OCR Text |
Show 61 SECO~D DAV-l\IORNINO SE::iSlQN. sentiment on the subject of slavery. They have seen th~ right of free discussion assailed and trampled under foot; :111d they have d1scernment_ enough to perceive that, although silence is now required only on one subject, the right, in all its length and breadth, is thereby completely d~stroy~d. Next year the "voice of the brotherhood" may demand_ that all d1sc_ussiOn o_n_ the banking system be suppres~wd. Indeed _there IS no 9uesuon, polltJCa), scientific, or moral, that may not be proscnbed by the cnhgh~ened" brotherhood." Those who now remonstrate with the public touchmg the sin and evils of intemperance, may soon be silenced. The ?au~e of pt:acc may lose its advocates. Nay, subjects now regarded as of vital importance, may, upon a fluctuation in the minds and feelings of "the brotherh.ood," be locked up in the tomb of thought until the day of the final resurrection. I repeat it, we must stand by the right where it is first assailed. And let those who now hesitate, or who take their stand in favor of checking free discussion on the subject of slcwery, keep before their minds the consequences that may, and probably will, ensue. Are such aware of the importance of this right? Are they aware that it lies at the foundation of all our other rights,-that if it is s.urrcndered, we ourselves are slaves, and may be ground beneath the most galling servitude which ever oppressed a human being? Do tllcy not see that if we have no right to spe:~.k, we can have none to act; that locking our lips is also feuering our limbs and chaining our faces to the dust? 'V c have no freedom of speech or of the press; how then can we maintain our dignity as men, and preserve our property from the grasp of the despot? Our rulers might ride rough-shod over our dearest in1erests, and convert our money to their own llSCfl, and there would be none to lift up the voice of warning or rebukenone to mutter that all was not right; every tongue is still, every press is muzzled. This would be the millenia! day of tyranny. Are you prepared for all these dreadful consequences-prepared to see tiLe ]leO]Jle vassals to a few? If so, " Go, buy for the colt! corpse of F•·ecdom a slu·oud, And bul'y your hopes in her gl'a\'e. Then hushed be the glee of your lub01·crs proud As, 1h·h·cn with the mule :md the nss in tile Cl'Owd, They slink to the task or a slave, 'Vith a curse on tlwh·lip and a scowl in tl•cit· eye As they mope by your tombstones :md t:mntingly cry, Ho! l1crc go the sons of the brn\'C.' 1 :Freedom of speech, what is. il? The freedom of the immortal mind,the freedom of the heart! How much more valuable to moral beings than mere freedom of the body, or security of properly and life! Take from me my money, my watch, or any thing else that I possess, but leave me the right to rebuke sin wherever it exists, and of obeying the commands of my heavenly Father. Why should men prevent the exercise of this right! It will merely de· velope the truth and place it in bold relief before the eyes of all. And " there in this house, or in this city, or in this ]and, a man who fears t~e truth? If so, you may depend upon it, he is conscious of error in h1s politics, morals, or religion. Such an one, and only sucli, has reason to be afraid. Free discussion elicits truth. Of this the people of Pcnnsyl· vania were fully aware, when, a year ago or more, they called a Conventwn for the purpose, not of changing the Uom;titution, but of deliberating upon and fully discussing certain proposed changes; so that the true character and tendency of those changes might be seen by all, and the people could lhcn understandingly vote cillwr for their adoption or rejection. Of ~&o ADDRESS OF LEWIS C. OUNN. met:,~:jm;ortauce were these discu::;sions considered, that the state has ex& t C tl e e~10rmons sum of three htmdud thousand dollars in sus1ainin1' asato .t:l~:~~nuon; and if th~y were of so much imparlance to the stat~ memGers J such an exp~nd!liLrC, how wonderful it is, that some of the Vf'ry forth I .that Conv~nuon shoLiid be in favor of ~ags, and of a censorship propo:if~ P1;' the ~orurnd· and the press. The Convention has been held , . 1 1 ns •:•ve een Lscussed, and truth has been elicited t!Louuh 110~ C~~~~\~~~ 11;1,~~v 1;1~~t ~~~;:.~i~v~~c 1amr.nbdm.ents, tr rather deforLnitie's, whfeh !he time, wil! give.their jutlgn~cnt~ su mil tot le people. The PEOl'LEJ in clue it tr~e di~cusswnd elicits truth, and yet there arc those who are opposed to it·;-;;-~~; ~111~e;r~:~7~ s,I~h~re ar~ th~s e 1who arc o~posc~ tn the truth, knowing forward to this ~~latfon~~~~lal ~v:u~l~ ~ln~ .o:~:a Ill tlus hou:e. lcL him come may recei\'e the co.ndemnation he so rich(y d~{ersveees.the beulg, and that he Strang~ the fatu1ty of those who seek to co\'er up the truth or 0 nsc ·1 progr~s~ · D~ they not know that a certain defeat awaits ~hem fP It h1a: prev,a~ c over 1ts en~mi~s in days that are past, ant! it ever will ~ d pre.\::111.. How w~lS It with the go!' pel? It is needless here to stn must ~:pl~l['l ~rread _through a.ll tl_1e earth; how it triumphed over obsta~\:sht~l: rro~·r on.mtlabfle' how p~eJulhce and error, ambition and the love of gain g. 8 1 LC.lliOn o. sense, w1th a legion of other evils, were all subdued ' d.ukness, {"~msm, and heathenism vanished before the glorious li•ht ,Hand w~~ lt tnlt le Jays of the Reformation? \Vere men more able the~t t~ c ow WlL I trut 1, or to arrest its prouress? \Vh were the eft' 1 . ope ;~l~rsh unavailing to suppress the •·iews of &ali leo, an~ ::e~ 0~/;~eest~e~:~~ B:c:u:e s::~~:yal~d plha?ets,. and alii the starry host, turn round this liule earth 1 • wug ~ agamst t 1e truth. tr ;~~ri:~e hav~ wiu_tessed triump~s in our own time, and in our own counsjprress ~{el\sr~~hsptl~V~~ persefut~~n, and mighty efforts of mighty men to as fanaticism no\~ ' ness t ·~ emperance cause; at one time derided but neverthel~ss mak~,;gulg~r~rio~~tt~I~ssalfo theLPeaccfcause; still ridiculed, the Anti-slav · nump ts. ast 0 all, I would mention slavery ~ocie~rythc:t~~~- But a few years ago--in 1832-the largest Anticonsisted of ~nly t~ve~~~ b~~~~rme.~~lupon correct principles, in this conn try, worldly influence; but they h~ve sh~e~:n '~fre \tvuh.out worldly wealth or to its ver ~ d· . . lC a roctous system of Slavery human :ali~:·~O~l\13~-evi~tl~~~gy'\ ass:}t!ed ~vdidth every kind of slander which now see converts . . ' Lave outn Ctl the fury of the storm, an l th . I multiplied by thousands to their principles. The . h . e Wtse, t te learned, as well as the d fi k . nc ' m beinu identified with them Th .goo ' oo to thea standard, and glory men, will go down to postcri~ in ~~efa~tes, though at fir.st cast o~H before cause is now beginnin to b~ g ~ remembrance. fhe Antt·slavery soon the difficulty will ~e not popu.lar In some parts of the country; and vent the wrong sort of ~e t gal~ .m~mber~ to the socie.ti:"• but to pre· politicians as the see n . r_om JOmtng wllh us. Ambtttous men and b~u;:~;,~~:~ s::t:o~:r t•~:t,:'i~l·~~~~~~rthv:i~·~~ :::~ u::l~!;in~o~;:;eb•;•~~ slavery cause is, des~in~~rat IV~ or onorable office. I repeat it, the Antiright to buoy it upward ando. ec~~e a po~ular cause; for it has truth and What man living can Jiab~~n~~e ~~hoa~w.ar . . error will be exposed and truth el' 't d; m th: exercise of.frec discussi()n, that the truth is mighty and will ICt e :i?an what man l1ving disbelieves slaveholders and errorists of all ki~~sv~; blNot one; and, for .this reason, 9 em e, when they see tndependent |