The voice of freedom. [volume], August 10, 1839, Image 2

About The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848

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gravation of the African slave-trade to interdict it
by law while-the market demanding: it was kept
up. It merely, transforms it from an open trade
to smuggling. "It does not decrease or mitigate
it but the contrary. Instead of attacking the
slave- trade, Clarkson should have assailed the
West India slavery as George Thompson did.
There is no need of the British navy now to pre
vent a slave trade between Africa . and the West
Indies. The fountain of it is dry atid the stream
perishes of course.
(3) But as they are not impeded at all, coloni
zation either does not intend to impede it, or does
not at all prevail on the coast. It is easy to say
that colonization impedes the slave trade. It is
sufficient to say in answer that the trade an't im-
peded by colonization or navies, or nil the pom
pous display of power arrayed against it by states
men and admirals who never had any philanthro'
nv in them n fter nil. The British parliament
tnlPa orrmir nroAit t ilcnlf fnr ilpclarinr, after IS
vpit rpfusnl thnl thnir own sllipS should not be
pmnWpd. Mwfnllv. in that accursed man-trade
TKey had better confess that they held out so !ng
against Clarkson, and that tney imu legaiueu me
trade before that, from time immemorial, lint
tannin carried on the trade over a century, and ai
last (perhaps when as in this country it was for
the interest of slavery that it should be stopped)
upon 18 years importunity passed an act tnat sue
would not carry it on any longer. Then her po
ets e orihed her humanity. Why dm she ever
suffer herself to carry it on? And after outlawing
the trade, why did she continue a slavery that
would inevitably keep it up, and which was itself
as atrocious as the trade f It is idle to talk ot the
colony's impeding ihe slave-trade. A traffic that
transports 350,000 victims a year, interrupted by
a half-starved colony, barely able to keep itself
alive, if it can do that ? The trade would be more
likely to impede the poor colony if it was in its
way at all. It seems to ns extravagantly chimer
ical to expect that poor little mock republic of
goods and chattels that could not pass muster for
humanity here to arrest or affect a greedy trade
that all the British navy can't impede. The trade
is by law piracy. The British and American na
vies ure pledged to puc it down to scourge it from
the ocean. They can't mitigate it even. They
could not if they "had a navy for every single prow
thev now have. It is ridiculous then to talk of
those poor forlorn colonized castaways checking
the slave trade. Why they have something else
to do. If they keep their own fooling there against
the natives, the famine, and the climate, it is more
than most white folks could do, in their circum
stances. Their suppressing the slave trade is one
of those foolish ideas that sensible folks will utter
when they stand in a silly position (and a wicked
one) and resolve to maintain it. What should
we think of the Concord town's poor undertaking
to erect three new bridges over the Merrimack,
that the town can't erect, and then, rather than be
idle, volunteer a detachment and go and drive Sir
John Harvey and his Nova Scotia men off the
Madawska timber lands. We might as rational
ly expect them to impede the timber trespassers
in their encroachments, as to expect the poor scare
crows of Liberia to check that man-trade that de
fies the world.
(4) Perhaps they would. But we have no
doubt that many of those who have been sent
there from the plantation would be glad to get a
board the slave ship, and run their chance to see
the old spot they left, than sttiy and pine where
they have home-sickness without freedom. The
exile there, don't feel as the fugitive in Canada.
He offsets home-sickness with liberty. He finds
liberty at Wilbsrforce. Think you any slave
would run to Liberia, if a good foot path led the
way there? No, not if he could run any where
else. Liberia is the pound where these strays a
mong the human family are shut up. It is -the
" Nigger Pew " of the great earth temple. They
are put in there to get them out of the way of
proper people.
(5) Why surprising, neighbor Panoply? Is it
more surprising that an infidel merchant should
import slaves than that a doctor of divinity should
buy them of him that an unprincipled mercena
ry trader should be a slave importer, than that
christian churches, doctors of divinity and mission
ary boards of commissioners should be slave-consumers.
Not SO SURPRISING to US.
(6) Oh " accursed " man-hatred, pride, love of
dominion, popery. " Thirst for gold " is tender
mercy to these.
(7) Pretty well, we are glad to hear a word from
.the Panoply against the home slave trade. " We
do nut extenuate the guilt of the traffic in our
country !" Do not extenuate it ! Why it would be
dialtolkal to extenuate it. But whv do you not de
nounce it? Why do you not disquiet the guilty
land that carries it on, and that defends it; and
why do you not lend your hand to put down the
heaven daring system that feeds the trade? " Here
and everyivhere," says the Panoply. The " every
where" comes in, in a twinkling, to keep the mind
from dwelling on the "here.'" " Be temperate in
all things " says the tipler, when you urge him to
be temperate in the one thing. "May he be set
free from his fetters," prays the pro-slavery divine
when he wants to prove the abolitionist a liar for
charging him with indifference to the sla-ve. "May
he be freed from bondage, but especially be freed
from the more galling fetters of sin " the latter
supplication superadded with impatient quickness
as a merger of the former. ' But the prayer for the
latter blessing would be more honest if connected
with prayer and effort to give the slave manhood,
where the blessiug of salvation can reach him.
A slave is not a subject of gospel preaching.
There is an absurdity in treating him as a moral
agent. You might as well preach to truck hors
es. Slaves worship their owners. They " have
no other God before " them. The slave system
demands absolute subjection of the slave to the
mister so that he may look up to him and say
" thy will be done..
(8) What does the Jinoply think of professed
..Christians who keep up a scheme of colonization
for the purpose of sustaining the slavery that ere
ates that " horrid traffic," that " drags these slaves
-into slavery,'.' and for the purpose of stopping the
truly benevolent enterprise that is casting down
" that system to the earth. ,
(d) So they are stained with the lbod of" A
inericans ! " This matter is not so wholly African
ft our menus would make it. American born
people of three or four generations standing, adul
. terated and compounded by nine-tenths angio-Sax
on commixture a'nt very properly called African.
especially by those Americans who have recently
fled here from the old world. Americans these
people are, who are c.offled nud marketed by our
American " system " home &lave trade and the
THE
hands of enslavers, holders, and their apologists
are "stained with their blood." "The gospel will
melt hard hearts " when one is nreached that hath
warmth in it. A dry, bold, congealation gospel.
that will extract from, the heart even us nauve
blood-warmth never fuses it. A slave-holding
thp heart and turns it to flint.
Whether such a " gospel " would ever " bring men
under the influence of the gospel," as the Panoply
queries, we do'rtt pretend to know. American
gospel will never melt men's hearts any more than
American politics will give them liberty. Amer
ican gospel comes about as near the Bible as A
mprican vractice comes to American theory as
laid down in the 4ih of July declaration.
From the Herald of Freedom.
Colonization and Abolition.
These are the enemies in the field and they are
at mortal odds and they ought to be. They con
tend for the colored man as Hector and the Greet
fought for the body of Patioclus. The former
would rid the count y of him, as Dr. Finley said
the latt r send oft slavery and eo onization and rid
the country of them and leave the colored man to
go his free ways here or elsewhere. i'he follow
ing is from, t'le colored Amcrictn. who evidently
can never rise, to the level of the Panoply in this
country, and therefore the latter is of the opinion
they had better go Last till they come where
they can rise without the intellectual emptins
we editors" nil have here. We admire the no
ble indignation of brothers Ray and Bell. Is
their colonization to be spoken of by white inso
lence ? Suppose brother David Kimball should
write to them on the matter of "consent " and try
his pencil at the sketch of Liberia for their fan-
cips. . we doubt he could start either o them.
They might waver under the assault, but then on
second thought, it is so far so dark so lonely
and desolate & heart-sickening, & so derogatory to
human nature, and there are so many anti-slavery
men, colored and uncolored here at home to plead
and to recover the colored man's rights, and be
associates, friends and countrymen to him, we
doubt friend Kimball would start them. They
might recommend him to go and form a co-part
nership with brother Hilary Teague of the Libe
ria Herald, if brother Kimball's complexion would
warrant him against the climate. If he thinks
Liberia is a good country for them, thev would
return the compliment.
WHAT HAVE THIiV DONE ?
The question "what have abolitionists done for
the colored man ?" is often asked, and as often
sneeringly answered by the inquisitor, nothing.
Having some knowledge on this subject, and
being not a little interested in these matters we
beg leave to give our candid, unbiased opinion,
ind this opinion is the result of close observation
and long experience. Abolitionists, apart from
what they have done in waking up our guilty na
tion to its sin and clanger, and apart from what
they have done towards breaking the shackles of
the slave, and towards procuring for him rights,
privileges and the Bible, have carried our popula
tion forward, in the scale of improved humanity.
at least, half a century.
Had there been no anti-slavery organization or
efficient anti-slavery action similar to the organiza
tion and action of the "American Anti-Slavery
Society for fifty years to come, our free colored
population would not have been as efficient and as
capable of taking care of themselves, and of acting
the part of enlightened men and citizens as they
now are. The concessions made by abolitionists,
willingly, and by their opponents, of necessity, to
principle and to buman rights, have almost effect
ed among our colored brethren a new creation.
Think for a moment what must have been the in
fluence of the nroclamalion of our Declaration of
Independence upon the mind and energies of our
oppressed nation in 76 ? Why it was like pro-
aimmg Liv hi to a valley ol dry bones. Just so,
did the publication of the first document of the
abolitionists, which conceded to colored men hu
manity and rights effect our brethren. It seemed
to give a new existence and to call forth energies
and powers which they were not aware of pos
sesing. -
With increased humility before God and incres-
ed love and respect fr m?n, the free population
of our people, throughout the country, possess
feelings of manhood, energy, enterprise, and virtue
which nothing but principles & nipasnres ol liber
ty could inspire. Without the abolition move
ments our colored citizens would have dragged oul
an intolerable existence of, at least, fifty years
more, without energy, efficiency or elevation.
More than this, slavery and colonization were ex
erting an influence of deterioration over the free
colored population and effecting in them feelings
of pusillanimity and discouragement, which we
dare prophecy, would have eventually sought re
lief in universal and perpetual bondage or in ban
ishment. "Abolition" has awoke this dispirited
people to the dignity of manhood and the energy
and enterprise of freemen. With the same zeal,
and kill, with which they now contend for "ina
lienable rights" do they al?o s-.'ek for affluence' and
cultivation.
WHAT HAVE COI.ONIZATIONISTS DONE ?
To the above inquiry we answer, (and we hum
bly assume to know the truth of the matter as well
asany man living) colonizationists have, the good
abolitionists excepted, successfully succeeded in
lulling to sleep the consciences of the nation on
the subject of slavery, and teaching them to be
lieve that the colored citizens are an extraneous
mass, among them, but not of them, nor to be pro
vided with them. That they are a race of beings
not included in the "golden rule," and who may be
trampled upon, cut off from privileges and denied
rights with impunity. That may be bought and
sold, and banished, without violating principles of
humanity, or transgressing the laws of God.
Hence Christians & Christian ministers, in Amer
ica, can buy and sell, proscribe and hate the color
ed man, preach and pray, and make other Pharisa
ical professions, in the same day, and that too
without any compunctions of conscience.
Again : they have stupified many of our breth
ren, in the more dark regions of our country, and
rendered them inefficient and wretched others
they have seduced to ruin in Liberia. We have
been told, officially, and by a a consta?U repetition
of tellings, almost induced to believe, that being
pious, virtuous, industrious, enterprizing and in
telligent would avail us nothing, while we remain
ed in this coontry. Religion, ourselves, God nor
the devil, nor any thing lor us, while we continu
ed in the white man's land. Such was their ha
tred of our color, their moral incapability of doing
righteously and measuring nut justice to the op-
nressed. that no power could procure for us our
VOICE OF FREEDOM.
rights, nor elevate our character, while we remain
ed in America.
Done for us ! If their unsatiated hatred did not
continue to do more and more, every day ,we should
say at once, colonizationists have done all the
"enemy's" bidding. They have well nigh ruined
us. JNn one, save the intelligent, pious colored
man, who has been the victim, can possibly con
ceive the paralyzing influence of the American
Colonization Society has had upon the energy, in
terests and virtue of colored citizens in the Uni
ted States, for the last twenty years. It has ren
dered them tired of existence, suspicious of man
kind, nnd, at times, even distrustful of the Almigh
ty.
' This dreadful American crusade against the
rights and peace of a part of their inoffensive and
defenceless brethren, notwithstanding the pretext
or cloak, "with their own consent, has been a
measure of wickedness calculated to make angels
weep, the hearts of its oppressed victims to bleed
and if not turned from and repented of, will make
the church of Jesus Christ in America to wail
for she is deeply imbued in the guilt.
Colonizationists what have they done ? WThat
that is unnatural, inhuman, and unrighteous have
t'e; not done ? Time, eternity, and God, only,
can answer.
Light Wnnted.
WTe wish for information, which, we are confi
dent it is in the power of Dr. Proudfit, Dr. Bangs,
or some other member of the Colonization Socie
ty in this city to give, and information which we
think they are honestly bound to give without
delay. Reports are in circulation, which ought to
receive the immediate attention of all who ask for
aid of the public, in carrying forward the' present
scheme of African Colonization.
The information we wish, is in relation to the
late Governer Finlv, and the extent to which the
slave-trade has, of late, been carried on. on the
African coast, with the connivance of the Colonies
there.
1. Has not Dr. Proudfit, or Dr. Bangs been
informed that Governor Finly was concerned in
the slave-trade? Have they not been credibly
informed, that Governor Finly was seen just be
fore he was murdered, leaving a Portuguese en
slaver in that vicinity, with two lads, and a box,
or boxes, supposed to contain the money which
he had recieved from the enslavers? Have they
not been informed that the money whk-h he had
with him when he was put to death, was a part
of that which had been passing through his
hands from time to lime, belonging to the slave-
traders ? .
2. Is it not a fact that they have been credibly
informed that some of the stores belonging to the
colonies have been used as places of storage by
the slave-traders ?
3. Is it not a fact that they have been credibly
informed that the Mississippi colony has been
.leeply engaged with the enslavers in this nefari
ous traffic ?
4. Is it not a fact that the slave trade has been
carried on to a greater extent than ever upon the
African coast within a year past?
Now we put it to Dr. Bangs and to Dr. Proudfit,
and we ask, how they can expect the public to re
pose c6nfidence in the honesty of those who have
information in their power on the .above facts and
refuse to give it when called for?
We perceive that Dr. Goheen has just arrived
in this city with " a female baboon .'" Whether
this " very intelligent ourang-outang, is to be pre
sented to the American Colonization Society, or
not, we have not learned.
But we venture to refer to Dr. Goheen for light
on the above queries. Will he have the kindness
to tell us what he knows about Gov. Finly's in
terest in the slave-trade ? And to what extent the
traffic is now carried on in the vicinity of the col
onies ? Give us light ! Zions Watchman.
A writer in the Eastern Baptist, in advocating
the practice of proclaiming "liberty," at the end of
each sermon, to all who had a word of exhortation
for the people, relates the following anecdote :
"We have heard a good story of a youngpop
ular preacher, tu whose congregation a pious ne
gro was attached, and who was in the habit of ob
truding his exhortations upon the people, to the
great annoyance of the minister. On a certain
Sabbath, a genteel stranger happened to attend the
meeting, and the minister could not bring himself
to endure the idea of having his well arranged ser
vices interrupted by an illiterate negro; so resolv
ed to prevent it by hastening so rapidly from one
exercise to another as to allow hiin no opportunity
to speak. But the negro was-too quick for him,
anddropt a word of warning to sinners between
the close of the sermon and the commencement of
the closing prayer, mucb to the mortification and
chagrin of the preacher. Some time after this oc
currence, the good minister happened to meet the
stranger, and was informed that on the above na
med Sabbath he was brought to see his sinfulness
in the sight of God, and front that time, led by the
faith of Christ. The minister expressed much a
greeable surprise that his sermon should have been
so signally blessed. But here again he was doom
ed to disappointment, for the stranger assured him
that it was not his sertnou, but the few broken re
marks of the poor negro which God had sanctified
to his salvation. "Be not wise above what is
written."
" Going going gone !" The National In
telligencer, published at Washington City, is ed
ited by the Treasurer of the American Coloniza
tion Society. In a late number we had the curi
osity to add together the several amounts offered
through its columns as rewards forthe recovery of
slave3whohad colonized themselves "with their
own consent." They amounted to t'le very nice
sum of two thousand nine hundred and fifty dol
lars. Twelve fugitives are advertised dividing
this equally among them, and we have $243,83
nnd a fraction offered for the apprehension of each
This, we suppose, is to be taken as an index
of the-anxiety of the South'to "'get rid of sla
very." The same paper contains advertisements of
" cash for negroes," inserted by professed slave
traders and yet the National Intelligencer is
considered one of the most respectable papers
published at Washington. But is there, after
all, any great incongruity in advertising slaves,
and advocating Colonization in the same columns ?
We do not know of avColonization journal in the
land, that does not directly or indirectly justify
slavery. Christian Witness.
The Biblle Is the treasure of the poor, the
solace of the sick, and the support of the dying.
THE VOICE OF FREEDOM.
MONTPELIER, SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1839.
The Convention.
The National Anti-Slavery Convention which
met in the city of Albany on Wednesday, Thurs
day and Friday of last week, may be fairly set
down as one of the most interesting and important
meitmgs ever held in the United States. Rising
four hundred and fifty members were in attend
ance, including clergymen of all the principal de
nominations, professional men of every class, far
mers and mechanics in strong force, merchants
in short, all the leading interests of the country,
civil, religious, literary, commercial, aglicultu
ral and manfacturing, were well represented, by
an intelligen, honest, open-hearted body of men
from all tiro free States save Indiana and Illinois
Thirty members were enrolled from Vermont.
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania sent up large
delegations. A number of prominent individuals
in different States, who were unable to attend, sent
very acceptable letters of apology, expressive of
deep sympathy and solicitude for the cause of the
lave. Among the letters read was an excellent
one from Thomas Morris of Ohio, another from
Theodore Sedgwick of Massachusetts, another
from Edward C. Delavan, just returned from his
European temperance tour. Our excellent friend,
Gerrit Smith, was sudderilv taken ill on his way
to Albany, and much to the regret of all, was not
permitted to meet with us. We were rejoiced to
find John G. Whiltierjso much recruited by hi
recent editorialjurlough as to be on the ground.
several members appeared from the slave State
of Delaware. One of them, (Dr. Gibbons of Wil
mington) officiated as a Secretary and seemed to
be quite as much at home as the most ultra of our
northern fanatics. John ;3Scoble, the Wendell
Phillips of England, having arrived very oppor
I r. L . P .1 ITT T .
tuneiy iiom ins tour oi me west indies, was
greeted with a brotherly welcome to the platform.
On the evening of the First of August the En
glish Fourth of July Mr. Scohle addressed s
densely crowded house on the working of eman
cipation in the colonies. Well-arranged statistics
of Productions, Finance, and Crime, before and
since emancipation, were presented by him in
such a manner as to produce conviction in every
mind not impervious to truth and argument.
The resolutions adopted by the Convention are
given below, from a slip politely furnished from the
Emancipator office. As the proceedings are to be
published at length from the hand of an alia re
porter, we shall spread the whole before our read
ers in due time.
From the Emancipator.
National Anti-Slavery Convention.
This important Convention met, pursuant to
the call, at Albany, in the 4th Presbyterian church
on Wednesday July 31st. The meeting was
called to order by W. L. Chaplin, chairman of the
Committee of Arrangements.
Alvan Stewart, of Utica, was appointed Pres
idenlof the Convention, supported by the follow
ing Vice-Presidents : William Jackson, of Mass. :
David Root, of N.II. ; Nathan Winslow, of Maine ;
Jonathan P. Miller, of Vt.j A. M. Collins, of
Conn.; Wiljis Ames, of R. I. ; Ellas Manches
ter, James G. Birney, Isreal Smith, and Martin
Pope of N. Y. ; Lindly Coates and James Paul
of Penn. ; Samuel Aaron, of New Jersey, Thom
as Garreit, of Delaware, and Samuel Plumb, of
Uhio.
Joshua Leavitt, of N. Y.; Chauncey L. Knapp,
ofVt. ; and Henry Gibbons, of Delaware were
appointed Secretaries.
Prayer was offered by Joseph R. Robinson of
N. Y.
John Scoble, of London, who has just returned
from spending several months in investigating the
condition of the British West Indies, was introdu
ced to the meeting, and invited to a seat, as an
honorary member of the Convention. On Thurs
day evening, August 1st, by request of the Con
vention, he presented a deeply interesting and en
couraging detail of the state of things in those col
onies. The following general resolution was adopted
the first morning of the session, after remarks by
several members.
Whereas, the spirit of slavery pervades, to a
great extent, Church and State in our country,
making the one a scandal and reproach to Christ-
endoni,-!-lhe other, a libel upon republicanism ;
and uniting both in the bans of an unholy alliance,
repugnant alike to unadulterated Christianity and
genuine democracy: Therefore,
Resolved, That we solemnly call upon all those
of our fellow men who love the principles of unde
filed religion, to neglect no opportunity of purify
ing the churches or sects with which they may be
connected, from the pollutions of a system utterly
hostile to the precepts of the Gospel of Christ,and
to the fundamental doctrines of every religious
sect; and upon all our fellow citizens who value
free political institutions for themselves or their
children, to neglect no opportunity, whether of pe
t'lior, remonstrance, or rebuke at the bali.ot-bo:-,
to cast out from the political parties with which
they may be associated, the spirit which tramples
in the dust the purest principles of both Conser
vative and Radical Republicanism.
The remainder of the three dayj spent in Con
vention, was chiefly occupied with a free, bold,
calm and uncommonly able discussion of the fol
lowing resolutions, which were finally passed by
very large votes. The yeas and nays were called
on the first, and stood, yeas 247, nays 10.
1. Resolved, That we will neither vote for, nor
support the election of any man for President or
Vice President of the United Slates, or for Gov
ernor, or Lieutenant Governor, or for any legisla
tive office, who is not in favor of the immediate
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.
2. Resolved, That every abolitionist who has
a right to vote, be earnestly entreated to lose no
opportunity to carry his abolition principles to the
polls, and thereby cause our petitions to be heard
through the medium of the ballot-box.
Whereas the subject of nominating distinct
anti-slavery candidates for offices in the gift of
the' people, has beei presented to this Convention,-
Therefore
Resolved, That it be recommended to abolition--ists
to adopt such course in their respective sections
of country, in regard to this matter, as will, in their
judgment, best subserve to the cause of immediate
abolition.
An Address to the citizens of the United States,
was presented by a Committee appointed for that'
purpose, and adopted. It will be published next
week.
Between four hundred and fifty and five hun
dred members were in attendance, coming from
all the free States except Indiana and Illinois, and
from the slave State of Delaware. We venture
to say that,, as a body of men, convened to act for
their country and for liberty, the Convention'
would not suffer by a comparison with any simi
lar body ever convened in the country.
A portion of time was occupied in raising about'
$4300 for the treasury of the American Anti-Sla-;
very Society, chiefly in subscriptions of $100'
each.
Of the numerous letters addressed to the Com
mittee of Arrangements and to the Convention,
only a part were read for want of time.
The reporter, A. J. Stansbury, Esq., is prepar
ing a full account of the debates, which we shall
give in our next paper, together with the official'
record of proceedings. The roll and the address
will be forwraded to each member in attendance.
Servility of the North.
The Uni'ed States Hotel at Saratoga is the
slaveholders' grand Northern depot during the vis
iting season. About three hundred guests were
registered as present at one time at this hotel, last
week. A large proportion of these, probably a
majority, being slaveholders. Here, too, were to be
seen the men of rank, civil and military, the Pres
ident of the United States "the northern man
with southern principles" smiling at and prom
enading with the exquisit s ofhe saloon. Here
was Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Poinsett, and tbe Russian
ambassador, with others of less note. A hotel keep
er with such guests at the snug price of fourteen
dollars a week was certainly bound to be very
deferential to the peculiar institutions of the
south. He was certainly bound not to consent to
any act or thing in, or about his premises, "a
gainst the wishes of the slaveholding states." Ac
cordingly, when a respectable yeoman from Ball
ston dropped a printed notice of a county anti-sW
very meeting, he was instantly ordered to quit the
premises. The incident, however was soon nois
ed through the town, and the people were of
course amply notified of the annual meeting of the
Saratoga County Anti-Slavery Society.
Henry Clay in Vermont.
By invitation of a committee of the citizens of
Burlington, who waited on Mr. Clay at Montreal,
this gentleman recently made a visit to the town
of Burlington, while on his return to the South.
He arrived in the steamer Whitehall on Tuesday
evening. Ihis being the one before commence
ment, a large body of citizens were in town . to
witness the ceremony of his reception. Coining
in on the south boat from Whitehall the same
hour, it fell to our lot to witness some part of the
performances. On landing, Mr. C. was received
by a committee, and conducted by an ascort of
citizens led by martial music, to the porch of
Howard's hotel. Mr. G. Adams, on behalf of the
committee, here introduced Mr. Clay to the crowd
eulogizing him as "a statesman who had done
more for the interests of Vermont than any other
man living," Sec. Mr. C. replied in a brief
speech, in which he -expressed his gratification in
being permitted for the first jime to touch " the
glorious soil of Vermont." He adverted to the an
cient fame of the Green Mountain Boys, and inti
mated that their children had not apostatized from
the faith of their, fathers. He declined entering
at large on questions of national policy, alleging
that his opinions upon all important matters were
already well understood. Mr. C. was occasion
ally interrupted by shouts from the crowd, with
here and there a groan, or a squeal, from some
rogue of a political opponent. The speech as a
whole, did not strike us very powerfully. It Was
better fitted for the stump, in Kentucky," than for
the freedom-breathing summits of the Mountain
State.
Mr. C. left Burlington on Wednesday eve
ning's boat for Whitehall, on his way to Saratoga
Anecdote.
Among the rail-road passengers from Troy to
Saratoga, one day last week, were John G. Whit-
tier of Philadelphia, and a sprig of southern chiv
alry in the shape cf a slaveholder. Friend John,
in his mild manner ofcourse. put forth somofhis
free thoughts in condemnation of slavery. The
Southron, as if touched by the spear of Itliurie!,
looked unutterable things, crying out in the "im
perative mode" of slavery "You must be careful,
sir, what you say I am a slaveholder myself."
to which John instantly replied, "Thou must be
careful what thou sayest, for I am a Quaker."
This ready change of the Quaker Poet was
promptly pocketed by the slaveholder under a vol
ley of laughter. The balance of the trip was well
improved by a free interchange of views on the
agitating subject, in which the southron frankly
acknowledged slavery to be a shame and disgrace.
"Let truth and falsehood grapple. Who ever
knew truth put to the worse in a free and open
encounter?"
Among the speakers at the Albany Convention
was a carpenter and joiner from the city of New
York, by the name of Hill. He gave a speech of