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

olulion, in which The priuci pies Of the first
are attempted to be carried out in all their
applications. We note this Convention a;
marking an epoch in the history Of tn anti
slavery cause. Lit the example Of Vir
ginia now be followed by Kentucky arc
Tennessee.
no THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
Friends and Felio,O Citizens:
We address YOU on topic of the deep
est irter s, aud the most vital importance,
and we enlreat your patient and candid
attention. We shall ceitllnly present TO
you f,cls and arguments worthy of your
most serious consideration. Many OF you
will perhaps, dissent from the conclusions
to which we come; but onya few, lfany
will deny that necessity exists, and be-
comes daily more and moe lmnerlous, OF
Terminating lie matters 10 which we desi On
10 call your attention, and Of preparing, a,
tas', for definite action IN regard to them,
At the period oil The adoption of the
I Constitution, Virginia was The leading
State of America. In 1890, her popula,
ton was 747 $40, not quite one fifth OF the
entire population OF the United States. -
Pennsylvania stood next, but separated by
wide interval, with 434, 373 inhabitants.
Still more remote in the rear, followed N.
York, with Gully 340I20. Ohio, of which
almost the entire territory lad then been
tectntlv ccdrd by Virginia TO the Union,
was moi yet a State. A. one or two spots
only, within lis limits. had the arm of the
settler eyeiIed the forest and it in The sun.
But IN the career OF prosperous advance
mcnt--in population, IN wealth, in all that
constitutes the greatness and the glory oil
Sta e., New York, Pennsy lvania and OHIO,
have successfully ousIrlpped Virginia and
have taken position in her front. Why is
thi52 No Stale enjoyed more natural ad-
van,ages thar ours.-Our mountains are
stored with mineral weallh--our valleys
produce in exuberant abundance every
growth Of a temperate and salubrlous
cline. Oar springs invite TO their healing
wu,ers the searchers for health from eve.
nv quarter. Embraced on the east by the
ocean, and The northwest by the Ohio
the commerce Of the old world aud the
new, was within our easy reach Why
,hen, we repeat, has Virginia failed lC
fulfil the destiny which thcee suspicious
circumstances marked out as hers2 YoC
know the reason, fellow citizens. Vow
) know that The demon which has mockec
the hopes of our fathers, which has helC
back our Stale from prosperous career
! which has degraded her from The first la
the fourth Stale Of the Republic, is Negro
: Slavery. We earnestly ask you 10 look
this paralyzing cause in the face, and tt
; address yourselves like men, 10 serious
, and united effort for its removal. We be-
Iieve that the time has come for effort
We propose TO give you our reasons fol
this belief and point out the measures from
: which we expect deiverance.
, We are the more powerfully impele(
to do this, because we have noticed of late
, years The PRONUNCIATION and progress o
: alarming doctrines on the subject of slave
ry. A few have boldly proclaimed slave
; ~ TO be blessing, and its protection, nur
! ture and exlension, TO be among the chic
duties Of our National Government The.
: assert that slavery is the foundation OF civ
: il liberty, and the corner stone of our re
e publican Institutions: An enormous an
r most detestable heresyl Others, admit
: ling that slavery is an evil, contend that
a is ineradicabIe, and insist, therefore, that
II should be let alone. The distingushe
leader of the wing party, and his advocate
}, generally, are patrons OF this opinion. !
g speech before the Senate of the Unite
1t States, by Mr. Clay, declared that, in hi
d judgment, the liberty of the Anglo Saxo
d and African races ia this country, ever
n incompatible !" that two hundred years {
legislation had Sanctioned and sanctfed
y negro slavery; and that, were he cilize
ID Of pllnling State, he would "oppose an
III scheme whatever, OF emancipation, grat
t. ua or immediate" His leading organ
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