Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-09-02

say so openly if they dared, and act, Legislature
~, if they could, against it. What is needed
What may be done to put ourselves in right po-
siton?
LIST. We must act-act individually, collect
lively.
This dread of the discussion of slavery, this
underlined feeling of fear which ties thought, and
pasies tongue, must be first overcome. We
are overs hadowed by its black wings as with
nightmare vision of horror 1t holds us down.
Cabln'd, cribbed, confined, bound in,
making slaves of freemen, and towards of the
brave. And where is the remedy for this fear
A word-a bold, outspoken utterance, will snap
its power, and crush its vitality forever. And
then, being FREE, the marvel will be to us, that
there ever was an hour, when, standing on our
native soil, and in land of Liberty we dared
not speak what we thought best for ourselves,
and the good old Commonwealth, on this great
subject Let no spell of slavery juggle us Ion
ger Let it not, any more, thrall our heads or
hearts. What other great topic of public inter-
est do we rufuse, or fear, to consider, think a.
bout, or discuss We court, on all others, the
freest, fullest debate. We love to hear on every
other subject, the bravest speech, and to encoun-
standing upon firm ground, the interest of man,
and the appeal of heaven, reckoning us on, we
stop as if there were an abyss before, and death
behind us, Supplied, stunned, at the imaginary
perils which seemingly begirt us A shout
bound one glorious haloo and leap, and the
coinage of our brain is scattered Aye, let US
out with our thoughts and utter truly our feel
ings, and we shall scare away the foul creation,
and be fresh and strong as we laugh, or wonder
at, the horrid conceit which had alarmed, and
enslaved us.
Cd. We must act upon the truest and highest
principles.
The worst of our past, and present position
is, that it has induced the very best among us,
to reach emancipation by Internationally con-
cealed means, as it were. The question of Con-
vention has just been taken, and carried trium-
phantly! OF all who voted for it, how many are
advocates of slavery? Not ten out of every
hundred And yet not tt00, out of every ninety
of these voters who oppose the institution, have
expressed, ACTED OUT, that opposition The
habit of reaching good by concealed means, by
indircction never did, and never can prosper
Omit no argument, no fact no appeal, which
promises to secure your end, Array, in every
experience, which are likely to convert or con-
vlct. But is all idle, and worse than idle, to re-
sort to secondary causes the lower pleas, to rest
for instance, upon pccun;ary loss or gain, when,
at heart, we believe this to be the last or lowest
consideration which should move US, or could
influence society. Let the highest be first al
ways! We degrade ourselves, and show that we
hold all others in poor estimation, when we un-
dertake to paltar with their religious or moral
sense, and to travel on and lead Others by dark
and narrow path, when we could bear ourselves,
and them, over the open and broad way, made
glad by the freshening breeze and clear sunshine.
If slavery be curse, wrong, sin, say so
Let the whole truth, and the truth in its highest
form, be declared. If it be our aim to do away
with this curse, this wrong, this sin, say so
Let our action be commensurate with the truth
we utter Never can any man succeed, and
command the respect of his fellows, unless he
thus stand upon the right without shame or finch
ing; and for the plainest of all reasons: because
he has no confidence in himself-no selErespect
and cannot inspire confidence and selfrespec
in Others What is it, indeed which fills us
with courage, which makes that courage glor
GUS leadership which assures the weak, and con.
III HIS INC Ilnlu, WHICH ndhcS SCIOHg Ine uOuDt
ing, and over-aWe the hardest buIlyism, except
frmness, integrity, even, and exact justice, al
out spoken, manly devotion to truthl
If we look at this subject Of Emancipation ir
any light, it appears to us, we have no othe
course mapped out. 1t is clear as a matter o
duty. 1t is equally clear as a matter of policy
Three thousand five hundred and fifteen, out o
the four thousand three hundred and eight vote
cast in this city, at the last election, were 70
Convention. OF these, say three thousand, o
two thousand, or fifteen hundred, voted as the
did, to secure emancipation; but the genera
dread prevents them from saying so aloud, or il
that prompt and embodied spirit, which, upol
any other subject, would make this vote the pub
+ lie opinion of Louisville How shall we relev
them! How quickest enable them to escape thi
dread, and make their voice tell upon city an
, State ? By leading OurSelDes! BY plainly an
) distinctly coming ont for emancipation! B
E TELLING THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, an
. NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, AS REGARDS SLAVE
RY Give US twenty distinguished leaders whoI
: we could name-ten, nay, five-who will so ac
$ and we will scatter this anxiety and fear lik
: chaf before the wind.
r Whose shall be this gloryl Under whose NJ
: bic leadership shall the good and free of Kel
e lucky rally! Speak out, friends, AcT.-LOui
e UiHe Examiner
II oil