The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-09-30
For the Voice of Freedom.
VT WV WV Ut t EVVEVVITKF
PITTsFoRD, Vt, Sept. goth, /

eXempting the house and sufficient quaint
/ ty OF land for the comfortable maintenance O
the family, from all liability for any debt o.
obligation, contracted after passing the act
To ascertain whether this is eXpedient an(
proper, number Of things should be consd
ered.-1st Would such an act be constitu
tional? The law eXempting tools and u Ger
tain portion of movable property from liabil
ity for debt, with the fact that its constitution
ality has never been disputed, establishes the
principle 50 far as the Government Of Yer
mont is concerned, beyond doubt 2. Would
such a law be just? A principle in natura
law is, that no person in the pursuit Of hap
piness, is at liberty to violate the rights Of
others. But we must either admit that the
wife and children have no rights that they
are mere APPENDICES of the husband, or that
the operations of the present laws are viola
ton Of this principle. But the law already
recognizes rights in the wife and children
1t interposes to protect them from persona
violence. Why not protect them from othel
wrongs? If 1T is just and right for the law tc
interpose to protect from any wrong, is il
not right and just and expedient that it should
interpose to protect from all wrong? Every
generation has its peculiar duties to perform
| And these duties will be commensurate witt
the light it has.-And if we neglect to act up
to the light which We have, will not the enem
les Of progress take advantage of our negli
gencc to put out that light We have beer
told, we have most of us probably read it, anC
the story comes from such respectable au
thority, and through SO many different chan
nels, | think there can be no doubt Of it,
truth, that nation or people somewhere il
the east, have, what we and all other nations
called civilized, regard as a very barbarous
custom. The custom | allude to is, when
man dies, his body being burned, his survi
wing widow is burned alive on the funera
pile, with the body of her deceased husband
This custom was once, and till very lately
sanctioned, or at least not forbidden, by the
Government Of that country. Now what
should we think, and what should we do, here
in Vermont, if our legislature should make
such custom as this legal, or should enact
law, that every woman who should survive
neral pile, with the body of her husband ?
Should we not rise up, en- maSSe, with indig-
nation, and say that such a law should not be
executed? But stop, friends; let us exam
inc our statute books, and see if we cannot
find something there as contrary to justice las
contrary to the laws Of God, as much VIC
lation ofevery right principle of humanity, as
to burn widows alive on the funeral pile. Ii
mistake not, you will find in our statute
books, q law or laws, in substance us follows
BE il enacted by the Legislature Of Vermont,
that if any man, possessed Of house or1arm
no matter how large or valuable, shall by any
imprudence, acknowledgement or misfortune,
become involved in debt, to the amount OF
the value Of his house and land, and is unable
TO pay the debt, they may be taken away
from him, and sold for the benefit of his cred
itors; and he and his family may be turned
out houseless and homeless into the highway,
without the right to place to stand upon OF
TO lay their heads unless they 90 to the poor
house, which public opinion makes about e.
quivalent, in point Of comfort and respecta-
bl;ty, to going to the States Prison ever
after, while they sojourn in this world, unless
by some good luck or chance, they should
happen TO retrieve their circumstances, to be
under the necessity OF laboring for others, il
able 10 labor, for something OF nothing, Just
las the demand for itmay happen to be; and
the is done though the house and land should
be the joint product Of the labor of husband
and wiz, or family. How much does such a
tronsactonlati short in severity and injustice
Of burning alive on funeral pile ? We dc
not realize its enormity,I apprehend, because
we have been accustomed from our infancy
to regard it as a thing Of common occurrence
and as lawful and right because its propricty
has not been disputed or called in question
Bat when we examine it in the light of reas
on, Think we shall find it to be a violation
of a right, which no power on earth, not ever
we ourselves, are morally a. liberty to alien
ate-viz the right to liberty and the pursuit.
of happiness, by all the means, which God ha:
provided, as the common inheritance of man
n.