Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-10-23
A D D R E SIS
OF THE
Northern and Eastern
LIBERTY CONVENTION,
Held at Boston, October LIST, 1885,
To the People Of the United States.


Turn not away from us-but hear us. If, as a rep
resentatve ofthe Liberty Party, little and hated par
tywe have but small claim to your attention; never
theess, as your countrymen, your fellow men, your
fellow christians, bound up with you in common in
teAfts and common hopes both earthly and heavenly
we to be respected and listened to. If the cause
we would plead before you were of less Importance,
less sacredness and less urgency you might-at least
with less gutput us off until you shave convenient
season." But it is cause than which there is none
more humane, more holy, more urgent more comman-
ding.
Slavery-tha most stupenduous fraud and most at
trocious piracy human rghts-stil lives. Although
more than eighteen hundred years have passed away,
since this earth wet with the tears and sweat and
blood of Him who came to preach deliverance to the
captives, 'mons Of slaves still drag their chains up
it" And not only in barberous and heather nations
does slavery still live but even where liberty and civ
ization and christianity are most loudly boosted Of
Here in republican and christian America is slavery
Here, too, is the stakeholder the most shameless for
here his most digent and desperate efforts to ex-
tend and perpetuate the practice Of man-stealing
Now, it is to rid our land of this foues pollution
and greatest crime that come to you for your help
We beseech you not to refuse it:-and you will not
refuse it, if you will look at American slavery as it is
instead Of what its apoOgists represent it to be- and
at the means for its overthrow which we do employ
rather than at those which we are said to employ.
Of the many reasons why we contend against slave
ry and claim your help in the contest, we can here
specify but few
l. Slavery is Sin. The defenders of slavery claim
for it the sanction Of the Bible. We bow to the exter-
nal and internal evidences of its tuthfulness and in
spiration. We cannot, now, certainly know that we
should reject the supremacy of the Bible even should
we discover that amidst the principles and teachings
of this blessed book, shelter can be found for system
which is utterly and promptly condemned by what
to to be the very instincts of our nature and
the very laws written upon that nature by the finger
Of God We cannot certainly know, until it is put tc
the trial. whether faith in the Bible could survive
the shock of such an astounding discovery. Whether
could still cling to the Bible even after we had
found it full of the grossest
after we had found it, whilst condemning in detail all
the elements and characteristics of slavery neverthe
less approving of their sum totals indeed, possible
for what of our future sense of duty can affirm tc
be impossible. That having treasured the Bible in
our hearts, as the Book of Revelation we should be
confounded distracted wretched, at seeing trelse tc
concur with the Book of Providence, is not to be
doubted. That in such circumstances we should feel
ourselves left to guess and cope our pathway amidst
doubts and darkness-deserted of our Heavenly Faith
err and reduced to the most sad and ptabe orphanage
could not be strange
If ever we shall come to see, that slavery which
buys and sells men, and classes them with brutes and
things is approved of the Bible, how greatly should
be puzzled by those parts of that book, which teach
that men are made but "a little lower than the angels
and even in the very image of God
Iftoo we should find, that the Scriptures, although
containing the command, "Search the Scriptures" do
nevertheless, approve of the SYSTEM that forbids the
reading Of them and that i'll the recent instance in
New Orleans, drag man before the civil court for nc
other offence than offering his fellow men copy Of
them what after this discovery, shall think of the
Scriptures?
We are aware that Northern apologists for slavery
say that the slave code, not slavery, should be held
responsible for the provision that slaves shall not be
taught to read. But the trainers of this code Justify
the provision on the ground that is vital to the con
tnuance of slavery; and to aege that it is not is tc
stamp them with such character for wanton gratu-
tops wickedness, not willing to Oscrbe ever
to shareholders.
If, too, shall find, that slavery, which forbibs
marriage is Notwithstanding sanctioned by the Bible
which teaches that marriage is Divine institution
shall we still be able to cling to the Bible?
Here, again, it is said, that the slave code, and no
slavery, is responsible But sufficient answer to this
remark is, that slavery and marriage cannot coeXis
American slavery would Immediately cease, were the
right to marry conceded to its victims. The paramount
right clothes husband and wife and children would be
fatal to all the Shareholders assumptions of power
Hence, though the Bible declares "forblddng to mar
y" to be of the doctrines of devils, slavery mus
nevertheless, forbid to marry "The slave is neve
prosecuted for bigamy," say the Maryland reports
Not being capable of marrying once how can he mar
ry twice?
If too we shall ascertain, that slavery, which pro
vides mpunty for the nnumerable murders Of its vic
Tins, is at the same time justified by the Bible, which
declares, "Thou shalt not kill"-wi our faith in thu
Bible be found strong enough to endure this trial also
We not to wonder, that the instance is yet to b.
recorded, in which a white in a slave State ha!
been put to death under law for the murder of slave
Why should judge or jury consent to the death of
man for his having done what he pleased with a mer
thing? 1t is obvious, that this impunty for murde
grows out Of the very nature Of that SYSTEM which re
duces man to mere thing. Is it doubted that,save
are, every day, murdered CLEARLY. technically, Inur
dered? Would there ever a month pass in Bostol
without murder were one halt Of its people the alb
soue owners of the other half? Does self-interest
it is alleged, restrain all masters from numbering
their slaves? Then does it, also, keep all men iron
drunkenness and RIGHTEOUSNESS Then does it, also
keep all men from all sin for what sin does not wor
against the interest of him who commits it In spit
of their interest, men will suffer their appettes to drv
them to drunkenness and Righteousness and too, 81
in spite of their interest," and the unequalled horrd
ness of the crime, men will suffer their passions tt
break out in murder.
Slavery heathenizes its subjects Even the syno
of South Carolina and Georgia virtually admits this, b
admitting that the colored population of the South is
heather population. For what have made it he0
then population, if it be not the system, which forbid
marriage, and the reading of the Bible, and market
men as beasts, and authorizes murder? AT any rate
this system being so fully adequate to the producto
of such heahenism, it would be very unphilosopica
pass it by, in quest of some other cause ofthe evil
And, now, the question arises whether our faith
the Bible would be blind or intelligent faith, if
could reconcile with the requirement of the Bible
spread salvation over the whole earth, the Bible
ton of system which makes heather ofits victims?
But we will proceed in giving reasons, why we mu
war upon slavery and why we are entitled to you
help.
2. Slavery does infinite swong to the Slave Slave
ry subjects its victims to every wrong, and deprive
him Of every right Is. he our fellow man ?-then W
are to care and contend for him. even for oursevt
then each Of us is to look upon him, as, indeed,
other self His stripes and his compelled and unr