The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-10-10

| uuVS UUb DCGll lhd tIlOot " AoS NNN B'N~
course. They ought to have been referred
and acted upon. Such was my object, q
day or two since, when l laid on your ta>
Bile resolution to refer them 10 commit.
lee tor inquiry. You did not suffer it,
sir, to be printed. The country and pos
terity will judge between the people whom
| represent, and those who caused TO be
printed the petition from the city. Il can
not be possible that ustice can have been
done in both cases. The exclusive legis-
ton of Congress over the District is as
much the act of the constituent body, as
the general Legislation of Congress over
the States, and 10 the operation OF this act,
have the people within the District sub
miLted themselves. | cannot however,
ljo;n the Senator, that the majority, in re-
fusing to receive and refer petitions, did
not intend 10 destroy or impair the right
in this particular. They certainly have
done so.
The Senator admits the abolitionists are
| now formidable; that something must be
done to produce harmony. Yes, sir, do
justice, and harmony will be restor-
ed. Act impattially, that justice may
be done hear petition on both sides,
if they are offered, and give right
eous judgments, and your people will
be satisfied. You cannot compromise
them cut OF their rights, nor lul them
to sleep with fallacies in the shape Of
reports. You cannot conquer them by
rebuke, nor deceive them by sophisry.
Remember you cannot now turn public
opinion, nor can you overthrow it. You
must, and you will, abandon the high
ground you have taken, and receive petit
TONS The reason of the case, the argu-'
ment, and the judgmen, of the people, are
all against you. Ooe in this cause can
Fchase thousand" and the voice of JUS
tlce will be heard whenever you agltate
the subject. In Indiana, the right of PEI
tition has been most nobly advocated in a
protest, by member against some puny
resol utions of the Legislature of that State
to whltewash slavery. Permit me 10 read
paragraph worthy Of an American free
man:
but who would have thought. until
late y, that any would have doubted the
right of petition in respectful manner 10
Congress ? Who would have believed,
that Congress had any authority to refuse
TO consider the petitions of the people /?
Such step would overthrow the Auto
crat of Russia or cost the great Seignior
OF Constantinople his head. Can it be
possible therefore, that it has been reserv.
ed for a Republican Government, in a
land boas;ing of its free Institutions, TO set
the first precedent of this kind? Our city
councils, our courts of justice, every de-
partment OF government, are approached
by petition, however unanswerable, or alb.
surd, so that its terms are respectful. None
go away unread or unheard. The life of
every individual is a perfect iIustra-
ton of the subject OF petltoning. Peti-
ton is the language of want, of pain, of
sorrow, OF man in all his sad variety of
woes, imploring relief, at the hand of some
power superior to himself. Pelitioning is
the foundation of all government, and of
all administrations of laws. Yet it has
been reserved for our Congress, seconded
Indirectly by the vote of this Legislature,
to question this right, hitherto supposed to
be so old, so heaven decided, so undoubed
that our fathers did not think it necessary
10 place guaranty of it in the first draft
of the Federal Constitution. Yet this sa-
cred right has been at one blow, driven,
destroyed, and trodden under the fee: of
slavery. The old bulwarks of our Fed.
eral and State constitutions seem utterly
TO have been forgotten, which declare, that
the freedom of speech and the press shall
not be abridged, nor the right of people
peaceaby 10 assemble and petition for The
redress of their grievances"
CLASSIFICATION OF ABoLITIoN1sTs.
These,si are the sentiments which make
aboliLionis:s formidable and set at naught
all your councils for their overthrow. The
honorable Senator not only admits that a b.
olitionists are formidable, but that they
consist of three classes. The friends oil
humanity and justice, or those actualed by
those principles, compose one class
These form a very numerous class, and
the acknowledgment of the Senator proves
the immutable principles upon which op.
position TO slavery rests. Men are oppos-
ed to it from principles of humanity and
justice-men are abolilonists, he admits
on that account. We thank the Senator
for teaching US that word: we intend to
improve 1t. The next class of abolilionis IS
the Senator says, are so, apparently, forthe
purpose Of advocating the right of petition
What are we to understand from this p
That the right of petition needs advocacy
, Who has denied this right, or who has
attempted to abridge il2 The slavehold
ing lower, that power which avoids open
discussion, and the free exercise of opin'
ion it is that power alone which render:
the advocacy of the right of petition neces
sary, having seized upon all the power.
, | Of The nnuernment Il is fast unilinr 10.