Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-11-05
TIE FIRE. M A N.
POpery and Slavery,

Mr.. EDITOR: In speaking of our own times we
frequently extol the light of the nineteenth century,
and in considering the condition Of our own people,
we are wont to exut it in their moral and intellectual
attanmens, compared with the benighted heather, or
even Europe itself, where papacy rules the minds of
men. And when we speak of our country both in re-
spect to nature and the Improvements Of art we, like
the natives of Greenland often pronounce it the happ
est land upon which the ever shone. While we
are surrounded by friends and protected by salutary
laws every object hath comliness and all our associa
ton, delightful variety. This might have been the
security that ulled the British parliament and prompt
ed them to tax their American colonies This might
have been the cause that moved the Roman priests,
when they undsturbed by Luther sold their indugen
ces and unsparingy extracted their subsistence from
the iterate, but con6dng people. For in both cases
these tyrants satated their avarco upon the resources
of extensive and rich countries If circumstances can
so veil the perceptions of man, as to render him in
sensible to the evils about him; surely know not why
these bgots might not, with as much propnety have
lauded their systems of government and religion, as
we the people of New England do the privileges Sc
"
not the agents of Rome have been as conscientious in
extermnatng by torture and fire all speaking acting
against the church, as we are in sustaining a govern
ment which sacrifices the right Of speech and the press
when the mob dictates? If our government cannot
hear petitions and many of our pulpts closed to
sentiments prompted by common humanity, can we
preach repentance first to popery for prosecuting dis
senters while the beam remains within our own eyes
# we may dispose of the bodies of those who have
never committed a shadow of wrong against us, how
shall we bring charges against the Pope for appropra
ting to his own the and estates of those
deemed heritics If we may withhold the bible from
three millions without causing any excitement in
churches, may not papacy do the same without falling
into dsrepute with US? five he We reduced thousands
to the level of the brute by breaking up the marriage
covenant and making chattels of men, is it any more
than reactlng, on dark scale, catholic cebacy? If
papacy, in paation of her crime, can plead the uni
versal gloom that then hung over the minds of men,
what will pallate the wrongs of those who in this en-
lghened land have for the last half century lent their
whole influence to strengthen the bands of oppression?
Will it he a tariff or snb-treasuary? Are these con
sderatons sufficient to satisfy conscience while they
are acting the part of the Priest and Levte2 How
vain is it for US to sympathlze with Poland and Greece,
to mourn over the caames of Ireland or preach a.
ganst the corruptions of Rome while our moral and
political atmosphere contains darker Clouds and more
whitening pestlence to human rights How vain is it
for us to eXpatOte the beauty Of system of gov
eminent, when it has proved in the hands of domestic
yrants, chershing to the darkest system of OPP
preston that disgraces the history of modern times.
How vain to eXut in the enlightened present. and point
out the wrongs and mseries of the benighted past,
when this age will leave the joys of history stained
and dsgraced with system darker in vice, and more
pregnant with cruelty. than the Roman inquisition.
Say sons of the Fathers of the revolution shall these
things remain so? Shall pecuniary considerations
sink us into indifference, while thousands are wasting
in slavery? Let the actions of New England at least
in every capacity give universal and emphatic re-
Spouse, Mo- Let the crisis arrive, let the struggle
commence, both morally and politically which shall
break the last shacke left us by Britain
CADET.
New Haven Oct. Sd, 1916.