The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-02-15

cause l am willing to allow that the six
hundred thousand free white citizens Of
this commonwealth have some rights as
well as we slave. holders-l am to be run
down as an Aboltionist, and the ban oil
the empire is 10 be denounced against me.
] cannot write an answer 10 a compliment
tarv letter from Mr. Gddings, Of Ohio
but am published through the land as an
enemy 20 my country. And when in The
New York Tribune, set forth my true
position, and in the defence of which
challenge both North and South, 10 shake
me, my letter is denied publication in the
presses Of both political parties; and yet
still goes on the eternal plating about the
freedom Of The press sycophantlc speech
es are daily poured into the ears of the
dear people, whilst that same people are
barred by despotic intolerance from re-
ceiving any light by which they can know
their rights, aud free themselves from the
competition Of slave labor, which brings
ignorance and beggary to their doors. 1
appeal to mankind against such hendiSh
injustice. If public opinion be indeed
omnipo,ent, then let its thunders strike ter
ror into the faihless senlinels on the watch
tower of liber'y-the false prophets who
have basely usurped the tripods OF the
press. To say that | am an Abolition
ist in the sense in which the enemies of
nil moral progress would have you be.
lieve, that | would sanction instruction
and massacre; my wife, children, mother,
brothers and sisters, and relations and,
friends are all hostages for my sincerity,
when restraining myself 10 the use of
courteous terms, l repel the UNJUST and
dshonorng impulation. That l am an
abolitonisl in the sense, that | would take
away without just compensation, the rights
of property in slaves, which the laws Sc
cure to me and TO some thirty or forty
thousand citizens of Kentucky, my letter
10 the Tribune which is before the world
disproves.
Sill, sir, l am an aboitionist. Such
an abollionist as | have been from nv
boy hood such an abolitionist as | was IN
1899, when declared in my place in the
House of Representatives 10 which was
just then eligible, that il the Constitution
die not give US power TO protect ourselves
against the internal slave trade, that re-
nounced it, and would appeal to Com
vention for a new one. Such an aboli.
ZIONIST as l was again in 1910, when de.
tIared in the same House of Representa-,
,ives. that [ wished 10 place the State of
Kentucky in such position by sustain
ing the law of 1888. that she could move
at any time she thought it conducive 10
her highest interest, to free herself from
slavery. Such an abo|ilionlst as have
ever avowed myself in public speeches
and writings TO the people of this district,
that if Kentucky was wise enough 10 free
herself from the counsels of pro-slavery
men. that slavery would perish of itself by
the voluntary oclon of masters and the ir.
resistbIe force of circumstances which
would convince the people to the use of free
instead of slave. labor, as every way most
advantageous. Such an abolilionist, as
were the band of immortal men who form
ed the Federal Constitution, who would not
have the word slave in the sacred in.
strument, am |. Such an aboitionist as
was Washington, who, so far from lend
ing countenance 10 the propagation Of
slavery, as you are now doing, declared
that on all proper occasions his Influence
and his vote should be cast for the extin-
punishment of slavery among men. am |
also. Such an abolitonist as was Jeffer.
son, the great father of Democracy,
whom you all profess TO follow, who fore
told what has since partially come to pass,
that slavery, if not destroyed, would jeop-
ardize and finally extnguish the llber-
ties of the whites themselves, who foresaw
with an unerring glance, that the slavery
Of the black race, if not remedled by the
whites, would at last remedy itself, such
an aboltionist am l also. And being
such, | take issue with the opinion which
has been here today, as it has been often
elsewhere, most dogmatcaIly advanced,
that the question is whether the whites
shall rule the blacks, or the blacks shall
rule the whites" Such an issue is false
10 theory, false In practice, and so proven
TO be false by all experience 1t is derog-
atorv to human nature and blasphemy
against God himself
All America, except Brazil and the
Uoned States, have freed their slaves;
and are the whites slaves in consequence
AT the Revolution, on the day of the De.
caration of Independence, all the States
held slaves not excepting Massachusetts
Now there are thirteen non-slaveho'dlng
States are those ten millions of North
crners slaves2 Great Britain, in con-
junction with all Europe, except The mis-
cradle anarchies of Spain and Portugal,
have long since emancipated many slaves
and now in the year l849, to her homer
be it spoken, having liberated 3O,0oo,00O
of her East Ioda serfs, in all her wide
domains which touch on every sea, and