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For The Signal Of Liberty

For The Signal Of Liberty image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
May
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
Letter to the Editor
OCR Text

Fentonville, May 9th, 1841. Db. Brkthben. - Having received the two first numbers of the "Signal of Liberty," I cannot too heartily express my joy at it8 appearance or myapprobation of the course you have adopted. There is one point to which I think the attention of the readers of the "Signal of Liberty," and o! all the friendo of civil liberty and independent voting, ought immediatcly to be caled. I refer to the holding cf district, town and county meetings, for the purpose of dÍ8CU88Íng among themselves the propriety of Indepenent Nominations. Whenevs er and wherever the decisión Ehall be in favor of this course, I consider it to be the imperious duty of Anti-Slaverv men to select at once their candidates and publicly pledge them thcir support. It will be but a few weeks before almost every voterin Michigan will be virttially pledged for the support of one of the three partïes . The "runners" of the whigs and the 'runners" of the democrats will have scoured the land. Primary meetings will have been held and excitement raised, and befóte men will be awareof if, they willonce more, "tor this time," ntid themselves, ither directly or inriirectly bound to one of the two parties, whose mot'o must of oecessity be, "Submission to tho will of slavery, be it right or wrong." So long as a man refuse3 or neglccts fearlessly to announce himself a friend to pülitical action, and his dctermination to vote the Anti-Slavery ticket, he will be conBtantly nnnoyed by ihe threats or tempted by the alluremenls of his oíd political friends, and ho wever strong his convietious of duty muy be, he will be liable to bosweved from his inward determinalion to perform it. From my own knowledge ot the subject, in this región, I am aatisfied that there are hundreds and perhaps'thousands in our State, that feel like this. They for themselves have no objec tionto the plan of Independent Nominations, and are on the whole in favor of it, and could they see any thing like a general movement among the Anti-Slavery men arouud tliem, they would come out, but it íb of no use to start alone and therefore nothing is done. So general and severe has been the pressure in the money market of our State, that many who are attiong the most devoted friends of the cause, and whose prayers are morning and evening ascending to the God of the oppressed in behalf of their enslaved fellow men, do not feel themselves able to subscribe fora paper,or to go to a distance toattend meetings. But if, whenever thero is a town or district in which the cause oí' Anti-Slavery numbers a few friends, some one would fix upon the time and place of meeting and inviie these .friends to attend, a greatworkmightbeaccomplished. Again the candidates for the several ofñcers of our State Government are eoon by their respective parties to be selected. And should the Anti-Slavery men of the several countiesand senatorial districls delay making their nominations but a few weeks longer, they will be too late to exert any influence upon that selection, for this time at least. For even now, those who take it upon themselves to "cut and dry" for their parties, are busily at work, and we may depend, if they percèive that we as a party are in earnest, although they may pretend to despiáe, yet they will not disregard us. As a party we are not aware of our strength. There are probably but few towns in ourSlate in which the numbcr of Anti-Slavery men does not e.xceed the majoñty of votes given for tho dominant party, in that town at the last fall election. This, when we rcflect tliat it is by town majorities that the great political contest is decided, becomes an important idea. But I have already written much more than I at first intendcd. I feel it an important subject. For when we reflect that we dare hardly acknowledge even to ourselves the power of former habits, assoeiations and political friends over us, especially wheo by our silence and apparent approval we allowed them to consider us ue os commiited to thein and their favoiite party, I feel that we cannot too eaily take a stand in favour of righteousness and liberty, and thus prove by our actions, the sinceiity of our professioní. J. C. G. The suggeetions of our correspondennt i'rom Fentonville necd no commendations from us to secure attention. We can only add that the responeibility of edecting tlie times and placeB of the several local meetings devolves ou the abohtionist3 of the Beveral distnets. But we would, in all cases re commend that the Anti-Slavery nominations shoukl precede thoae of tho other parties. Last year, Michigan gavo a greater vote to the Liberty ticket according to lts popuulation, than any other state in the Union. Skall e not do i the present year?ftBrasil produces annuuU; 135,000,000 ib cofleo, being nearly one half of tbe supJly of all the foreign markets froin all parts f the globe. (t7A Convention has been called to moet a Auburn, June 2Sd, foi the purpoBe of discusBing the dutiea ofchurches nnd church xnemberA on the subject of slavery. Orlt is undcrstood ibat the Ilon. John Ttibb Ib a religious raann metnber of the Kpisoopnl Cburch, and diligent in the orftry dnticB of a chrÍ3lían profassion, as xderötood in Virgfoia.