Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1844-08-22
LETTER FROM MIR ADAMS
EMANCIPATION

Law AVA ~ iCAN
The Anniversary Of the Yves, Indi, Eman-
| cipa,ion was celebrated on the first at vari-
Gus places in New England At Concord
an Grafton was delivered 10y Ralph Waldo
Emerson at bingham there was a meeting
OF 500 IN a grove, pic mic, &c. The follow
| ing letter was read -
Mss 1Earier-In declining the invita-
! ton which ! received last summer 10 attend
the Celebration of the first ofAugust, it was in
no wise my intention TO express disapproba-
| ton Of the celebration itself. The abolition
of Slavery in the Colonies Of Great Britain
/ by the Parliament of that realm, was an
event at which if the whole human race
could have been concentrated in one person,
the heart OF that person would have leaped
for Joy. The restoration of eigh, hundred
thousand human beings from state of grind
ing oppression to the rights bestowed upon
them by the God Of Nature at their birth, was
of itself a cause of rejoicing to the pure in
heart throughout the hospitabe earth. But
that is not the only nor the most radient glo-
~ of that day. 1t was The pledge of
Power and the Will of the mghtiest nation
upon the Globe, that The bondage of man
shall cease; that the manacle and ietter shall
drop from every limb that the ties OF nature
shall no longer be outraged by mans inhu
manity to man; that the self evi dent truths Of
our Declaration of Independence shall no
longer be idle mockeres, beled by the trans
cendent power Of Slavery welded into our
Constitution it was the voice of the her
aid, like that Of John the Baptist in the will
deness. prociaimng as with the trump Of the
archangel, that the standing fundamental pol
icy of tie British Empire was henceforth the
peaceable Abolition of Slavery throughout
The world.
Well may the friends of Freedom
and of Man rejoice at the annual re-
turn of that day. Well may they,
r from far and wide, assemble and meet
together in mutual graduation at the
return of so blessed day. Well may
they come in crowds to cheer and en-
courage one another to contribute, cv-
cry one according to his ability, to the
final consummation of this glorious
} and stupenduous undertaking. Ny
unwillingness to participate in it arose
only from shame for the honor and
good name of my country, whose Gov.
eminent, under false and treacherous
pretence of cooperating with Grea,
Britain for the suppression of ONE, OF
the forms of this eXecrable system OF
Slavery, has been now for a series OF
years, pursuing and maturing a coun-
teraction of the purpose of Universal
Emancipation, and organizing an op
posite system for the maintenance
=. preservation, propagation and perpetua
ton of Slavery throughout the earth
For the lest fifteen years this unhal
e lowed purpose has been constantly
$ perseveringly and unblushingly persis
d ted in, with a pertinacity of exertiol
!. and a perfidy in the use of means new
1t er surpassed by any conspiracy eve
u formed against the liberties of man
e kind. The ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of tn
d neighboring Republic of Mexico, tn
G reinstitution of slavery Throughout
;, an immense portion Of her territor!
,. and the purchase or conquest of Cali
! ! fornia, with the lying pretension OF re
a annexing Texas to this Union, hav
!. been and are yet among these profit
gate and lmprincipled means. An alb
Q surd and preposterous attempt to picl
ID n quarrel with Great Britain, upol
u false and frivolous pretenses, is anoth
10 or. The utter prostration of the ex
II elusive Constitutional power of Con
r rress to declare Wharf.-The whole com
ir pound budget of plumbers and of crime
o the abortivc negotiation of treat
I'd of plumber and Robbery, which tn
re Senate had the common sense and CON
o. mon honesty almost unanimously Fl
3. rciect-the glazing lalsehood bywhic
- the Texans themselves were inveigle
= into the ncgotlation--all these, an
many more enormities Of the deeI
p. est dye, are but parcels Of the a.
)" ony Of Slavery, struggling for cxii
l." tence and pepetuation against the {
n. Weakening conscience of mankind.
r. The abortion of Slave-mongerin
gs diplomacy, miscalled a Treaty, Il
is tempted in the last hours Of an admin
rs istraton dcspised even by its own pa
H. tisans, is the last act of this knot
conspirators against Human Freedom
10 Their foul and filthy purpose has
, length been extorted from them. Iii
~ by AN cxterminating war, to rob Me
~ leo of her provinces and TO defend an
II. and perpetuate Slavery by open w
N. against England for undertaking
rk abolish it throughout the world
he selfstyled President Of the Unite
e States. and two successive Secretari
ng of State of his appointment, have wi
he shameless effrontery avowed, that the
nd project Of wholesale treachery, ROBBIE
sIr and murder, was undertaken and pu
sued for the deliberate purpose of
',s vereaching, overtuming and destro
II ing the system of policy Of the Britii
lh' Nation TO promote the Abolition