Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-04-18
VOTING FOR SHAREHOLDERS.


Of your sin, indeed, but we mean nothing by i'll
If you please not to eRsave your fellow men, we
shall be glad; but if you do please to enslave
them, it shall not have the weight of straw to
prevent your elevation By removing, in this
way, all restraints from the commission OF the
crime, we encourage it, though indirectly, yet
really and etfectudlly, if we rewarded the cul-
prit from the public treasury. Nay, by eevating
to important stations, men whose hands are stained
with this crime, we do little less than reward them
for II.
The contempt with which shareholders treat
the opinions and feelings of the community, is al
reason why we should cease TO cGnhde in them
The people, whatever the arlstocracy may think
of them constitute the strength the virtue, and
glory of the nation; and their opinions and wishes
demand respect from those who leglslate for them.
The feelings of the great body of the people are
decidedly opposed to slavery 1t is hut handful
of men only, compared with the whole, that up
hold this bloody system But the opinion of this
handful is, by those who compose it, deemed of
far greater consequence than the opinion and feel
lngs of the great mass of the people. Shareholders
well know our aversion to their crimes, our grlet
at their conduct, and our desires to wipe oil this
disgrace of christian land But little do they
care for opinions or our feelings Iney move
IN sphere too much above u.s. to let themselves
down to the standard of our conceptions, or to give
themselves concern about our desires or aversons.
When an election is depending, when they need
our votes to crafty their ambition or sNtiate their
avalce, then indeed they sympathiSe most ten
DERBY with the people, The people are every
thing; their wishes are sacred, and their voice is
the voice of Cod But let this end be accom-
pshed, and neither liberty nor patriotism, nor the
voice Of God, can avail to deter them from deeds
the most barbarous and despotic. Shall we then
vote for men who treat with contempt our opn-
ions and our feelings when we have nothing to be-
stow; and who again creep through all the dirty
windings Of hypocrisy, when their promotion de-
ponds our will? " hat are all their professions
of patriotism, contradcted by their conduct? And
shall they deceive us still? Let them plead for
liberty with the tongues Of men and angels, and
udore her cause with the (orvor of seraphs they
are hypocrltes-merc sounding brass and tinhlIngI
cymbals.
Withholding the public suffrage from slavehold-
ers, is the ony method in which there is the least
prospect of arrcstng the practice of sIaveholdlng
The evils justly to be apprehended from the
continuance of sIaveholding, call loudly upon US
to awake in earnest TO this subject, and apply
with vigor the proposed remedy.
The tax is too heavy; the victims offered to Mo
1och are too numerous. light the evil however,
be confined to its present limits, it would be less
lntolerube; but we have no ground to indulge
such hope,
Nor are the immediate effects of SlavehoIdmg
the only consequences to be dreaAed. The impu-
shareholders, and the honors bestowed upon them,
contribute to diminish in the public mind the guilt
of crimes generally. There is relationship in
crimes which renders familiarity with one, har
bnger to familiarity with another
Shall we sit and calmly await the approach of
these evils? Shall we bow our neck to the yoke
Shall we thrust our hands into the manacos pre-
pairing for them2 What if these evils may not
be realized in our dny-havo we no regard to pos
terity? What if every man, woman and child
may not feel the evils of savery,-i4 there moth
ing to be dreaded from the sword, or pesence,
or famine because they do not extrpate our race !?
Our God calls to us from heaven-he voice of
grooming victims from the south minges with the
cry of the widow and the fatherless-the example
of our Saviour, of the prophets, of the apostles,
forbids lis to be. silent, or inactive.
1t is in vain to cry out "priestcraft," or ''poIit
cal preaching;" these watch words will not an
swer here. The crime we oppose is peculiar to no
pary it is common to both. 1t il crime too
horrd to be paIiated too threatening to be longer
endured in officers of government If we may not
denounce slavery, because men of political emil
nence are guilty Of the crime; because the en-
tightening of the consciences Of our people would
affect an election; every crime would soon find a
sanctuary in the example Of some great politician.
Our mouths would be shut-we might not whisper
the guilt of crimes, lest by awakening your con-
sciences it should produce some political effect
You have often lamented the prevalence of
slaveholding, but have not known how, as individ-
uas, to do any thing TO arrest the evil Now you
perceive what you can do The remedy is before
you it is simple and easy, and certain; and if you
do uot apply it, if you continue to vote Cor slave
holders, and thus to uphold the crime you are
partOkerS in the sin, and accountable for all the
evils which will ensue, and which you may now SO
easily prevent.
Finally the appointment of Shareholders to of.
frn will in stlv Offun1 tbo Most ITirh nulo
eddy call down upon us the Judgments of Hea
ven.
Slavery is great national sin, the whole land j,
defIed with it, Alas ! it is too late to concea
our nfamy, the sun hath shned on our guilt AM
the eye of God with brighter beams surveys thu
whole. He behods and he will punish.
But, it will he said, especially in cases of con
tested elections if you refuse to vote for this mat
because he is d Shareholder, his opponent, wors,
man will come in
worse man cannot come in. Is mans diff
ference from you in political opinion more Grim
ina than robbery? And win you vote for robher
despot, proud, naughty and revengeful, 10 keel
out another man, perhaps equally qualified and o
fair fan e, merely because he thinks not in polit
les exactly as you do2 To what will such bigotr,
lead! There will soon be no crime too gross l.
he overlooked by party men; and no criminal to-
loathsome and desperate to float INTO Office on tn
tide of party. When the violence of competition
rises so high in our country, as to lead parties il
their struggles for victory to tread down tie law
of God, disregardng entirely the moral charac
ters of candidates for office; if their being on on
side will sanctify their crimes, and push them
Teeklng with blood, into office; the time is not ia
distant when we shall have no liberties to protect
Such people are too wicked to be free, and Coz
will curse themby leaving them to eat of the frui
OF their way.
But perhaps the liberties of our country are
stake-night we not for once, and on such an e
mergency, vote for stakeholder? The same son
has been sung at every election these twent
years, and by each party 1t is al electoneerin
trick to exeite your fears, to awaken your preju
dces, to inf1ame your passions, to overpower you
eOnsciences, and to get your vote whether right O
wrong.
But suppose your liberties are in danger; if the
are so far gone, as to depend on the election @
one man, and that man tyrant-a robber--the
are gone irretrievabIy. Beside the absurdity @
appointing despot to protect liberty, it is to
remembered that God is our only efficient proeC
tor. Men are merely Instruments; but will Go