The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-03-07

! cess OF cost OF 1912, over the average cos
for the fourteen years, and have put 1t q
S70O0,O0O. To show you how expen
sive, and consequently how shiftless
everything is managed in the slave re
gion, l will give you the following esti
mates for 1912. compiled from the table
OF the LIST ASST p. M, General.
Whole No. of miles of mail transpora
ton for 1912 in the United States,
34,835,99l. :. Total cost, S3,097,7
OF this number of miles, the mail was
carried in the free states,
2033l ,46l. !: at a cost of 81 ,508, Alb
in the slave states,
l4,504,530. at q cost of 8 ,579, 393
eThat is to say : TO carry the mail IN the
slave states costs S7097O more than in the
free states, while it runs less miles by s.
826,93l.
What department of the government
has escaped the controlling influence OF
the slare power? The treasury, the war
department, the navy department, the de-
parlment of state, the post office depart
ment; all. have been laid under contribu-
ton TO further the designs, perfect the
plans, and extend the power OF the slave
holding states. And yet, as if God was
determined TO furnish a witness agaius!
the most horrible of all crimes-the en-.
sa cement of men--the south is at this day
impoverished, ignorant, debauched in NOR
ais, depraved in religion, and corrupt in
politics, Notwithstanding the general guar.
antee for responsibility and chivaIry, de-
mocracy and piety, which the north has
given her for 60 years.
For all this waste of money, this per-
version Of the national wealth, this sub.
servlency TO the south, | hold the Demo-
cratic and Wing parties responsible, and
will offer my reasons for thus af1ixng a
badge OF disgrace to them, before | close.
But turn with me now to the discussion OF
another point.
Sd. The INFLUENCE OF SLAVERY UP
ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND
THE PEopLE OF THE FREE STATES
THEREBY.
The District of Columbia is territory
ten miles square, situated on the Potomac
river, lying between Maryland and Vr-
ginia. by whom it was cedeL to the Unit
ed States, in 1890 The site was selected
by General Washington. 1t became de-
slrabIe that government should have site
for its National Capital which should not
be within the interference OF State govern
ment. and, therefore, under a clause OF
The Constitution authorizing the transfer
and acceptance, it was chosen. Sorrow
fu| day for this republic, when the Ma
tional Capital was located between two
great slave breeding and slave trading
States Sorrowful day when the north
ern representatives were compelled to as.
sociate with slave holders. slave breeders,
slave traders, in their pirate as well as
official intercourse Sad hour that for
freedom! The spostacy of her friends
and advocates became more garing from
that ZINE than ever before. Washington
became the seat Of government in 1900,
and that period marks an epoch in our ma
tional degradation.
By the terms of the Constitution, under
which Congress was authorized 10 accept
of the territory, it acquired the power and
privilege of exclusive legislation. No
other body has legislative right under
the Constitution there. BY the terms Of
cession, Of course, all prior Legislation on
the part Of Maryland and Virginia ceas-
ed, & G ongress opened new statute books.
Did the representatives from the free
States ask for the abolition of sla very g.
Did they protest against having the seat
of government defiled with slave markets.
Did they insist that it was beneath the
dignity of a people who had just CON-
menced political existence 10 submit TO
the re.eStabliShmeat of slavery in this ter
rtory; territory over which they were
called to watch with peculiar interest, in
asmuch as The people had no local, indie,
pendent legislature Of their own? Not
they
Gree, the old witch, turned men, who
embraced her, not quicker into swine,
than slavery struck the representatives of
the nation with hatred of democratic free.
dom, and a love for slaveholding, after the
first session of Congress at Washington,
To make the laws of Maryland and Vir-
ginia effective, Congress was compelled
TO resolve them into life; and so it passed
a resolution that the laws heretofore in
force should be the laws ofthe District.
And what were the laws which northern
men could resolve into binding statutes2
Here are a couple Of samples:
"a slave convicted of setting fire to a
building" - mark! mol d,Celiing -
"shall have his head cut of, and his body
divided into quarters, and the parts set up
in the most public places" There is the
law: ask the Wings and Democrats, who
have been representatives, why it has not
been repealed, and they will tell you it is
obsolete; but tell YOU it is because heg-
dura not attempt 10 revise the code Of
II 4