Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-06
Antt- Slavery.
For the Green Mountain Freeman.
Ministers, Church members, and all
other Christians.

| wish to address myself to you with meekness
and sincere heart, and if | could communicate
nv thoughts on paper as well as | could express
them to YOU collectively or individually, and they
received in meekness, as | have no doubt chris
tan will receive them, 1t appears to me that |
could reach your hearts. 1t is acknowledged by
the most of you, that slavery is great evil, and
curse to our land, and | rejoice that some
preachers Of the gospel of Christ declare it to
be so, not only in private, but they shun not to
declare it to the world not only in their pulpits,
but in public print Such ministers can feel APP
proved of God But how lamentablc to know
that there are some that open not their mouths
against 50 heinous and disgusting crime as
slavery. Yes, indeed, | do know of some minis
tiers who will not NEEDLE with slavery enough
TO give out an appointment for an abolition lee
ture and certainly they will not 60 to hear a
"nigger" talk, though, perhaps he may be as
white as themselves. May I address myself to
such in christian confidence and ask, How can
YOU preach the doctrines our Savior taught, and
declare free salvation to all men, while you
give your influence in any manner in favor of
slavery! You are on one side or the other;-the
churches under your pastoral charge are inhu-
cnced by you in favor of or against slavery. O
may you pray much and consider well upon the
steps you take lest you be found fighting against
God; and may you strive to honor Him who has
called you to the great work of preaching deliv
erance to the captlves and to let the oppressed
20 free, instead of laboring to please the ears o
the congregations you address.
And now | will say to the church members
You have been faithful in fighting against Kin!
AlpOhOI---hnUa otn I
favor of the "No License" enterprise | hav
seen you vglant in that good cause Some O
you were trying to arouse your nelghbors, stlrrln
them up to the subject In this you have don
your duty; but if l may Judge, christian ho
more than one duty to do in order to obey a
the commandments of God.
There is greater evil in our land than inten
perance, and one that makes more brutes of me
and destroys more families, breaks more hearts
and, indeed, one that is worse than all the rest
the evils put together. l rejoice that we hav
got the victory over intemperance; but don't l.
us stop here. In the exercise of your eectiv
franchise you go directly for or against slavery
Under such circumstances the question become
serious one, whether you will vote to licens
the STAKEHOLDER and dealer in human flesh to trail
fck in the souls of your brethren, or whether yo
will not | re dice that there are some of yo
that cry out against this evil, and not only cry
but ,cork as we'll as pray, and that they live i
the enjoyment of the religion they profess. Blu
what Of you who pray in your families and in sc
cia meetings, and scon to bestow one though
upon the poor negro! Gross as is the inconsi;
tency of such character, he is nevertheless ia
less acceptable than that man who claims to b
an abolitionist, admits slavery to be an evil an
mourns over it, and prays against it, while at tn
same time he employs the only effective act
his power to build it up. By what name sha
we call the man who prays in the morning thu
God would direct his steps through the day, an
that he would give US men to rule in his fear
men after his own heart, and before the SUI
goes down lifts his hand in presence of the Go
he 50 late prayed to, and drops a vote into tn
ballot box for slaveholding rulers to rule over on
land, We will not call that man a hypocrite
let conscience speak that he may be his own &c
cuser, shuddcr while | write. Think of il
my brethren, You cannot enjoy the religion {
Jesus Christ and tratfick in human flesh; an
so far as you give your vote in favor of slave
holding rulers, so far you tratfck in the souls
your brethren; and he that is not for me is
gainst me, saith the Lord; and you cannot sery
God and mammon 0 that you would weig
the matter we'll and whatsoever We would th
men should do unto you, do ye even so unit
them. for this is the law and the prophets.