Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-08-18
From the Commonwealth.
Frederick Douglass in Bos CON.

The Belknap street church was welt fill-
ed, on Tuesday evening, August 9Th, not
outstanding the warmth of the weather, to
listen to this eloquent indicator Of The
claims of the African to full citizenship
Robert Morris, Jr, Esq. was selected
chairman, and appropriately introduced The
speaker, who was received with hearty ap-
plause.
Mr.. Douglass said he felt embarrassment
in rising TO speak, principally because the
assembly was Of mixed character, which
would not allow strain of remark tina,
could be offered to one class solely. He
would therefore deyiale from the line Of ar
gu,nent he had marked out, and speak of
slavery in IFS general aspect.
This was our national SIN and scandal ,as
we'll as the great mistake of America. II
was the great disturbing cause above all
others, and more dangerously affected the
stability { that which all Americans rever-
enced the Union. We have one-slxth of
our people in chains-agalnst the genius
of our institutions, against the Declaration
of independence and. as he thought ,agalns.
the Constitution.
No people we're ever more mistaken than
our own. 1t had come to be thou ght Ina,
we we're great nation. 1t is true that we
are great in our enterprise. in gu, business,
in our associations and societies. benevu
lent aud religious; we are great in OBJ
schemes and diversified projects But, in
view of the Inconsistencies, we are grea, eT
still Slavery gives the lie TO all our pro
fessons. As a nation we are all guilt par
takers Of the ensavement of three millions
of our fellow citizens.
We say much OF education; but we pass
laws that deny the bonn to this larg class
of people. We recognise the marriage tie,
yet we elevate men to power aud honor who
are keepers of houses of ilfame--fo for he
held that every apologizer Of slavery was
engaged in the business. Every plantation
is but one huge brothel, where all the sa--
credness of marriage is set at naught~ The
mass Of slaves are denied the rights of mar
riage-and this under the droppngs of the
sanctuary and in the face Of onr pro testa-
tiOns OF virtue.
He is not a virtuous man, and she is not
a virtuous woman, who dues not como emn
the slavery system at the South He who
loves liberty for himself. loves it 70 all
men; he who l"ves virtue for himself. loves
it for all men he who loves Christia nity
for himself, loves it for all men. aud will do
all that can be done to extend its blessir ,gs
The antislavery movement embraces all
these virtues. aud its destiny is to extend
their influence to all. For the Amerit IAN
10 see his Inconsistencies, he should sta nd
wi,iou, his country, and look upon it as it
appears abroad. In the language of Burns,
we might say
"Oh, Tat some power the gift would gle us,
To sea ourselves MS others us,
Ito appreciate the position we as nation
occupy before the world Pinch, which is
always well Posted up, had givsn an Illus
tra,ion how America appears in the person
of lean, lank Yankee, with pistol, bowie
knife and lash, seated On one chair, with Il
sIavecoffie passing by--a whlppng.pos t
nea, at hand, aud the capitol in the dis
lance, over which streamed the flag OF stars I,
inscribed "all men are equal" This wa,'
the picture Of our natlon presented abroad.
Go to any of the southern cities, and the
realization of this picture would be found.
As Arnold, of Tennessee, on the floor of
Congress, has said, there was within ''us a
dangerous population"-a fact which the
recent'consternation in New Orleans, from
reported insurrectlon, showed was too pal
pable to be denied.
The slave in this country and the poor
man OF Ireland. furnish but few instances
of similarity of condition. The poor man
of Ireland enjoyed an altitude Of position
to which the slave could not aspire. He
might be poor, and houseless, aud naked.
and hungry, still he Is man-what the
slave could not be. Tongues they had hut,
they could not speak hearts have they,
but the canno. feel /; aspirations they have,
but they must not breathe them. They are
du.nb. The freshman cnuId iil up his voice
and be heard OConneli could rally his
coun'rymen an lipperary hill. ConcIIa.
tion hall could sound out its indignation.
But The poor slave has 10 voice. no repre-
sentative Slavery made three million of
our people utterly dumb, aud there Is no
voice To come from them.
Take away the chains, the lash, the whip
ping.posl, the hounds, aud all the internal
Of the hell of human slavery,
and there would come from these three mil
llous of people condemnation, s,roug and
deep, of this American natIon---the dumb.