The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-11-13
From Clay's True American.
OUR APPEAL,

| ~ ~ 49, 49, - NA@~- A1'
They, who on the eighteenth day Of
August l845, rose IN arms, oVerpowered
the civil authorizes, and established an
irresponsible despotsm upon the constitu
justification of their conduct, "appedI TO
Kentucky and to the world" So be it.
Lee Kentucky and the world Judge.
When the public peace is disturbed
when the laws are detied when The Con.
Stutiun is northumberland when by the
lavowaI OF murderous purposes, natural
right and Divine justice are mpiousIy VIC
lated not the loss of property-not the IN
dividua wrong aud sufiering-p even
The shedding of blood, are to be weighed
moment: but the great principles Of
liberty only are 10 be borne in mind,
whilst individuals, however high or low
are TO be forgotten. II it shall turn out
that these prlnci PIES were by me violated
or endangered, then WAS IL right that my
house should have been rudely entered by
personal enemies; threatening me with the
dread alternative of death or dlshonor--
then was 1t right that the sick chamber
should not wake in the boSoms OF The
stern indicators Of the law some feeling
|of plying sympathy or mDgnanimous for
bearance--lhen was it right that my wife
and children should for long days and
nights suffer the terrors OF impending ruin
then was it RICH, that should have my
properly conGscaled then was it right
thai | should be outawed and exlIed from
The land Of my birth, aud buried ashes of
my own loved blood and ever cherished
friends. But if on the other hand, they,
and not |, have done this deed-then let
me be restored to the confidence of my
countrymen--~,o the security OF the laws
20 the inviolate sancity of the home of
my native Iand-and let them be consign-
ed not TO fron's fale which is their due
by the Constitution ami laws Of Kentucky
but live out their days with the refec-
ton that the most they can hope for in the
future, is, that their dIshonored names will
be swallowed up in the mognanimous for
ge'luness of coming generations.
In the sprng of l845, |, 10 connection
with some olher Kentucklans made pro-
posals TO publish paper, devoted to free
discussion dnd gradual emancipation IN
Kentucky. Ga The third day of June of
the same year, the True American was
ISSUED from the press having about three
hundred subscribers In this State and a.
bout seventeen hundred in the other States.
On the twelfth day OF Angus, l845, the
last number Of this was sent to about seven
hun bred subscribers IN Kentucky, and a
bout twen,yseven hundred Of the other
states of the Uulon. These facts are ver-
fled by the books of the office. which
friend or foe is at liberty to examine.
That my subscribers in Kentucky should
have run up 10 this short space of about
Two months from three TO seven hundred,
in the face of all the violence and pre-
scripton OF The enemies of emancipation,
voluntarily, without any agencies. and
without the distribution of circulars or
papers on my part, is a most extraordinary
circumstance. And when we reflect that
about twenty persons read the paper of
each subscriber, making fourteen thousand
readers in Kentucky, it proves beyond all
controversy that the principles and tone OF
my press were taking powerful hold up
on the minds and affections of the people.
The Democratic papers were compa>
rativey silent The Wing press was
largely 10 my favor. The Christian In
teiilgencer soon raised also the Standard OF
emancipation. The people Of Louisville
had taken The iniliaiory step for starring
similar paper there. A Democratic print
OF the Green river section, the most pro,
slavery part of the Stale, had copied an az
tcIe from the True American, showing
the ruinous competition OF slave labor
with that Of the whites, and seemed ready
10 wage common war. For the first
time since the formation OF the Constltu>
lion of the State was political party or
ganized for the overthrow of slavery In
legal way and in the most popuious city
10 the commonwealth a candidate was an
nounced ready to fight the battle upon the
stump. A convention Of the friends of e.
Emancipation was proposed to be held on
the fourth day of July, 1916, and met the
approval of many able and patriotic citl-
Gems The principal movers in this cause
| were slave holders; so also were majority
of the readers of the True American and
the great mass of laborers, who are not
habitual readers of newspapers began to
bear--to consider-snd TO learn their
rights and were preparing 10 maintain
them, so that all things moving steadily
towards the same glorious end proclaimed,
that KENTUCKY MUST BE FREE.
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