The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-11-20

fore Heaven and earth that such tho t
never en- cred my head. Come, then,
ye testy cavlers say the proposition
is true, in its letter, and in its sp rit, and
in its broadcast meaning! Yes, this much
abused article but relterates that Dirtue
IS The oniy secure basis for republics ~
Such has heen the doctrine from Longi-
nus, running down through all writer's
upon government till the final repetition
Of it in ashington's Farewell Address
o the American people. The consclen-
ces of shareholders bear testimony to its
immortal truth, and neither calumny nor
murder can eradicate it from the convic
tons of mankind. Need | maiatain an
argument to prove that Slavery is sub
versive of virtue, and consequently dan
gerous to republics and death 20 Liber-
tv2 Go listen to your Hammonds, and
let pulpit hypocrites stutify themselves
and you in discussing and reiuting the
language, reason, and the irrepresslble
axioms of the heart Shall content
that Slavery is at war with the virtue d
Justice of this nation? Behold our bro.
ken constitutions our violated laws
our furnished faith -our wounded honor
- our rapacious wars-our pIunderng
conquests our insulted ambassadors
our imprisoned citizens - our robbed
presses cur murdered people; and tell
me if be " fanatic " when say that
S avery threatens all law, and our whole
system of republcanism, the ruin OF
property and the loss Of life. Whether
then Slavery stood by the avarice and
seIfishness Of he farmer of Kentucky,
the planter Of Louisiana, the manulac-
turer Of Lowell, the cotton merchant OF
New York, the pork dealer of Clncinna-
ii, or the spectators upon slave labor all
over the Union Il wished to appeal 10
the strongest motives ofthe human heart,
the love of money and the alteration OF
woman, 10 arouse them to lis inevitable
and disasterous consequences. WIZ any
one of these men tell me the guards
which they propose to thirst between
the "siIver on the board" and the daugh>
ters Of wealth with hands unhardened by
toll To- yes. he "smooth skinned woman
on the ottoman," aod the plundered poor,
The awless whose existence is pre- suPpo'
sed by the very necessity of government
at III? Come, now, fastidious statesman,
you who have had time to reflect, please
tell me that may in future avoid your
wrath, and my country escape this great
woe! Shall it be by law That you
have sacr feed to slavery 4! Shall it be
by long instilled aud sacred reverence
for the Constitution? That you have
tramped under foot Shall i: be an ap'
peal to a common interest between the
rich and the poor, the only basis of re-
pubicanism? You have separated the
great mass Of the American people from
YOU, by Slavery, by studied contempt
and the impossible barriers of ignorance
and poverty! You will appeal to
strong government and king will
YOU? Look back through History ant
learn that no republic has passed into
, monarchy, without long years OF bIoo'
and anarchy, in which perish property
men. women aud children, and when arr
not spared the statutes OF dead men, o
, the temples of the living God! Ih'
t last clause in the article, which has beef
basely tortured into the present non, ev
cry sensible man will see is dependen
v upon the contingency, ,ohen vlrtne Is Ios'
r 1t may be now, to morrow, neM year
I the next hundred years, AID II virtue !
ncrer rooted out OF the minds OF the PEG
!, pie, meUer!
q Has it come TO this, that [ am to b
> drawn up g. publicly censured for speak
s ing in plain and manly language to men
q who order me 10 rellnquish my birth
9 right, or die Go, tyrants! am not ye
v a slave Are you men? Kentucklan;
9 is not this shomeful9 Alas! have we
!, soon "lost the breed Of noble bloods :,
d l. it not true that ] "denied the rlgt
!. of the citizens to consult together o
:, such subject" .,
On the contrary, cid acknowIedg
e their right, by my repeated appeals
II them: not only 10 consult, TO aoVlS
q 10 warn-but then their office was
# an end. They could, no more than sir
= gle person, 60 farther than the laws a
:. lowed. Had they confined themselve
" to This, much good would have resulted
/, There is moral power in the proceed
J ngs and counsel of the assembled pee
h pie IN the public discharge OF duty whe
within the bounds OF law and Jus'ic
n which no sensible man will disregard
n Iong as principe be not violated 3
W wien they transcend their power Inc
p sink into the dust, impoent and COZ
q temp,ibIe as the meauest faction, ana
y ,nem viii stand bv me when defy thee
q as do now. Whether they Will ot
Sc accomplish their purpose by the cOuf
e. pursued, time will develope-and m'
ma God defend the right
bo For whom have l sacrificed so muct
u, Fo, the sir hundred thousand free aeh'
n laborers of KentGcky! against who
4. everv vital interest Slavery wages