Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-02-14
THE FIR B Il M An.
For the Green Mountain Freeman.
Moral Principle.

slbllltes OF ministers and churches especially the
latter, so ably discussed by Rev. N Day and
others. The liberation from slavery the yilest
the sun ever saw, of three millions of our breth-
rem of the human family is not all that should be |
aimed to be accomplished by the ant-slavery re-
form. Were it to accomplish this, and no more,
the reform would be as incomplete as was that of
the revolution of rs, which, while it broke the
yoke of British oppression frem the neck of this
nation, left in the land system Of oppression, to.
live and thrive, 'One hoU Of 'chich is fraughtI
NTH more misery, than ages Of that mhich had
Just been ttrown off,. We have seen, and still
see every day, that all creeds and declarations
whether political or religious, are but sounding
brass Or tinIling cymbal, if not based upon
and supported by moral principIe. The rights
of man never were, nor ever can be better defined
and explained, than in the Declaration of Ameri-
can independence. This doctrine commends it.
self to the conscience and Judgment of the civ
ilized world, and when first promulged by this ma
tion it possessed a charm, which at once made
the heart of the tyrant of the old world to quake,
and that Of the victim of his ambition and ava
rice, to leap for joy. But how is it now! Alas!
that charm is gone. The tyrant instead of tremb-
ling, now taunts e. sn3ers, while his hapless VIC
tim IS ready to sink in despair. They have both
lived to see that the doctrine which thus excited
fear in the one and hope in the other, is nought
but 'rhtorical f'omish.' And why this changel
And why do the groans of three millions of our
chatelized brethren, at this moment, center into
the ear Of the God of Sabbaothl Why have
thousands on thousands, by the light and guild
ance of the North Star, fled before the baying
bIood-hounds from free U America, the asylum
of the oppressed to that government for protec-
ton, whose tyranny our fathers could not bear?
Oh! do you whisper in my ear, tell it not inGath
publish it not in the streets of AskelonF Alas
it is already published from the house-tops And
it must be reiterated in louder and still louder
tones, (uRtH moral principle shall be proved to
be something more than an empty sound) that
the cause of this wonderful change is the cor
ruption of the Church. ! know full well, that
this is taking unpopular ground, but | know as
well, that it is not ntenablc ground. | know
too, that moral principle, must lie at the founda-
ton Of cur enterprise. 1t must be its power, its
van, and rear-guard, or the liberation of the
slave, will leave our country, in moral point Of
view, where the revolution of 7G, with slavery
incorporated into its institutions, left it. That
the moral tone of the church is thus low, and that
this is the great secret of the existence of slavery
in our country at the present time, | think Can
be made clearly to appear Look at the discus
CT NOW rninu on hntwnan 100 euiDant divinnS
in the Baptist Church, (Rev DR.. Wayland and
Rev DR.. Fuller) on the question Of the inherent
sinfulness Of slavery. The one as confident that
he shall prove that slavery is not only very in
a0ccM wlation but that it has the sanction Of the
author of cur holy religion; as is the other, thai
he shall prove that to sell human beings to the
highest bidder, is an infracton of the great law o
love, which is the soul Of the religion of Jesus
l 'comprehended (as says an inspired apostle) il
one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor as myself And now | ask, what mean'
} this discussion? and why is the Vermont Chron
+ cle republishing, and commencing to the careful
! perusal of the public, this discussionl The yer,
fact that there is such discussion between TIVE
t such eminent religious Teachers the fact that tn
conductors of our religious Journals deem sucl
c discussions worthy Of such notice, proves all
u have said about the corruption of the church
: The religion of the false prophet makes the slav
5, of his follower as free as his MASTER the momen
Il he embraces that religion. But how is it in tn
l. Christian Church in the United States! Doe
: the conversion ofthe slave to Christ, entitle hiI
" to his liberty No But his bearing the mag
u of his Savior enhances his value as a chatte
e Yes, and it is as true, that saveholding minister
and slavehclding church members, would, and d
sell the Lord Jesus Christ as a chattel, to tn
highest bidder, as it is, that Judas sold him f
thirty pieces Of silver In as much as We did
u unto one of the least Of these my BRETHREN ye d
it unto me- And this is the question, viz; Is
to a sinful or holy act, thus to sell the Lord jest
d. Christi Let me not be misunderstood. | a
not finding fault with the Rev. d. d., for his e
deavoring to convince his Rev. brother D.
wv that it is morally wrong thus to sell his Lor
nj My complaint is, that such state of things c
lists in the Church Nas makes it necessary that Il
question should be discussed at all. compla
10 that the church is thus corrupt, and give this ia
~ as lrreiragablo evidence OF Its corruption.
le' am told that this state of things exists only
We the south. True. But why does it exist in t
South! And how much more guilt attaches
'i' the church in the south, than to the church
70 the north for its existence there! 1t exists
the church in the South, because it is winked
nl and even countenanced by the church at t
North. And the guilt of the church in
free States is as great, if not greater, than of
church in the slaveholding states. How stro
D. is the feeling Of condemnation Of the church
the free States, against her sister in the SIT
to States, for thus selling the Lord to the high
bidder? ACTIONS speak founder than wore
we and facts are stubborn things will here G
a fact, that will speak volumes upon this subjC
tut The question is how strong is the feeling Of
domination in the church in the northern Stat
- AGAINST the conduct of har sietar church in