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Show SG SECOND DAY-J::vENif'l·o SESSION, ples of truth and righteousness re vcalcU in the Gospel? Their J~u•;abers may have been !ilmall, but still they were societies, voluntary assocmtwns- afhliated for a single purpose-the propagation of th?ir d?ct~inc, the overthrow of heathenism, and the conversion of men to thc1r prmCiples-as much as any anti-slavery society at the present day. Was .not t!le measure opp~sed, at that day, by the enemies of Christianity, as bmng vJOICI~t and fanall.cal! Was he not admonished to be careful how he attempted Jts pro!:iecutlon. \Vas it not in consequence uf persevering, in contempt and defiance of these p rudent suggestions, that he suffe red death? . His disciples adopted the same measures, ~~d prosecute~! the_ pla~ts latd by their master. T errible as '~us the admonttton they rec~1 ved _m Ius, fate, it proved inadequate to teach Ius followers pru~ence and discretiOn. fhey went forward in his footsteps, unmoved by thts and subsequent obstacles and outrages, otherwise than as they temled to quicken their zeal. Neith~r the cautions of the timid, the th reats of the violent, nor the death of the1r brethren, could teach them wisdom. fiVe, sir, are deemed mad, when, admonished by the fall of one of our number by the rifles of a pack of assass ins in consequence of adhesion to his principles, we will not pause and seal our lips in silence. It will be time to do so, when, like those of our master and his apostles, they are sealed in death. Did they turn back, abandon their cause and disband their societies, because hypocritical Pharisees cried out" You disturb our beloved Zion, and divide our church"-or because wily politicians and aspiring demagogues bade them to cease agitatin( J" the community with their new doctrines, and even accused them of treas~n 1 Did they forsake their mighty engine of voluntary association, because their enemies pronounced it a violent measure 1 No, sir; they only refilled the fumace with burning coals of truth, raised the moral steam s till higher, and set the machinery in more rapid motion. Voluntary associations- aflHiated societies-are these a violent and unchristian measure 1 Then were our blessed Lord and his apostles violent and unchristian men. Sir, what is every religious society which now is, or ever has been, in existence, but a voluntary association-nffiliated for the purpose of sustaining and promulging their principles, of changing the opinions of men, and bringing them, as far as may be, to think and aet with themselves? What was the lever with which I,uther, Calvin, and Knox upturned the deep foundations of Popery in Germany, Geneva, and Scotland 1 Voluntary associations. Every where, in their power, they combined men together, on the principles of independent interpretation of Scripture-Bible open to allno mass-no license-no worship of images. They were most unsparingly denounced by the Pope and his minions, as censorious, impudent, ultra, fanatical traitors. Their books were burned by the hangman, as " a scandal to pious ears." Rewards were offered for their heads. Many of their friends thought" molasses much better than vinegar to catch flies." They replied, "that it might be, but that it was foxes, not flies, they were hunting, and that nothing would alrect Popery, unless it had a bite." We are very happy this evening to sit in the enjoyment of the rich bledsings, derived by us from the voluntary associations which these men gathered, amidst sufl"ering and peril; and are we at the same time to denounce the measure as unchristian 1 Shall we light our torch at the altar of religion, to burn down her temple 1 \Vhat i~ the leading measure, by which professed Christians, through the civilized world, are laboring to send the gospel to, an(l convert the heathen 1 'Vhat, but voluntary associations-Bible and missionary societies. Through· out Christe:-adom arc they already organized and in active operation. Is not the measure a good one? Who has ever pronounced it violent, uhra, or ::il'EECil OF ALANSON ST. CLAIR. 87 unchristian? By what means have the ravages of intemperance been s tayed in the New England and Middle states, within the last few years, and 80 many tipplers and drunkards been rcformet1 1 lly voluntary associations, called 'I'empcrancc Societies. Men have united on the great principle, that it is wicked to drink alcohol, pletlgi ng themselves to abstain from all drink which will intoxicate, and have labored incessantly to cover drunkenness with reproach, until it has now become almost as much as a man's reputation is worth to be seen using intoxicating drink. T he measure was bitterly denounced by the distiller, importer, and vender. Bnt if it continues to be prosecuted much longer with the same success which has h ithe rto attended it, these gentlemen will not, many years longer, have the pleasure of measuring out liquid poison to their neighbors. Thus, sir, has voluntary association been the leading measure in all moral reform~. Are not the results it has produced sun:icient vouchers for its character and tendency? And is it not j ust as good, when applied to the overthrow of slavery , as to that of any other sin 1 Can you destroy this , any more than other sins, without combining the moral power of men against it? The opponent admits, that the result to be produced is good, and acknowledges the principle to be ~ound, on which the associatiotl is based. 'Why then should those, who approve our principles, oppose it, when applied to the abolition of slavery? Sir, to be consistent, they must either abandon all other societies of which they are members, or renounce our principles, and cease to call themselves abolitionists, or else join with us and give the weight and influence of their character, example, and efforts to overturn this heaven-defying castle of iniquity. Our second and third measures too nearly resemble each other, to need being discussed separate-ly. They are the appointment of agents to lecture, and the employment of the press to publish our sentiments. They are both of such a nature as to need little labor to show their soundness and indispensability. If slavery is ever overthrown, the work must be done either by physical force, or by moral suasion. Either the master must be satisfied slaveholding is sinful, and persuaded to relinquish his present tyrannic grasp,-the slave must fight his way to liberty or remain where he is,-or the military power of the nation must force him from his master's hold. Which of these is the proper mode for the adoption of the Christian, no man can be at a loss to determine. The abolitionist chooses the moral power, and to put it in action resorts to the forum, the pulpit, and the press. These arc the guardians of a nation's freedom and morality,-the palladium of liberty and the bulwark of religion. They are all liable to be abused and perverted, but that they are in themselves e vil, will not be pretended. Virtue flies to them as a s hield ; but vice shuns them as the robber docs the sheriff. They are resorted to by every sect or party in Christendom, for the accomplishment of their purposes, unless those purposes arc of a character which will not bear the light. 'Vhy, then, may we not resort to these means in common with every body else? Js not the elfect we are laboring to produce good, great, and glorious 1 Do any complain of the principles we lay down, the doctrine we preach, the sentiments we publi8h 1 Oh no; their truth is admitted; the opponent approves of our principles. How, then, can it be wrong for an abolitionist to preach these principles in the pulpit or publish them in a book, pa1~phlet, or newspa_rer ~ Or, in accordance with these principles, how can 1t be wrong for htm to spread through the whole nation a knowlet! ge of the wickedness, cruelties, and horrors of slaveholdiug? since it is |