Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-03-02
mir. BARBER's LETTER,
To the Fdncuil Hall Convention

Among the many excellent letters read at
the great Mass Meeting in Fancul Hall, was
the following stirring and high toned letter from
E. D. Barber, of Middlebury.
Middlebuy, VT, Feb. IA, 1854.
Gentlemen Your letter, inviting me to at
tend the Convention of the Free Democracy of
Massachusetts,, to be holden in Faneuil Hall on
the 10th inst, came duly to hand; and [ beg
you to believe that it would afford me the high
est satisfaction to be present and participate in
the deliberations of that on,ention. | should
stand in Faneul Hall, colsrcratcd to freedom
by the heroes and martyrs of the Revolution, -
| shcnld feel the inspiration which moved their
hearts i sholld hear the echo IS which their
words of patriotism and Er, once startled there,
again awakened in the cavse which they bles-
seCl and slnctilicd vita their treasure and their
blood, and | shoild be in the midst of their
descendants, true to the old and inpcrishable
faith, and daring to speak and act, as did<their
sres, for the slcrrd cause Of liberty, in the face
of OpprobriLm and in defiance and scorn of the
clanors of the hiralngs and parasites of pow
or. The Free Democracy Of Massachusetts, are
the wang ard Of tlo army OF freedom, which
is mastering for the final conflict with the slave
power and wherever their banner flies, the fol-
lowing hosts may know that it leads them to-
wards the FOE, and to the post of danger, of de-
ty and of victory.
The measure wlich your Convention is called
to Oppose, contemplat an outrage upon the
principles OF our institutions and the ancient
policy OF our government, which dwarls into
insisniticancc, by its colossal proportions, every
other aggression of the srasring and relent-
less spirit Of slavery, upon the interests of free
dom, and upon thc institutions which it is the
mission of this Republic to establish and extend.
1t aims to throw open the portals. now closed
Of an almost boundless domain, to the admis-
sion of the fell spirit, the polluting presence and
the whitening heritage of human bondage. 1t
seeks to stamp the coin Of freedom with the
- image and supcrscription' of oppression, and
to cmblazon the banner of the Republic with
the hcraldry of slavery. The devoting of Ne
braska to slavery, should such calamitous re-
suit follow ,is but the least o. the evils hich are
locked up in this Pandora's box. Its pestlence
will poison the health and sap the life of free
dom everywhere and its browning horror will
be the handing over of the government itself.
bound hand and foot, to the dominion and con-
troll of that power which lourshcs only on the
grave of human rights, and which cannot live
except where human advancement languishes
and human hopes die. The goal towards which
this measure looks, and at which only, it will
stop, is the making of this government the ac-
knowledged patron of tyranny-the giant op-
pressor of the world. The imagination reels,
under the contemplation of the counties abom-
nations which swell its proportions and which
render illmitable the dimensions of its atrocity
and when | look at the vastness of the iniouity
contemplated, and then at its author and cham
pion, l cannot help but exclaim, " Behold how
greata fire little matter kindleth, Apigmy giant
seeking to make himself one of the great ones
of the earth, not by the excellence of his deeds
in the promotion of human good, but by the
magnitude of his treachery to humanity and
freedom, and to the principles in which he was
nurtured. New England born and New England
bred, he smothers the teachings of his youth
turns his back upon the institutions of his native
land--spurns the memories of the illustrious
dead--and basely seizcs the glories of Bunker
Hill, the legaces of the dying Montgomery and
Warren, and the spirit of the heroic Allen, and
offers them all as incense upon the altar of the
Degon of human bondage, himself ministerine
as the chief priest at the sacrifice. Oh shame
Deep inelfiblc, undying shame upon the New
! England traitor With his treaehery, the
treason of Arnold is but peccadi.lo! Arnold
would have betrayed fortress to the enemy
Douglus would betray an empire-nay, his
whole country to the deadest foe of human
liberty! New England will cast him out as a
renegade Vermont will disown him as a son
All who love their ceuhtfy and its institutions
and the blessings of freedom, will say to him
wherever they meet him -
j "Ga, IL you lov'st such fame, and share
1 The mad Eplesian's base exampe-
Il The old aud holy COMPACT tear,
4 And clap the torch 10 FREEDoN's temple /"
ado this-neaven's frown, thy country's curse
i Quilts fiery tortures burning
The Quenchless thirst Of Tantaus,
And Ixion's wheel forever turning
A name, for which the paindest fend
Bel,w,' his own would barter never
These shall be thine unto the end
Thy damning heritage forever"
My heart, gentlemen, will be with your Con.
vention when it meets. May it give utterance
to sentiments which it is the high privilege and
4 great duty of Massachusetts, alone to utter in
] Faneuil Hall and may those sentiments be ut
tered with q decision and tone and energy which
shall arouse the whole land to action and exer-
ton against this monster outrage, SO that
"From each and all, II God hath not forsaken
Our land aud left us To evil choice,
Loud as the summer thunderbolt shall waken
E Hh pEorLgs VOICE!
"Sartlng and stern the Northern winds shall bear IT,
4 Ger Potomacs to st. Marys wavei
AMI buried freedom shah awake to hear it,
Within her grave"
!, am, gentlemen, very respectfully yours,
ED\UAR n RARRER