Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-10-07
BY A CLERGYMAN OF vi.

lulJ pcIouduGu lldI llclI NioceL Cuuio+ IL " "iAN
decided stand with the Liberty party. There are some
even who vote with the Liberty party, who are not
quite certain that they pursuing the best course
Now it is for the want of taking sufficiently extend
ed view of the subject that such individuals remain
moment in doubt.
1t should be borne in mind that the auslavery en-
terprise is great work. The end has in view is Of
vast Importance and the work of accomplishing it is
gigantic. To gain the end, public sentiment must I'M
dergo an entire change. This is process that re-
quires much time As in the process of putreiaction
slow process-a the old matter must be removed
before its place can be filed with the solid material,
so must old notions and preudices all be put away be-
fore the public can be brought to entertain right views
Now as two hundred years Of legislation has sane
toned and sanctIfed negro slavery" we must expect
that it will take long series of years to revolutionze
the public sentiment OIL this subject sufficiently to have
all unrghtoous enactments repealed and just and equal
laws established Ant-slavcry men have never expect
ed that any one or two political campaigns would ac
compsh the work. Their success has been as good
the most sanguine expected and far greater than
was hoped for by many, This shows that the course
that has been pursued has been good and WISE even
it is not admitted that it is the best course. And as
their plans have succeeded we'll and no other plans
proposed were found practicable wise wemay safe
ly infer that the best plan has been adopted. Why
then should any honest onti-slavcry men be in doubt
about the wisdom Of the measures Of the Liberty par
Iy? Can they reasonably expect that any other course
could be adopted that would result so fayoruby Let
look at the progress that made in the cause in
England--and no one can doubt the wisdom of the
course pursued by the friends Of humanity there and
see if may not infer from it that we are succeeding
remarkably we'll In Ill., the British cabinet refused
its assent to the imposition by the colonial legislatures
Of duties on the importation of slaves, We cannot"
said the secretary, Lord Dartmouth, "alow the colo
MES to check or discourage in any degree a traffic
beneficial to the nation" This shows where public
sentiment at that tune but it could have been,
think no more adverse to the abolition of the slave
trade, than public sentiment in this country ten years
ago against the abolition of slavery so that the
starting points may be considered equal, On the 7th
Of July, 1888, six Quakers met in London, "to con.
slider what steps they should take for The relief amt lib
N'"'t " HC f"SfO oUtto III utC FChJ ItItS, ana iOI
The diScomagement Of The slave trade on the coast of .4
RIGA" The individuals commenced operations sys-
tematcaly. Their first object was to cnghton and
purify the public minds they commenced publishing
articles respecting the slave trade, and circulating
books and pamphlets on the subject. On the third
year they engaged the celebrated Clarkson to lecture
on the subject who gave powerful impulse to the
work at once, On the fifth year, May 9th, l798 the
} House Of Commons voted that they would take into
consideration the complaints against the African slave
trade, at their next session. Then came the tue of
war on the subject, Defeat attended every measure
but still they persevered they doubted not the wis
dom of their course, nor for moment despaired of
ultimate success. And though failing in carrying spe-
4 cic points, their cause was onward Soon Mr.. VIII
berJrcc enlisted in the work. and used his surprising
eoqucnce, and mighty influence in the House of Com
J. mons, against the inbumon traffic. Ten times at diff
teren sessions, did he endeavor to carry bill to sup
press this traffic, and ten times was he doomed to de
feat! And still he perseyered And faith anG per
lseveieance were ultimately well rewarded. But moi
till much time had elapsed. On the 25th March, 1907
twenty-four years after the formation of the Quake
Committee, the slave trade was abolished by act o
Parliament. A hard battle for liberty had now beef
n fought and the victory Won; but still there must b.
another long campaign, Or rather campaigns, and many
q hard fought battles before all that the committee Sc
n out to accomplish should be done. Slavery still ex
. stcd in the West Indies. The struggle to gain th
n end continued thrtyone years after the accomplish
If ment Of the toruer-fttgfUe gears from the com
O. mencement of the noble enterprise. Now when We
O think what it they had to do,-change the publ,
Is sentiment of great nation, entirely reverse tive
II cannot but feel that their success was very great
), And if tier success was great, what is ours VIII
d can doubt but that the work proceeds with far create
e rapdty here than it did in Great Britain? If So doe
it not this prove that the most wise course pursued
Is Is presumpuous folly TO expect the public sentmen
p of nation to be reversed more rapidly than thi
IF change is going at the present time in our country
wish now to notice number of things somewha
1t different and yet, think, having connection viii
e the main design of the subject of this article.
e 1t is frequently objected 10 the Liberty Party-au,
n this objection has much weight with many homes
=; minds, that it has but
r. ONE IDEA
ii How is this understood by those with whom the oh
lection has any force? why, that the party aims at the
Il accomplishment Of object to the entire neglect
n every other And they seem to think that if the party
T. should succeed in its object our government would be
left like ship at sea without rudder, and without
z carpenter on board who could make another and il
Z. must he left to the tender mcrces of the winds ant
waves, which are to dash upon the rocks unG
send every soul board to the bottom of the sea-.
i Now to quiet the fears Of such persons will refer
them to some little incidents in the history of our ma
= ton, which may serve to give them some encourage
- ment. 1t will be remembered that when the thirteen
j colonies undertook to throw of the British yoke, and
the paw of the lion was raised and already to tear us
in pieces,a man was raised up,caled bya power from
on high lis it not so to lend our forces and drive the
5 monster from our coasts. Another thing will not be
forgotten, viz that this government then had no con
stituon no settled principles of action, except the