Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-11-02

Are YOU prepared to attend to the trial of the
important cause now pending! On the seventh
day of November next, will be tried the most
important cause that has been tried since the
year l7S3. You are, yourselves, sued. The
Shareholders, less than three hundred thousand
in number, have had the audacity to commence
an action against the millions of inhabitants in
the United States, who are not Shareholders
They demand surrender of all political rights
TO their dctaon and rule. They demand that
all the Territories, that do, or may, belong to the
United States, shall be under their control, to be
peopled by slaves, and Shareholders and slave
drivers.
Some of the Defendants in this suit have put
in plea, in behalf of themselves, and others,
who may choose to make defence In their
plea, they deny, wholly, the right of The Plain
tltfs to make this claim, and assert their own
rights, to share in common with all the other
citizens of the United States, all the rights guar
antied by the declaration of Independence and
the Constitution of the United States and they
are determined to pursue this defence as perse-
verlngly, as if they were the only defendants in
the suit. Furthermore, they want the assistance
OF all those who believe and acknowledge slave
ny to be sin, and an evil; all who haze, and
should feel common interest with themselves
in this suit
Fellow citizens of Vermont; you are earnestly
requested to bear in mind constantly. that Won
are defendants in this suit and also, that ycu are
Jurymen to decide the cause; and that you arc
summoned, by the laws of the land, to meet in
your respective towns on the 9TH day of Novem-
Der next to give your verdlcts; and you ought to
| give Just such a verdict as you would give il
you knew, that your verdict would turn the cause
IN favor of Freedom, and against slavery, when
associated with the verdict of all others of the
defendants i'll other states; and the same verdict
you would give, ifyou knew certainly, that those
little ballots, you will put into the boxes on that
day, would decide the destiny of the American
nation with regard to slavery and liberty, for all
coming years, and all future generations Such
may possibly be the effect of your verdict How
often does one ballot change an election from
one to another party! How often change the
political aspect of state! Be sure to be there
and give your verdict. Be sure, also, to prepare
for that decision. Become acquainted with eve
ry fact which should influence you in your de-
cision. How can you expect to decide correct
y, unless you become acquainted with The facts
on both sides Beware of guesses and knoaO
howS, uttered for political effect by jealous parti
zans, 1t will not be strange if your credulity is
put to the test by unfounded surmises If the
plaintiffs are wicked enough to enslave three
millions of human beings and demand of you a
surrender of your political rights, to what strata
gem will they not resort TO deceive you, and lead
you astrayl What, and how many, false issues
may you not expect will be placed before you by
the plaintiffs sagacious and persevering counsel
to make you forget that you are deciding upon
your own political destiny, and that Of unborn
milllonsl To make you forget the issue forced
upon you by the plaintiffs themselves, embraced
in the suit now on trial, the issue of slavery Oh
freedom for you and your wives and children and
their posterity!
Remember that you have wealthy antago-
mist, made wealthy by the unpaid sweat and tot
of the poor slave; able to employ the ablest coun.
sci, and enough of them to itlnerate from town
to town, and from jury-box to jury'box, to make
you believe it your duty to surrender your polti.
cal rights to the tender mercies Of the plaintiffs
themselves You may Judge pretty well Of the
character Of their mission when you see them
presenting FREE SOIL as their motto, and urge
you to put that FREE SoIL under the guardian
ship Of Gen. Taylor, who isa great STAKEHOLDER