Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-10-13
CONTRITION AT LAST.

Inc ola man hudson, VINO tor ms fourth OF
July amusement this present year, tied up
negro woman to a tree and whipped her to
death, in Meckenburg County, Virginia, under
circumstances of unexamplcd atrocity, has ac-
tually been sentenced to eighteen years imprs-
onment in the penitentiary at Richmond. This
shows that the voice of humanity is at length
being heard in Virginia, coming up from the
lowest depths, as it were from the very tomb.
BY whipping woman to death on the fourth
of July Hudson seemed to think that he was
celebrating the day in a proper anti-abolitionist
way-in way that would be pleasant and
agreeable to the prevailing sentiment Of his
State. But Virginia, it appears, was not pre-
pared to go quite to that length. Although her
people are capable of insulting an inofen>ive
party of English gentlemen in her State capital
while admiring one of its works of art. still,
Virginia has not yet refrigerated quite so far as
to be willing to sacrifice human being-a wo-
manly stripes, to the black spirit, of aboi-
tionism. Virginia, though She gladly mar,yr1cd
John Brown, was not willing to defy the hero
ism of Old Hludson and the hoary culprit,
finding himself alone, unsustaincd by the slave
power in whose behalf he had done the deed,
and really being shut up in prison for his crime,
broke out into the following cxcumations of
amazement and contiition "Grem God! Sus-
tain anil help me- IN this hyiag hoor! FuoceV
ruin porjd! nh ! Hm res Jicss,t ,r,th to,-
gci,Hiness! Lord be mc,c;JM To me, great
S0mr!'
Poor Old Hudson was evidently an ignorant
man; and his chief crime has been that he has
followed out the leadership of Mr. Mason Mr.
Hunter, Mr. Wise, and others such. He but
merely practced the practical consequences of
their teachings; and great was his establishment
to find how these advocates Of slavery had de-
ceivcd him.
The people Of Virginia have been made *
norant and kept in IGNORANCE by their leaders
in order that the "blessed institution" among
them may be made to thrive and grow. They
Their leaders have secured their own positions
of profit and power by gratifying the passions
Of the masses, and advocating course of crime
and easy, downward progression. Like Brig
ham Young, they hold their places by catering
to the dcpraved tastes of their followers
But this state of things is coming to an end.
When the leaders leave their followers in the
lurch, to abide the consequences of the false
doctrines which they teach, there must be a split
between them, and loss of confidence. III
fact, the undecei,ng of the people of the South
is about to take place in the election of Lin
coin; and they will soon cxclam like Old Hud-
son-"Oh. that we were blessed with forget
fitness Lord be merciful TO us, great SIN
:" They will no more think of dissolviug
the Union than Old Hudson did of seeding
from the State of Virginia.
The reader will observe the difference between
the bearing of John brown and Old Hudson.
Brown knew well the consequences of his course
of action and vas ready TO accept them, even
upon tie gaows, but Hudson was oycrw helmed
with amazemcnt at the consequences Of lis
course of proceedings, and hoped that the Lord
would be merciful to hh--a great sinner This
is a good illustration OF the real sentiments that
animate the two sections of the country on the
slave question. The leaders of slavery are
much holder in threatening revolution than
their followers will be in meeting the conse-
quences. In the history of the world who ever
heard of a revolution made expressly in favor
of slavery? Revolutions are got up for I.iber-
ty, not for Slavery.