The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-30
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON D. c. SEPTEMBER 80 1852

litically, as traitors, unless we march triumph
| antly into the enjoyment of those maizena,
bic rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit OF
happiness, for which our Patriot Fathers fought
| and conquered. Indeed this very decree OF
Compromise or fnality is itself gallows, with
halter hanging out, fowevery rebel who
moves, or complains of his hard lot to remain
dumb under oppression.
Moreover this assurance that either General
Scott or General Pierce will be elected Presi-
dent, assumes as fact, that you Wings, or you
Democrats are so welded each to his own par
ty, so degraded under party pledges and party
influences, that you cease. to be independent
freemen cease to think and act for yourselves;
cease to realize your responsibility to God and
your country, for the result of your actions, po-
litical as well as personal. | hope better things
of you than this assumption indicates. And
well may for, if you blindly or unadvisedly,
follow the dictates of party leaders, to aid to an
injurious result, you can no more throw from
yourselves, ON to those leaders, your response
bility for that result, than you can deny your
personal connection with those actions which
produce or aid to produce that result And
what | here write that may refer to you, or
any of you, write in the full belief that you
are willing to know the truth, and practice the
your personal responsibility, both to learn and
practice the truth, and that in political mat
ters as well as mere personal duties and that
you will weigh thoroughly the evidence which
shows the opposite character and nature of
freedom and slavery and be convinced that
both can find no fnality no resting place upon
the same soil, but one will necessarily crush
the other and being convinced of this, will act
and vote in favor of Freedom In this fond
hope now present to your view another fact
We who are in favor Of liberty. as against sla-
very, are under no more necessity to fight I'M
der the Generals appointed by the King, than
were our Patriot Fathers to fight the battles of
Freedom against British tyranny under the of
hcers appointed by the Crown TO crush that
freedom. A large Convention of Delegates
lately met at Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, del
egates from all parts of our country, men stand
ing and acting and warning upon those mali
enable principles of right in our Declaration of
Independence, that all men are created equal,
and are endowed by their Creator with the
right Of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi
ness men who would not engage in warfare
against slavery under officers appointed by King
Slavery. They presented before the public Il
Platform of the principles of liberty in partial
detail which you can read in those public
prints which are willing you should be well
advised of what is going on in support of that
liberty for which our Fathers emerged from
Colonial Slavery. They also agreed upon and
presented before the public as standard bear
ers, to unite their strength. and progress on the
road to victory the Hon. John p. Hale, of New
Hampshire, and the Hon &. w. Julian, of In
diana, for President and Vice President; men
of as good character and talent as are to be
found in our country, and men thoroughly de-
voted to the cause of Freedom as against Sla |
very. These men are selected from the band |
of modern Rebels, as Washington, Franklin, |
Hancock, the Adamses and others, were Sc
lected from the Rebel Band at that day, to |
lead in the great concerns of the Revolution |
Hale and Julian are as well formed for the |
present day and crisis, as were Washington, |
Franklin, and others, for their day and crisis |
Now, in conclusion, let me urge upon you,
Freemen, one and ALL whatever have been and |
are your party names and ties and tendencies |
to recollect that the powers of our Government |
are in the people, that you carry and exercise
at the ballot-box your portion of those powers,
and are responsible, before God and our coun-
try, for the correctness of that exercise of your
powers; that the great struggle now before
our country is between Freedom and Slavery,
disputed sway of the other that every ballot |
cast at the election of President and Vice Pres
ident next November, tells and counts either
for or against Freedom. Seek, earnestly and |
boldly, to become well acquainted with the va
rious interests of our country, and especially |
the interests of Freedom Do not rest content |
ed to peruse such documents only as the King
puts forth and circulates among you. to awe his
rcbellious subjects into passive obedience and
base submission. Do endeavor to procure and
read and circulate the late important and
truth-bearing speeches of Messrs. Hale, Chase,
Sumner, Rantoul, Mann, Giddings, Cleveland,
Townshend, Durkee, and others not forgetting
this scrap also. Then go to the polls and cast
your ballot as a thorough knowledge of facts,
an enlightened conscience, due sense of per-
sonal responsibility, and spirit of true patri-
otism, shall dictate. TITUs HUTCHINSON
Woodstock September 9, 1852