Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-11
Antt- GIouGrp.
A Bold Sermon.

l.
The following extract from an eloquent Ser
mon' delivered by Rev. T. w. Higginson. of
Newburyport, to his congregation last Thanks
giving day, we commend to all our readers bpt
especially to those to whom it was especially
addressed-to those protested ant-slavery wings
who voted for Gen. Taylor. Weknow, MANY of
li'oSe VINO SO voted, persuaded themselves that
by so doing they warn ..-.-.--~0 -"0f1iy mo-
i've tnat led them thus easily to believe in the
anti-slavery character of a man, who never per-
formed deed or spoke a word in bis life, which
could be tortured into opposition to the greatest
wrong ever inflicted by man on hi brother?
But to the extract. The preachers text is
found in Matthew. w. 10. Man shall not Rre
by bread alone.
"Another Presidential election has just pass
ed. The plans I spoke of long since, Ia year
ago last August, you may remembcr,) as being
then made to place yet another slavehoding
President at the head of the nomiuaIy free re-
public, have been developed, consunmated, and
carried through; carried through with the ap-
probation, nay, enthusiasm, of aSnaorty of you.
If the fact seemed to be important enough to al
lude to then, when | was here as an occasional
preacher, and had no ties with you, you can
hardly think it strange if hold it enough so to
speak of now, when the majority of you have de-
fined your position on it, and that position SO
widely different, las you know from NINE.
Do not complain of me for introducing this
subject again, now that the election is past
There are peculiar reasons for introducing it
now. That large majority of you, who belong
to the Wing party, have wholly changed your
position since the election The points which
complicated the question before me, are left be-
hind me now the question is not now "ae'ner
a choice of evils could have been ayoldeu ) "of
whether Mr.. Van Buren, n lit leader OF thai
party---these points which complicated the
question before--Whig speakers dwelt chiefly
on them-but they are gone now For do you
not see by your oppression ot'detigI afthe result
ofHe election you have voluntarily f6egone all
the defence you had when you candidly lament
ed for the necessary evil.' Do not you see that
the very first cheer for President Taylor renounc-
ed that plea forever-accepting HIM as good-and
thus identify your position with his, so as to en-
dorse him as a fit President for you before God
ard man? The question is not now whether it
was your duty to oppose when you thought OPP
position fruitless you have not only opposed,
but going to the other extreme, you have accept
ed the triumph as your triumph, and rejoice over
it; and for that are you 10 be held accountable.
The facts of his election were before you, and
YOU all know or might have known them. You
knew that his nomination was one lin the words
of your greatest man., not fit to be made YOU,
know that he was first brought forward by ultra.
slavery men, avowedy as the ultra-slayery can
didate - that ultra-savery men carried him thro'
the convention in opposition to the demand Of
the North and then threw the Wilmot Proviso on
the floor. You know that the ultra slavery men
of the South, electioneered for and chose HIM on
this ground-barganin however, for as many
northern votes as they wanted. You know that
he was a man professedly of not the smallest po-
titical knowledge, mere warrior, mere slave
holder, and never could have been nominated or
chosen, by this ultra slave influence. You knew
all this, or ought to have known ii, and yet when
the time came, and this so humiatng final
stroke of the slave power triumphed, you accept
ed it as your triumph, and Illuminated your hous-
es
And why did you triumph? Why did the
North or any part it, feel this joy9 Other
reasons may have mingled, but I do from my
soul believe, blush as may to say it, that this
one great reason stood, and forever will stand in
history, underlying all, overlapping all this, that
slavery or no slavery, consistency or inconsls-
tency, honor or dishonor that spirit i'll the north
ern people, which lives by bread alone,' had Sc
cured its PRoTEcTVE TARIFF.
Protection! That TOO is the fascinating word
which has taken its turn this year and para lyzed
l the conscience and hearts of New England, as a
miscaed patriotism did last year. There is no in
trnsic harm in p election, there is nothing in
trnsically wrong in Bread But when protec-
ton means compromise of principle; when pro"
lection means help for me, gained by the sacri-
fee of honor, the sacrifice of pledges, the sacri'
, fee of the rights of Freedom and of the slave
when it means, my dividends increased, by my
consent being given to the proportionate increase
of slave territory; when this is the meaning of
; that omnipotent word then say from such pro-
lection God protect us ! For we need to be pro-
tected against earthly blessings which gain SO
: utter triumph over our souls. We need to be
protected from the condition which olives by
!. bread alone" and to which all things else are a
visionary dream.
A year ago, many of you were indignant al
d. the course pursued by the Democratic party, III
. regard to the war; You said that they shut theiI
: eyes to plain facts, took back their own words
, were indifferent to honor, Justice, and humanity