The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-10-03
VOICE OF FIRE E D O M.

8 The present case, teel honored by the con.
1 fdence reposed in me, aud proceed TO dis
charge the duty. The petitioners have
: not trusted to my fallible judgment alone,
+. but have declared, in written documents,
the most solemn expression of their will.
1t is true these petitions have not been
J.. sent here by the whole people Of the u,
y States, but from portion of them only ;
, yet such is the justice of their claim, and
j., the sure foundation upon which it rests,
that no portion of the American people,
| until day or two past, have thought it
e either safe or expedient 10 present counter
: petitions ; and even now, when counter
. petitions have been presented, they dare
s not justify slavery, and the selling of men
, and women in this District, but content
r themselves with Directing 10 others enjoy
, ing The rights they practice, and praying
, Congress not 10 receive or hear petitions
, from the people of the Slaes-a new de.
: vice OF slave power this, never before tho't
, OF or practced in any country. would
have been gratiied if the inventors of this
f system, which denies to others what they
, practice themselves, had in their petition
attempted TO justify slavery and the slave
trade in this District, if they believe the
f practice just, that their names might have
gone down TO posterity. No sir: very
few yet have the moral courage to record
their names 10 such an avowaI: and even
some of these petitioners are so squeamsh
on this subject that they might, from con.
scientious principles. be prevented from
holding slaves. Not so, sir, with the Pc
tiioners which have the honor to rep
resent: they are anxious that their senti.
ments and their names should be made
matter of record: they have no quams Of
conscience on the suhject--they have deep
convictions and firm belief that slavery
is an existing evil, incompatible with the
principles of political liberty, at war
with our system of government, and ex>
tending baeful and blasting influence
over our country, wiihering and bIighting
lis faireSt prospects and brightest hopes |
Who has said that lhese petitions are un>
just in princlpl and on that ground ough,
not to be granted Who has said |
that slavery is not an evil2 Who
has said i! does not tarnish the fair
lame of our country Who has said it |
does not bring dissipation AMI feebleness
to our race, and poverty and wrechedness
10 another, in its train? Who has said ii
is not unjust to the slave and injurious TO
| thehappiness and the best interests of the |
master Who has said it does not break
the bond ofhu,nan affection, by separating
the wife from the husband, and children
from their parents? In fine, who has said
it is not biol upon our country's honor,
and deep and foul stain upon her nsii.
tulions? Few, very few; perhaps none
but him who lives upon its labor, regard.
less OF its misery and even many whose
local Institutions are within its jurisdic-
tIon, acknowledge i's justice, depTecate
| Its continuance. while millions of freemen
deplore its existence. and look forward
with strong hope 10 its final termination
SLAVERY! word like secret idol,
| thought too obnoxious or sacred 10 b.
pronounced here but by those who wor-
ship at lis shrine, and should one who is
not such worshipper happen 10 pro,
nounce the word the most disastrous con-
sequences are Immediately predicted, the
Union is to be dissolved, and The South to
take care Of itself
DO not suppose, Mr. President, that |
feel as 1t engaged in forbidden or i'm
provldent acl. No such thing. am con-
tending with local and "peculfar inter-
est, which has already banded together a
force sufficient TO seize upon every avenue
by which petition can enter this chamber
and exclude all without its leave. am not
now contending for the rights of the negro,
rights which his Creator gave him and ,
which his fellow mai has usurped or taken
away. No sir am conlending for the .
rights OF the white person in the free states, :
ana am endedvourlng TO prevent them from q.
being lrodden down and destroyed by that |
power which claims the black person as I
properly. am endeavoring TO sound the i
alarm 10 my fellow citizens that this power r
tremendous as it is, is endeavorng 10 unite ,
ltseIl with the money power of the icounlry, i
IN order TO extend its dominion and perpet- E
uaie us existence. am endeavorng TO
drive from The back of the negro Stare the v
politician who has seated himself there TO C
ride into office for The purpose of carving S
out The object of this unhov combination. s
Inc chains OF slavery are sufficiently strong [,
without being rive ted anew by tinkering I,
politicians in the free states. TO say Thai :,
am opposed to slavery in the abstract, they ii
are but cold and unmeanng words if !.
however capable of any whatever they NAV q
fairly be constructed into a love for its exis. s
tence; and such sincerely believe TO be o
the feeling of many in the free states who n
use the phrase |, sir, am not only opposed e
TO slavery IN The abstract, but also 10 its r.
whole volume, in IFS theory as well as prac- =
nee. Tins prInciple is deeply implanted y
within me; it has grown with nv growth c
and strengthened with NV etta,oiID IL G
my infant years learned 10 hate slavery. f
Your fathers taught me it was wrong in p
their declaration of Independence ;-,hedoc, n
Irines which they promulgated to the world n
and upon the truth Of which they staked The -
l. sue of the contest Thai nn ada nc N pn,iO. :"