Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-07-05

comparative peace Before the close of 1887, he
removed his family to New York, where he en-
tered upon the office Of Secretary of the American
Anti Slavery society.
His labors in thai office, during three years that
he occupied the station, are extensively known.
Coming MS he did, from the midst of slavery, him
self refnrme Shareholder, IL phiIanthropic OBJ
server of things, his cauIiou> statements, manifest
sincerity, candid mr;hod Of arguing, and pcrsua-
sjve rarnestneSS of manner, give Il peculiar charm
and power to his public addresses, and did much to
give stability and dignity to the ant-slavery enter
prise.
The exgpncics of the cause during those wears
called for the consideration of many great Ques-
tlonS of municipal, constitutional and International
law in their bearings upon slavery; and in the dis
cu<sion Of these points, Mr. Birney showed him
self truly great as a uriSt and Il statesman. His
correspondence with Col. Elmore of South Caro-
lima, solicited by the latter, his essay on EXradi-
ton, on the Ordinance f'37, on the guaranty of
Slavery, &c., published in the New York Ameri-
can and the Cincinnati Gazette, generally over the
signature of B., have Developed the principles on
which the Government ofthiS country ought to he
administered for the support of Liberty and the
protection OF the rights Of MISUNDERSTANDING
which must prevail unless we ar" prepared for a
general substitution oflorce for law, and to aban-
don the weak to the expressions of the powerful.
In the year 1899, Mr. Birney visited his aged fa-
ther, from whom he has been spvara wears sepa-
rated by the excitementS Of the times. His rccep-
ton was very rOrdial from all his friends, nrlnd-
ing the late Gov. Clarke and many other leading
men of Kentucky. His father was anxious to
make arrangements FIR his only son to return and
live with him in his old age bur all calculations Of
this kind were terminated hy the death Of Mr.
Birney, Senior, sooHAIter he had enjoyed this graf
flying visit Of his son.
His father having died without will, he and a
brother -inaw were the only persons legally inter
eSted in the estate. At his request, in division of
the estate, the slaves, tWenty-ouc in number, were
all set off to him; aud rs soon rs the necessary
documents could he executed he set them all free
He was thus enabled to execute purpose formed
long before, of freeing all his fathers slaves at his
own expense. The deed Of emancipation is as
follows:
ok VOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS,
Tat |, James G.. Birney, late If Kentucky. but
nooc haUing my reSide'~e IN the ciiy Of Ne,c York;
believing that Siavehodiug is mconeslent with nat
ural justice, with the prerepts and spirit of the
Christian religion, and with the declaration of A
mericaH independence, and wishing to testify in
favor of them all, do hereby cmancpaIe, and for
ever set free, the following named slaves which
have come into my possession, as one of the heirs
of my father, the Iate james Birney Of Jefferson
county, Kentucky, they being all the slaves held
hy SAID James Brney, deceased, at the time Of his
DEATH"
Then follow their names and descriptions, and
The deed conrIndc>: Sin testimony of the above
have hereunt0 SET my name and affixed my SEAL
This third day Of September, in ;he year Of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and thiry-nine
JAMES g. BIRNEY." (SeaL)
And this Christian reader, is the man for whom,
as candidate for the presidency Of the United
States, the slave solics your support. Shall he
have it !?
An 1910, Mr. Birney attended the first ''Worll's
Convention" in LSldon and was one of the vice
presidents of that august body. H0 spent some
months in England, travelling, and attending pub
lie meetings. He also visited the green island and
the place of his fathers nVtitity, but found, we
believe ,only one member remaining of h fathers
fanlily-nn aged aunt, who was gnrruous in re-
counting the good qualities and hoyi>h adventures
of ''Jamjc," before he went to America. AT Dub
In he was introduced by Mr.. O'CouncIi upon the
platform of the CornENrhange as his distinguish
ed friend from America, and Il mnn worthy OF the
highest hon0rS his county could Ge>oW. Since
his return, he has retired uEOn the shattered rem
nAnt OF fortune which emancipation aud surety
ship and seven Years devotion to the laborS of
lphlanlhroW have left consisting of tract Of new
land on the Saginaw river in Michigan, where he
has hardened his hands by literal toll, such rs his
distinguished >lAvehoIdng competitors would think
only belonged to slaves, either white or black.
Mr.. Blrncy abandoned the pursuit Of political
distinction when he yielded to what he believed to
be the dictates of religion, in Withdrawing from
all other labors to devote his life TO the deliverance
of his country from the curse of slavery. But
when, in 1880, sound philosophy and bitter expe-
rence had together taught the wseSt Of the aho-
Iifonisl> the folly of hoping for any great good
from parties, always and necessarily subject to the
dicaion Of shareholders, their minds were at once
turned upon Birney, as the proper representative
of their principles and OBJECTS, and worthy TO be
the first man elevated to The presidency, for the
glorious purpose of Oycrthrowing the political
power Of slavery.