Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-15

Two hundred years of Legislation have sanctioned and sane
tilted slavery."-IlENRY CLAY.
Slavery has been so long tolerated among atoms,
that its enomy is but little regarded Or when
thought of at ALL it is usually considered as an evil
either necessary or unavoidable But the question to
be considered is this cannot the state of public SEN
tment and the views of enlightened nations be SO
changed, as to abolish such barbarous institution,
and render slavery both unnecessary and avoidable-
If this question may be answered in the affirmative,
then we may hope that expressions whitening blight
will not hold its reign of terror the nations of the
earth for ever Some may be ready to exclaim None
but God can produce such an effect as the abolition
of slavery and we must wait for the menial day p
We admit that God only can produce the necessary
change in the state Of society," and the views Of men
but God works by human agency and human means.
As to waiting for the millennium to- put end to
slavery without any eXertions our part, it is
like the sinners waiting Gods time for conversion,
while he pursues his course of vice and impiety. If
there shall ever be millennium, in which slavery
will! cease to paralyse the rising energies of free in
stitutons it will probably be effected by the blessing
of God on the united and benevolent exertions of lib
erty men. That such state of things is desirable,
no enlightened phianthropst Or christian can deny.
That it can be produced without sacrifice and perscv-
ering efforts, one ought to pretend, What a vast
amount of property has been drawn from the United
States Treasury during the last fifty years. What
rivers Of blood have coursed through our vaes, how
many unburied bodies of our warriors have been left
to bleach upon our mountains sides, how many eyes
have opened their fountains of tears And how many
hearts have been made TO bleed IN anguish for the
thousands OF kindred that have been slain in battle
And all this, with the many other miscrcs consequent
upon war, has been endured N the prosecution of
wars, in which slavery has been acting Il handspring
to bring upon us. Had one fourth of this amount of
treasure been udciously laid out by antisavery
Citations i'll the different states, in cuvatng the spirit
oflbery and in exciting just adherence ofsavery
would not the other three-ourths have been in great
measure saved besides many thousands of lives, and
an immense portion of misery. Had the whole value
of what has been expended to sustain slavery, been
appropriated to the cause offreedom and liberty how
laudablo would have been the appropriation and how
happy the result 1t will perhaps be pleaded, that the
slaves not yet sufficiently enlightened to receive
the principles of the Gospel or the emancipation from
bondage and that we must wait for more improved
state before attempt their liberation. Improved in
what in the science of slavery of course they
allowed to improve in nothing else If such improve
mcnt only be necessary to prepare them for cmancpa-
tion they not already eminenty prepared Ifsuch
reasoning be sound why not wait few centuries I'M
til the natives of India become more improved in theil
idoatrous CUSTOMS before we atemptto convert them
to Christianity? Do we expect that, by continuing In
the practice Of doatry, their minds will be prepared
to receive the Gospel THE heather cannot be-
come christians by the practice of doatry, how cal
we expect that slaves will become enlightened while
the iron hand Of slavery is with holding the light of al
science from them. Let us therefore be consistent
and while we use means for the conversion of heath
ems let us use means also for the conversion of slave
holders and their abettors, in our boosted Republic
and the Liberation of those who are now suffering un
der their reign of terror For slavery is, in fact,
hoathenish and savage custom, of the most malignant
most degrading and desolating character 1t is
whitening curse, and results from the perverted rule
Of the Gospel and the grossest decisions, that eve
afflicted guilty world.