The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-08-20
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

g alton Of the slave already. 1t has done NOT a
little. 1t has engagedbur own attention to
the condition of the rights of our brethren,
t the oppressed
= 1he youngest member of this House is able
: 10 recollect when almost nothing was known.
OF thought, OF the American Slave, in this re-
iiio'e part OF the country Intercourse with
Ihe ,oouth was lntrequent Jefferson had In
deea expressed concern and alarm for bis
guilty country; enlightened philanthropists
had' mere and there, ventured toquestion the
right and to condemn the policy of negro
Slavery. But there existed very liftlo
knowledge of the subj sct, and still less inter-
est IN 1t among the people at large. Men
were absorbed in their own pursuits evil
ing in their own freedom, and catherine TO-
gether IN their places of religious wors6;n to
thank God for the blessings of free Govern
ment and free Gospel, apparently ignorant
OF the cruel bondage under which so manvof
their fellow men and fellow citizens were Of
the same time plning with sorrow and faint
ing IN despair. New England mothers were
| S0othlng their infant offspring to repose with
The gentle voice OF prayer and the sweet
hymn OF praise, all unconscious there were
thousands and tens Of thousands of mothers in
this free, rejoicing land, who could not call
their children or themselves their own. No
voice was lifted up in their behalf; no PRAYER
for them mingled with the incense of Inc
public altar, or added fragrance to the odors
OF The domestic sacrifice. We labored bv
day, and went to our beds at night, as if no
such thing as slavery existed among our nco-
pie. we reJolced as if none wept. and bless
ed ourselves as the freest, the best, the happi-
est OF nations. And what do we now see .
we see men everywhere becoming sensible.
that all tins innocence, and freedom, and ham
pmess are married by the liberation of a svs-
TEN OF more relentless oppression, of more
grinding, calling, hopeless slavery, than ever
diSsraced the earth, or dcfed the Heavens
Inc pulpit is no longer silent: public assem-
Dlies are agltated by the questions of univcr-
sal emancipation. The rights of the onnrcss-
or, the claims of wronged, outraged buman;-
ty, are weighed and appreciated. Not a No.
lltical body can assemble, from the county
convention to the National Legislature, with
out being excited upon the subject. Ecclc-
slastical assemblies are divided upon it. The
State and the Church, and the whole people.
are coming to be alive to the sin and shame
Of American Slavery
| The two great divisions of the Presbvteri.
an church lately met in their General Assem-
bles IN Philadelphia. One of those bodies
was addressed IN 1raternal admonition IN
on the subject from their brethren in Scot
land. The other received an epistle of fra
ternal reproof from their brethren in Cana
da. The latter, under the usual forms of
courtesy and christian love, was so punoent
and caustic in its remonstrance, that the AS
sembly excited to Indignation, were ready TO
refuse the document even a reading One
OF the Doctors more wary and more preset
ent than the rest advised to moderation. to
forbearance. 1t, said he, we reject this fra
ternal letter, we renounce communion with
| the Presbyterian church of Canada if we re-
nounce communion with the Church of Cam
Ga, we must renounce communion with the
Free Church of Scotland, and with the Pres
bytenan Chusch of Ireland. And then where
is the Presbyterian Church of the United
States Of America? Alone in the world
And the brethren heard the Church of Cam
ada, through, though what more they did. T
am not informed. know, however, that for
the first two weeks of their meeting both
branches of this church were occupied with
Slavery, as a leading subject. A large part
of the Unitarian Clergy have openly de-
clared themselves abolitionists; the Frcewiu
Baptist Church has gone over in body to
that side of the question. The Methodist E.
Church is actually rent asunder upon it
Many of the New England Orthodox Con-
gregationalists have taken decided and stronr
ground upon it. And the Episcopal Church
is only waiting, as one Of her sons has said.
till she can move with dignity, propriety s.
effect
What do we now see? Why, a total rev.
olution, Sir, in the state of the public mind
substantial and prevailing popular senti-
ment, against which no institutions can lone
maintain Themselves deep seated and
heartfelt respect for human rights and the
blessings Of freedom and knowledge and
christianity, which cannot subsist in any coun-
try, or the same age, with systematic on
preston, that cuts off millions Of human be-
ings from every thing elevatng in KNOWLEDGE.
every thing precious in freedom, every thing
divine and heavenly in our holy RELIGION
And this great change is one of the fruits of
discussion.
Another effect of this discussion is, that it
has attracted to us the attention ofthe world.
The increased intercourse among the civil
lied nations has introduced a new standard
of national justice and honor-the public SEN
timent Of the world. We feel the force ofthe
opinions of mankind; we recognize the au-
thority of the conscience of the human race.
No people, Of any cultivation, can be wholly
regardless of this august tribunal. No usage
of society, no public wrong no national error
or immortality that falls under the condem-
nation of this memorable Judge, is likely long
to maintain itself The citizen of the Offend
ing State, in his migrations and soiournings
abroad, is marked and reprobated. He feels
ill at ease out Of his own country. He looks
back to it with notification and returns to it
with diminished self-respect. His patriotism
is humbled. AS the traveller, who leaves the
cabin of one of our western steamboats,, at
the rising of the Sun, and energies into the
air of the yerdant, fragrant morning, dreams
not in what an atmosphere he has passed
the night, till he returns to it; so the citizen
of an inconsistent, errng, SHINING Republic,
bred amidst the wrongs of his native land,
~ E..,,, n l.uE.,,. l..