The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-10-03

was your own JEFFERSON, Hlrginla'S favor
lite son, man who did more for the nalura
liberty Of man, and the civil liberty of hi.
country, than any man that ever lived il
our couu lrryj twas he who taught me to hat,
SfG1ery II was in his school was brough
up. That Mr. Jefferson was as much OBJ
posed to slavery as any man that ever live,
10 IN our country, there can be no doubt
his life and his writings abundanty prove
The fact. hold in my hand copy, as hi
penned it, of the original draft of the declar
alton of independence, part of which wa.
stricken out, as he says, 10 compliance with
the wishes of South Carolina and Georgia
| will read it. Speaking of the wrongs done
US by the British Government, in introduc
ing slaves amongst US he says:
ole Qhe British Kiog)has waged crue
war against human nature itself, violating
its most sacred right of life and liberty in
the persons of "A distant people, who never
offended him, captivating and carr ing
them into SLAVERY in another hemisphere
or TO incur miserable death in their trans
porlalion thither. This piratica warfare,
the opprobrium of infdeI powers is the
warfare ofthe Christian King of Great
Britain. Determined TO keep open mar
ket where MEN should be BOUGHT and
SOLD, he has prostiiuled his prerogaive
for suppressing every legislative attempt
TO prohibit Or restrain this execrabe com
merce, and that this assembIage ofhorrors
might want no fact of distng uished die,
he is now exciting those very people to
rise in arms against US, and purchase
that liberty Of which he has deprived them
by numbering the people on whom he al
so obtruJed them, thus paying off former
crimes committed against The liberties of
one people, with crimes which he urgus
them TO commit against the lives of an.
other"
WRONG OF SLAVERY.
Thus far this great statesman and phi
lanthropist. Had his contemporaries been
ruled by his opinions, the country had
now been at rest on this exciting topic
What aboltionist, sir, has urged stronger
language than Mr. Jefferson has done I?
{ Cruel war against human nature, 'vio.
lating its most sacred rights, "piratical
warfare" "opprobium ofinfdel powers"
"a market where men should be bought
and sold, " "execrable commerce." Gas
sembIage Of horrors "crimes commit
led agains; the liberty ola people, are
The brands which Mr. Jefferson has burn
ed into the forehead Of slavery and the
slave trade. When, sir, have /, or any
other person opposed to slavery, spoken
in stronger and more opprobrious terms
Of slavery than this t.? You have caused
he bust of this great man to be placed
n the centre of your capitol, in that
part where every visitor
must see it, with his hand resting on the
declaration of independence, engraved
upon marble. Why have you done this i?
Is ii not mockery Or is it to remind US
Of the wickcdness and dam
ger of slavery : | never pass that statue
without new and increased veneration
or the man it represents, and increased
'epuguance and sorrow that he did not
succeed in driving slavery entirely from
he country. Sir, if am an abolitionist,
Jefferson made me SO and only regret
hat the disciple should be so far behind
he master, both in doctrine and practice.
But, sir, other reasons and other causes
rave combined to fix and establish my
in this matter, never trust,
o be shaken. A free State was The plac
If my birth, a free territory the theatre
'fmy juvenile actions. Ohio is my coun-
ry, endeared to me by every fond rec
election. She gave me political exist
nee, and taught me in her political
chool; & should be worse than an I'M
natural son, did forget or disobey her
receipts. In her constitution it is de.
Jared, THAT all men are born equally |
rec and independent" and that there
hall be neither slavery nor involuntary
ervitude in the State, otherwise than for
he punishment Of crimes" Shall | stand
p for slavery in any case, condemned as
is by such high authority as this No,
ever but this is not all. Indiana, our
ounger western sister, endeared TO US
y every social and political tie, State
'rmed in the same country as Ohio, from
hose territory slavery was forever ex-
uded by the ordinance ofJuly, 1887
le too, has declared her adherence of
avery in more strong and emphatic
rms than we have done. In her consli
tion, after prohibiting slavery, or invol-
ntary servitude being introduced into
o State, she declares, But as to hol-
ng any part ofthe human creation in
avery, or involuntary servitude, can
'iginate only in tyranny and msurpation,
, alteration of her constitution should
yer take place, so as to introduce slave i
or involuntary servitude into the State, {
herwise than for the punishment of {
lines whereof the party had been duly I
'nvicted.' Illinois and Michigan also q
rmed their constitutions on the same 9
incples After such a cloud of wit l.
,sses against slavery, and whose testi- I
ony is so clear aud explicit, as citi d
n of Ohio, should pc rccreant TO ev f