Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-08-20
The Dav of Battle,

Freemen Of Vermont, the first Tuesday in Septem-
Der is at hand Are you prepared for the wcghty re-
sponsbilites Of this day of battle? For years past,
we have been aboring, according to our ability, to
show you that our own system of slavery an enemy
fan Righteousness We have tried to persuade you
to see that it is an enemy of the whole race-bond
and free-a curse to the country North and South-to
the master and the slavea curse to the very soil on
which his unrequitod toll is eXacted We think that
man. his Senses can deny but that slavery is the
great curse and plague of the country the cause of
the present niquitols Of conquest the occasion
Of the strifes and bitterness abundant in Congress-
There no hope that it will ever be any better Ev-
cry new measure in the government, every shift in its
policy, is brought about by the wire-workers of the
slave power to defend, enlarge and perpeuate the
"pecuar institution" We have shown you, by ire
sistble arguments and stubborn facts that slavery is
leprosy on the body of the Church-hat it must be
cast out or all that is high and heavenly in our holy
religion must die under its blight that our missionry
associations, and every benevolent society, must be-
come only an engine of oppression, unless the march
ofthis enemy meet speedy and powerful resistance.
1t has been prominent object with US, In common
with our fellowaboers to show that since slavery is
creature Of lar, it be destroyed only by the pow
er of law. The power that gives it existence, must
anniHate. Our laws are but the expression and the
embodiment of the opinions of the freemen of the
country. Hence we have labored to change public
opinion, that that again might change the laws and
lift the burden from the slave We have told you,
and now tell you again, that these black laws of slave
ry never will be annhlaed and new ones enacted in
righteousness, by either of the great political parties
They are so constituted that that cannot be- They
national parties, They in full fellowship with
shareholders. Yea, they are managed by the leading
spirits ofthe South. An enemy of slavery never can
be exalted to national office in either of those par
ties. Good men there may be in both, here at the
North, who, in their state capacity may talk against
slavery. Still all their party acts, every drop of their
political influence, must flow in the great channels of
oppression, and swell the ocean of human woe. Now
we ask you to pause and where you are about to
cast your influence. Shall 1t be to exalt men (good
men in many respects they may be who will give all
their influence to support partles,wh now hold three
millions of men in absolute bondage?
For the last year, we have sent out our lecturers
and our paper, striving by all means in our power to
fix in YOUR minds an unutterable adherence of this
"sum of all vilainies" We have been striving to stir
YOU up to talk against it, to pray and to preach against
it. All these are essential. They must be contin-
ued But they only preparatory to another duty,
without which all talking and preaching and pray
ing are utterly useless Now, friends of freedom, we
= evnect Won TO ACT as YOU have prayed You have
EACH around your fre-sdes, and elsewhere, condemn
ed slavery in strong terms. Will you utter a
silent vet all powerful sentence of condemnation of it,
written on genuine LIBERTY VOTE? All that
we have done thus far is only to get the antslavery
forces of the Green Mountains ready for action. The
day of battle is at hand. The enemys hosts Gre in
the field. They can appear in their own horid
uglness or in an angels garb, as best suits then
purposes. We ask no man to play their games o.