Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-19

eity, anu, doubt not, never lelt tnere Jess
hostility to the great wrong.
The address was printed in Vergenncs
Wing newspaper. This was in the Winter
of 1884. The editor felt called upon to
apologize to his patrons for the insertion of the
thing in his valuable paper, and, | suppose,
secured their pardon, by assuring them that
he had been bribed 1t was printed horribly.
Compositor and proof reader, if there was
any, combined to make my bantling as ridic-
ulous as possible. From that same class ol
people have suffered all ny life since, and
seriously doubt whether anything of mine
was ever printed correctly. Nothing but
that same old childish love of appearing in
print, with perhaps dash Of desire to do
something in behalf of what Re conceives to
be the right and ihe true, gets the better Of
his Judgment, and inspires the writer with
the courage to expose himself to the malice
of the printer.
Of course, made the popular allusion
to the scar Of Juggernaut," but the printer
put it "Juggerman. Referring to
the alleged bloody intentions Of the abolition
lists, the lecturer said "Let them keep their
blood in their own veins; we want none of
1t but the printer had it. 1--WE want
~~SaS VA ~. uOW luc CdilOW OIh-
tor felt to see his favorite headed, "By Oliver
Z. Wheeler! Alas! what equals the tor
ture of authors? How compositors mangle
them. Is capital punishment too severe for
such criminal earelessness? Hideous writ
ing? Pray, what has that to do with it?
Forty-three years have passed away since
that school house lecture was delivered, and
l have never seen reason to take back sin
gle sentiment contained therein, because
it WAS the truth and that never changes.
At that time. there we've q few sboli-
tionists in my dear old Charlotte. Deacon
Grant, the earnest and the witty, and &C.
centric and frank John Mcneil were just
getting excited upon the subject of slavery.
Friends desired . repetition Of the lecture in
Charlotte, and applied for the Congrega-
tional church, for that purpose, and were
denied, so cautious, not to saw bitter, were
good Christian people then. They welcon-
ed agents Of the Colonization society. That
bad the sanction and support OF Henry
Clay, and most Of the politicians. some of
them, doubtless. from the best Of motives,
while others sought to rid the Southern
States OF free negroes, dsngerou sclsss.
The society also commended itself to the
support OF by no means small nor un-
worthy minority Of Shareholders, VINO
honestly desired to wash their hands of the
institution, and we're hedged in and
embarrassed by the laws Of Southern States,
designed to prevent the increase of the
freedmen. Generally speaking, in those
days, opposition to aholitionism kept pace
with devotion to colonization. Some of Us
think that they should always have been
friends instead of enemies.
Many anti-slavery people bitterly oppos-
ed and unsparingly denounced colon
ization, but could never sympathize with
them in this feeling. thought then, and
think now, that if nv hair was crisp, and
my complexion little darker than it is,
the best place for me would be Africa. de-
spairing of ever escaping prejudice which,
nevertheless, | consider outrageous, and
even devilish. | should rather live where
God would not allow white men to tyran-
izs over me, either by law, or the contempt
ible prescription of society.
But that is the freedman's business, not
mine. He has as much right to America
as | have. Brought to this continent against
his will, it would be outrageous. in the ex-
treme. to drive him away. L.t him choose
his own home, and where be will. let him
be amply protected in all his righ.s and
and make the most and best of
himself.
ANTI-sLAvERY IN THE UNIVERSITY.
1t would hardly be supposed that the
Jealous student should do nothing to pro-
psgste the truth among his fellows. or at
least find out whether there were any like
minded among tho undergraduates. The
result was that he found three or four. of
whom | remember distinctly s. X. Stevens.
NJ. p. Case, both long since gone to the
Better Land and Cummings. who, 1 believe,
is still alive, though | have not met him for
many years. can recall no other names.
college, usually, is indicated as to
feeling and sentiment, by the same
thermometer that discloses the mental
and moral and even political state
Of the public mind and heart out
side of it. Abolitionism found, as my
readers are aware, very cool entertainment
in the University. We who espoused its
doctrines were poor and uninfuentisl.
There were sons OF statesmen. and wealthy
business men, and Jealous politicians there,
who gave direction to college sentiment.
The faculty treated US kindly, did not seek
to control, but only to chill our zeal, were
ardent colonizationists, and only one whom |
We suspected of any sympathy with our |
views Prof. George W. Benedict was. in |
every respect, freeman, Independent and |
fearless, and years before bad delivered a |
Fourth OF July oration, from which, with |
exultant pride, we used to quote a scathing |
of slavery. James Marsh,
our idol. used to quiver all over him. with |
excitement. Some must re-
member how strangely he interrupted Gov
ernor Sade, who was addressing q congre-
CATION in the old White street church |
vestry That nobl, and eloquent man
was setting forth the sinfulnsss of
DR.. Marsh jumped to
his feet and piled the Governor with pug
rling questions Although my sympa.hies
were entirely with Gov. Slsde, whose pluck
and zeal l admired. could not but enjoy,
Just little. his embarrassment while stand.
ing the FIRE Of his quivering questions. The
physician, and that was the Professors
forte. Both were honest, and in dead ear
nest. Dr. Marsh could not relish the charge
Of sin brought against bis slave holding
brethren. OF the questions. | remember
distinctly only one. 1t was this Can a
man conscientiously violate his consciencs?"
Governor Slade failed to answer that ques-
lion satisfactorily. l think he had not so
much reverence for conscience as the Doctor
had. Thought is. to considerable extent.
the creature Of education, and therefore no
guide. OF course, such doctrine destroys
completely the authority of conscience
but it is still the doctrine of
he many. DR.. Marsh thought the
of slsveholding depended upon
he motive lying back of it. and therefore
not sinful per Sc. His interrogatories
worried the speaker very seriously.
With such prevailing sentiments among
eachers and scholars, togther with the
Of the snti-slavery movement,
md the youth and comparative feebleness
If the few, it is not an occasion of
surprise that sbolitionism
made slow progress in college. Indeed,
do not remember that the little band re-
,eived any recruits during our stay. We
rad the unspeskable pleasure of being
to the cause, and probably
leyer regained the good opinions we lost.
N account Of our abolitionism, notwith-
tanding its ultimate triumph. and our am
,le justification by tho years and the events
hat have come and gone between the then
md the now.
10 be Continued)
CHINAMEN'S 5 SBoNEs.-Whencvera Chin
Imen is sick and beyond recovery, he is