue Ridge. Ought this SO
to be We appeal to the candid and dis
passionate amoog the shareholders them
selves and repeat ought III S so to be? We
appeal to the non -saveholdlng Farmers,
Mechanics, Laborers, and other induslri>
Gus citizens oflhe State, and ask them if
system which subjects the majority TO the
minority, with brushes labor, and makes
it dishonorabe, which must forever pre-
vent the establishment Of an efficient sys-
TEN Of general education, ought to be up
held by them The whole number of
shareholders in the Safe, does not exceed
by liberal computation $4,000. That
these may divide among themselves, the
ownership of 100000 coIored laborerS,
and carry on trade in their industry and
their persous, the rieh and interests OF the
non-sIaveholders are comparatively DIS
regarded. and that too, without confer
ring any real benefit on the Slave holders
themselves.
La view OF these facts, fellow citizans,
do you again ask "wha team we do ~ We
repeat our answer, vote against slavery =
Remember what Washington said, "there
is but one proper and effeclual mode by
which the overthrow of slavery can be &C.
conplished, 81 that is by Legislative authors
ity, and this, so far as my suffrage will
20, shall! not be wanting" Adopt this
noble resolution and ACT upon it, Re-
member that slavery is the mere creature
ofIegisIation --lhat this stupendous system
of wrong which threatens destruction 10
the property aud the rights Of all classes,
was created by positive law Tor the cons
tinuance from day to day, and must per-
ish, whenever the support of positive law
be Withdrawn. Now, who made.-who
maintain the positive law? You fellow
citizens, you! Ye are the men upon
whose votes this dreadful system stands
Without whose votes it could in no way be
maintained II you desire the removal
oflhis cause-if you desire the extirpation
of this cancer preying upon your pros>
perty, your peace, your honor, you must
vote against il. There is no other sure
wav. If YOU desire TO have the laws