Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-25
Interesting Letter from John
Q. Adams,

Ex-Governor WILLIAM SLADE. of YER
mont, communicates to the Burlington
(Vt.) Courier an interesting letter which he
received from Mr.. ADAMS in l647. We
publish it below:
Quincy, Moss. Aug. -, 184r.
WILLIAM SLADE, Eq.-My Dear
Friend: have received your letter of the
Odd instant, from Saratoga Springs, and
learn, with great satisfaction, your connex-
ion with the Educational Movement to
which you have devoted your future eRer-
gies, I wish them all success, and parti-
cuIarIy all prosperity to your exertiom in
the cause of Education, as tributary tothe
cause OF human freedom. But my career
of active life ought, perhaps, even at this
time, to be entirely closed. il is very
doubtful whether | shall be again permitted
to take any part in the afsirs Of this world
and a al events can rs no part in the
ment of education gener&ln ''a
In a negotiation Of one of the treaties
between Great Britain and Portugal, for the
suppression of the Slave Trade, | think in
the year 1913. the Portuguese Minister of
State was very sollcttus 10 introduce a
stipulation to limit the time of the duration
of the Treaty and after proposing sever
al specific periods-to nore of which the
British negotiator, Lord Inward de Wad-
en-, would agree-the Portuguese Minister
of State finally requested him to ascertain
from his own government to what period
of limitation they would subscribe. Lord
Howard de Walden accordingly put the
question in a dispatch to lord Palmerston,
then, as now, the British Secretary OF State
for Foreign Affairs, whose prompt and rea-
dy answer was, that the limitation to which
the British Government would assent was
twelve months after the ABOLITION OF Slave
ny throughout the earth.
The princl pie thus assumed by the GoV-
eminent Of Great Britain IS the only one
that ever will contribute to that great I'M
proyement of the condition of men upon
earth, the abolition of Snery. If sincere.
y assumed, and perseveangly maintained
by the Government of Great Britain, Its I'M
al consumatIon cannot be long procrastln-
ated. But until sincerely assumed by the
real friends of freedom, az well in England
as in these United States, the cause OF ffee-
dom will, as Shakespeare 'ays,
BE bound in shadows and in miserles.'
There is one improvement in the popular
education throughout the Union, embracing
within ITSELF and in its consequences, an
others. 1t is that improvement when shail
administer to the soul ofeyery male chlId'
born within the free portion of these States
the principle of that oath which, 1t is sad,
the Carthagenian Hamilcar administered 10
his son Hannibal, with reference to Rome
eternal, inextinguisha0le hatred, not to
Rome, nor 10 any exiSy.sg nation, but inc
Slavery throughout the earth The exist
ence of this moral pestionce, preyIng upon
the human race, in the great evil now sur
fered by the race Of men,--an EVIL 10 DC DC
extingushed by the wi of man himself
and by the operation of nat will. La ay'
cite, at the opening oftha French Ne'oiu'
ton, said that, for nalien to be Tree, SIG
had but to will it. However true that may
be of any single nation, II is undoubtedly
true of the whole race Of man; and we
may safely say that if teswIl OF the lree
portion of this North american people
could be organized for action, the Peopie
of the whole American taion would, ipSC
t focto. become free. ne first step to the
organization of this naonai VIII must DC
. nv an improyement in ppular education
I and this is in my estimaYl SO indispensable
: that | hold il Of little appearances to at
= tempt any other
y II he shirt shich a1nated Hamicar ir
# the administration of hq oath to his son
+ WI. ;deetically the sane with that vhcl
, oc,yeted Cato In closing every speech whlL
Ss:made in the Senate d Rome, with tn
memorable words, DsIenda est Carthage
! and we have recently had the utterance {
the same sentence from the Moloch {
J Slavery, applied to the angel Of light, ABB
ition. Prince Moloch has announced to tn
peers of Pan,lemunium that Abolition
f coming in battle array, and must be met
} She is coming; but fear it will yet b
! long before Moloch will be called defer
, sively to meet her When he does, II
? transformation OF him aud his whole no
| from giants into pigmieS, will leave bloo
+ less victory to Abolition,