The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-08-22
J. HOLCOMB, EDITOR PUBLISHER.
From the Green Mountain Freeman
ADDRESS.
10 the Freemen of Vermont,

ter in February last, for the nomination
> of candidates for state officers, the under
signed were charged with the HONORABLE,
trust ofaddressing the people of Vermont
e Waving all apology other than what i,
|, to be found in the claims of the cause it.
$ self we ask your candid attention to the
: following remarks
r The principles of the Declaration of In
: dependence command the assent of the
nation. There is then no call for party
| organization 10 vindicate those principles
as matter of political theory. But here
an important query arises: Are those
principles enforced in the Legislation ol
the country? If they are, then no change
is needed, and parties can on y exist for
the purposes of faction. If they are not
thus enforced, then men should at once un-
ite their efforts to secure their recognition.
This suggests the only ground upon
which political association can Justly be
formed. Compare the laws of the coun-
try with its political faith; and whether
We should DO any thing as individuals, or
as acting in concert with each other, in
any manner TO vary those laws, will de.
pend upon the result of that comparison,
If there is strict conformity between ttie
laws and the principles, then the Ballot
has already achieved It's highest end.
Ii there is non-conformily, then an oc>
cason for conjoint effort is presented TO
the citizens
And now the question recurs: Does
the Legislation OF the country embody its
political failh2 Has the great central
Truth of Repubicanism-the liberty,
equality and common brotherhood of man,
been clothed, in all its glorious universal
lty, with the form and authority of law ?
To this inquiry there can be but one re-
ply. The Legislation of the country sub
verts utterly its leading and characteristic
dogma. We nave brotherhood and equal
ity of all natural and social rights written
in the creed. and CASTE and aienage, and
ihraldom ordained in The law.
And it adds TO the crimlnality of this
derellction that it has been voluntary and
gtaullous. La its more repuIslve aspects
it does not admit even the paIiation of
constitutional necessity, Where is the
provision of the constitution that makes it
obligatory upon the na'ion to uphold
slavery in the District of Columbia and
Territories aud 10 tolerate the interstate
slave trade! 1t has been said that Con-
gress has no authority to make king
and it has been asked, Where does it get
its authority 10 make slave 1t may be
said, with greater assurance, that it is IN.
der no obligation TO make a king, and
asked in holder tone of indignant incre-
duity, How is it under obligation TO make
a sIave2 The fundamental principle OF
Republicanism is then subverled by the
action of the government, and that, TOO, in
conlravenllon of the organic law. The
humane, the wise, the just, the ennobing
maxlms of Freedom have been discard, d
and on The American soil have been sub
served the highest and dearest aims of
despotism. This discrepancy between
Law and Right, furnishes ground for
organized political effort on the part of
those whose province, interest, and duty
it is 20 bring them into strick conformity.
And, as has already been Insisted, this is
the only ground upon which such organ
ization can be justified. All associations
that proceed upon a different basis are
formed and can exist on y for the purpose
of misc hief.
And now, in its order. the question
presents ITSELF BY what party 10 the coun.
try is this ground occupied ! The whig
State Committee. in its Address 10 the
electors last February, wrote out all eIab-
orate statement Of the objects for which
that party is organized One of the items
in the specification was as follows-"To
abolish the odious institution of domestic
slavery wherever it exists, by any and
every constitutional means" But, be.
tween the publication of this Address and
the holding of the Burlington Convention,
a change would seem 10 have taken
place in the councils of that party; for
the reported proceedings of that Con ven-
ton contains no allusion whatever to this
feature in the policy of the wings. But
it has been urged in favor of the anti
slavery proclivties Of that party, that the
legislature of this State, in which the
wings are and have been a majority, had
| from time 10 time passed resolutions as
sertiug the right of petition, and instruc.
ting our representatives in Congress to
use their Influence to effect the abolition
Of slavery in the District of Columbia
and Territories. True. And it is also
true that the whig candidate for the high
est office in the gift of the people while in
the Senate OF the u s. aided in the dis
paragemen, ofthe right of petition with the
whole of his influence. And with regard
to the instructions 10 our delegation in
Congress, they have not only not induced
any methods or acts of ACCESSION upon
slavery, as it exists under the authority
OF the General Government, on the part
Of that delenatinn hni when durihn Lhe