The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-09-26

an event Ike THIS pOsSlDleF why no'
The world has seen, and for ages g-oan-
ed, and still, TO an extent, groan under per
versions, greater if possible than this. l,
has seen the christian religion, whose ev
cry law throughout is the law of kindness
and its every feature beniguily, while the
letter Of its organic code was retained with
a zeal amounting to enthusiasm, so per-
verted, as to multiply the horrors of ill.,
quisitorial intolerance with cold blooded
barbarity too shocking for the sympalhies
OF nature even in the perpetrators, to re-
sist ia barbarity never equalled but by
Zeal in the perversion of religion - And
all this from obedience 10 blind custom,
in opposition to the dictates Of sound prin'
cple customs, which, by subtle and in
sidious progress, gradually found their
way and secured their stronghold in the
heart of society. And is there nothing in
the receuI history of our electoral career
and the discretionary power with which
it has clothed the Executive, and men
high in favor with him, that amount 10 a
detection from first principles and even Il
perversion of the constitutions Let US
look at facts while the sovereign and
inherent power is by the constitution de-
clared to rest with the people, and the in
dlyidual States, we have seen the various
elections, such as Town, City and State,
instead of being made, with ultimate ref
erence to their various appropriate ends,
made rather as the index and instrument
of the Presidential election. Thus while
by right the executive is the subordinate
branch by custom the will OF the presi-
dent is becoming the law of the land. -
We have seen a President of the United
States in the pleniude Of his popularity,
withdraw from certain Indian tribes that
protection which had been pledged to
them by the faith of the nation. We have
seen party attachments defend him in re-
moving the national deposits, contrary 10
the laws. We have seen it, at his desire,
protect the Senate in expunging the record
Of its predecessors. We have seen it
through the President, defend The head of
the Post Office department, in making the
ertgencies' of case classification" for
admitting the United States Mail to be
rihed; leaving it at the same time 10 mi
nor postmasters to judge OF such cxigen-
cies. We have seen the House OF Rep.
resenalivcs, BY a standing rule, virtually
refuse to the people the privilege Of Pc
,iIion in an important case. We have seen
the citizens Of one State while peaceabIy
travelling in another, seized and publicly
sold as property in hopeless bondage
And all this and other similar infractions
Of the constitution, defended through the
zeal ofparty attachments. And at length
we have seen President, with his cabi.
net, in clandcstlne manner, prepare and
bring before the Senate for ratification,
treaty Of annexation with neighborng
nation. And now, though his transaction
was at the first prescribed at the north by
general denunciation and has been censur-
ed by good authority as of reasonable
nature a breach OF trust, and worthy OF
impeachment; yet the tide OF party zeal
still flows on with accelerated force, and
the great question with the politician now
is, how shall political capital be made Of
this subject-to aid in the electoral con.
test2 Yes, while treaty of union with
another nation, if formed at ALL must first
be prepared bya unanimous convention Of
all the States, legally called, ard then laid
before the people TO be by them approved
and ratified by States severally and sepa-
rately; such an event is now by the estab-
lished usage (must | say) of our electoral
course, entangled with the question of the
presidential election, and made to turn on
that result.
Listen 20 the approved language of Mr.
Burchard -" Here then, | repeat, is the
issue before The American people, Polk,
Texas, War, and perpetual slavery: or
Henry Clay, no Texas, no War and
slavery TAT the worsl) left as it is" But
what RICH! have our nominating dictators
10 impose such an alternative on us?-
What right have the freemen of Americ,