Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-05-21

athe moral character of children there is room to
Econiecture And with lcentlous slave population,
aunchaste in feeling, impure in language and vicious
Rim conduct what can protect the purity OF the rising
regeneration!
4 Such are the attendant vices of slavery But they
ARE nothing without the root Take away the root and
Ba these branches wither This root is sayeholding-
&hodnc man as property; and this is the sin that sup
apors and nourishes all the rest
q This sin from small beginning, has increased IN
Rour lana until it has shed its unhallowed influence over
sus ALL From an insignificant dwarf it has become
5giant 1t is now the strong man armed ana II Its
aprogress is checked, it must be soon HeVer we
Edo any thing ciectually to overthrow it, we must doN
soon for if it does not fall soon, government must
aflII It cannot long sustain the burden OF such al
sanomalv Already do we hear, not only from the re-
Scions Of slavery but from the north, the bold de-
SnlaI of the fundamental principles of the American
9Revoution. Eyennow do men among us ndlcule tne
aea that every nan is born with the inahenabe right
Vito life, liberty and the pursuit OF happiness Even
Hnow do they speak Of the sublime lie 'l%Ston-the
Hdcclaraon which has struck terror to the MINDS Oh
Hthe dosnos of the old world, d" 1t is a sefeydent
Htutl that all men are born free" mere rhetor-
Zeal flourish Ite system is thus eating out tne lie
Hblood of our free principles, from free MINDS men,
Ebreahng the air Of northern freedom, are lnduced' ior
gtha honor Or the gold of slavery, to yield the st prih
Ecpcs of repubcanism either that system OF oppieS
ason must fall or republican edlfce must ial ana
Alet II DC repeated, NlldJ We w III ltS ONNUAiN'
Unjust do quickly. Suffer it to exercise its monopoly
9fcw years LONGER and we shall be poweress. Let IT
once ctter the free action Of free minds and all is
alost. r
B We come, then, to enquire for the remedy That
athere is one cannot doubt
Some think that the natural force OF circumstances
@is its remedy.
8 That this will destroy slavery we need not deny
8In land like this, where Intelligence must circulate,
gcvcn among the slave population, to no small eNteh'
8and where every thing opens the way for the most VII
8ocnt commissions, We can hardly doubt but TINS VIII
5be the result But how will it be brought about =
@WI it be pcaceably, or by revolution and bood' we
@un hazard in saying that if the various forces ~
Faction be left to take their natural course, without te
Sgudanco of christian and intelligent minds, reVolu-
@ton will certainly And is an affecting though
ahat the tendency Of things in this country has been So
astrong towards such a result Shareholders have III
@crcased the burdens osayery They have turned the
gscrcws until the slaves have become exceedingly uF-
5easy under the syoke, Besides there IS being raised
up among them mixed race, whose nteects are nat
5uralIy Of a high order-whose minds are far more
8restess under bondage than the native Africans, and
swho,e synpathes all with the slaves They have
#much sercspect and hXedness of purpose. Let cir
curnsanccs force their natural way among the slave
Hpopuation, with this class at their head; let the
SsaYehoders tighten their bands and bind on their
Nyokes, more and more heavily, as they must needs dos
kand let the slaves despair of being set free, at some
Hfutre day, and lEna's fires may as well be confined
Bin their subteuanean vaults as that the slaves shall
Sbc kept from Instruction.
d But such Il result none of US wish to see and
4cannot consistently leave slavery to the natural opera
#tlOn of circumstances.
Others affirm that Christianity will do away. This
HI doubtless true And were it not that this PROPOSE
Eton is used in way, and with design to prevent
Nall action, would say nothing against it. Yea, /
Awould urge it as the great and only remedy For if
Bsavcry is ever abolished, christianity must do it.
But what meaning has been attached to this prop
POSITION by men who urge it to keep us from all active
Hofors to overthrow slavery? For one AL unable
Ato conceive what they do mean, This We knew, they
Hhavc shon it of its beauty and its glory. For what
Ecan christianity do if not correctly applied! What
Ecan she do towards he overthrow OF Romanism While
q she is taught only by men who believe that Roman
8sm is christianity And what can she do towards
Ethe overthrow of slavery while she is taught by men
HwIo constantly affirm that the Bible warrants and JUS
4tios slayehoding? 1t is difficult to corceiye how
Echrisanitr can have any tendency at all 70 destroy
Hsayory, while her teachers proclaim it just, and her
Hnllowers practice it. Let these uphold it, and where
His her power to do it away In order to effect re-
II form in ucn She must come with her rebukes. Her
Hoachcis must lift their voice against the evil. Her
Eproiossed followers must refuse to practice 1t; other
9wisc all her power is taken away. Christianity can
Seliect no more than the religion OF Mahomet, or Of
sBoodh,
y And this is the remedy men propose; christianity
sslorn of Der dignity; christianity dumb lifeess To
administers Of religion, to the followers of Christie all,
shcy cry Hands off, Let christianity abolish slavery
ind this too, while they know that christianity,
Eaught among Shareholders, Is brought IN to prop up
Eanl sustain the whole system both by its teachers and
Hproiessed followers protest against all such expec
Etnons. The assumption is gratuitous, falIacious'-
And beslos the fact that christianity has been taught
Bin this wov from the beginning in this country, and
asaey has all the while been increasing and strength
Scning, aud growing more and more Intnerable shows
Rthcir scheme false and heartless.
8 While we say this we do not deny that christianity
sf permitted to bring all her forces to bear against
ksdvaW, as an a6ominatlon in the sight Of God, has
Hpower to do it away. But she must have this free
scourso before she will accomplish it.
Il Many take the ground that the church, by taking
Bright action, has the power to abolish the system. If
Kit be meant that the influence of the church i'll this
b case would be such as to secure right action on the
Spar Of thotntre community, it may be true, or it may
sbe false. We can hardly believe that the wicked
5woud give up the SYSTEM even if every denomination
Hof christians should root it from their communion,
5Wness the Temperance cOuse. The church is for ite
gin FORM and we hope sincerely. DO the wicked yield
SvoIutorily; So OF other evils
Z But we have reason to believe that those who use
8his proposition have covert design. They seem to-
sasSumc that religious and ecclesiastical action alone
4will secure the abolition Of slavery If such be their
ameaniDg, it is false in the premise. For what makes
8SlaNCY is II created by lne ACTON OF the churCh!
Does the church establish the relation of master and
slave: This is the creature of law. 1t is the esultof
gegishton not in the capacity of an ecclesiastical
body, hut of civil Legislature. What power has the
church. by any ecclesiastical action to abolish laws
enacted by the Legislature; She is powerless. Her
farm is here pazicd. She possesses no remedy within
sherseE She has her appropriate influence; and right
action in her ecclesiastical courts and associations may
be requisite TO secure a correct public sentiment But
she cannot abolish slavery, or even approximate to il
8by any action as a church.
Another class fix their eye solely on political action,
las the remedy
If they refer to the ultimate action that is to repeal
laws which bind on the yoke it is true For there
is no action but political that abolish those laws.
iCtizens have chosen their Legislators who have laid
on the heavy burdens They must choose such as
Twill remove them 1t is impossible to conceive Of any
soher peacoabe way Of getting rid of slavery. Legs-
lauros must undo what they have done, and the sys-
tom falls of itself.