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Liberty Rolls

Liberty Rolls image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
July
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The íriertdi of the Liberty party ín Ohio and in the Eastern Staics are circulating Liberty rolls in each township in which the signer promises to support the L.berty ticket, if he deern the cantlidiiíes vvorthy. The object o. the movement is mutually to sïrengthen nnd oncourage eaeh othcr in süiiporting right principies, and by soliciting signatures, to induce men to come to a promp t nnd permanent decisión on the points in their po iitical faith. The measure is founded on a knowl. edge of human nature. Men fecl cncouraged to persevere in a good work, when they 6Re the same determinaron manifested by their compan i ons. This principie of associated pledgcs has been icted upon continualiy by all poUtical parties.-The Tippecanoe club, if we remember right. conteined a written pledge to vote for Genera! Harriflon; nnd after making norninations, it is uoual for Wbige and Dcmocrats to resol vo to support thecnndidates whicii they have dejinated. Th succeesful use of the pledge in the Temperance cause Js matter of universal notorie. ty. No sensible man thiuks of opposing; its constant prescntation. Viewed in this light, theobjections to the pledges made by the Liberiy party men look quite ludicrous. The Ohio Star hria the following - "We learn tlmr it was proposed and recommendcd at the Charleatown Convention to circuloteflcUges to vote the third party ticket, for Men of inteilifien.'e w rpgnrd such a request as an insult. Those who nsk such plcdgcs have linie eonfidetu-e in the worth oí their cause. Men who snhsciibe or atlopt Buch a pledge must feel cheap whun they reflect on it."The Oliio Free Press. (Whig.) goes Tito the 'argument more e.xtensively, and speaks of the pledge as bcing eonie t:r.ew uiachincry for binding the soul and smothering tlio conscience - tjammels ihnt 'cominon sinners dare not meddlc with.' " .Again hc spcaks of it ae a means ;'to ü3 up the hands and stifle the consciences of the abolnionists." He asks, "are the leaders atraid that thcy wül betray their principres? Are they afiraid that tliey will make compromisea vith other parties? No matter what changos of circutnstanceamay occtir - no matter what new light he may rcccivc - no matter how loudly his conacicuce may condemn the course he has chosen, or how clcarly his judgement may point out a diñer ent one as the mnh of duty - he hns 'given his hand,' he has suLsbnbed the bond, and wcc be unto him if hc fait to redeem the pledge."Now why ibis sudden hostility to pleuge9? Why should not a man pic!ge himsclf as solèmnly ns possible to efrery good Work? Men aro accustonied to plcdge theniselvea without reservation every day. In most churches, when members are rccoived, they solemnly pledge themaelves bofore G,)d. angeirand men to live a holy and Christian Jife. When men are elevated to office, they pledge thetnselves to support the conslittnion of their country. When sworn in couris of justice, they pledge themsclvea to teil the whole truth. When they join a temperance socieiy, they pledge themselves to abstain from intoxicating liquors. Tn all these cases, no reservafion is made for conscientious scruples, orchange of judgment or circumstancea. Why, then. should it be thought such a horrible áct for a man to pledge himsell to support such wen only for' office, as wil! dispense equal and exact justice to all?The Editor then goes into an argument for a unión with the Whigs. the substanceof whichis.. that halia loaf ie better than none - that Corwin is preferable to Sliannon - that whigs are less pro-slavery than demócrata- that whig members of Congress would do something for them. and that eomething would beclenr gain, inasmuch as the liberty party candidaies cannot be electod- that it is foolish to throw away their volea. &c. &c. Headds: "It is in the power of the Whigs to obtain the votes of nen-ly all the abolitionists in the Stnte, both for Governor afld Congfess-, men. tVill they malte the, effort?" lf öur friends in Ohio wish to get iooled by the slavery partios once more, they will be gulled into just such an arrangement as this: if not, they will keep theroselves aloúí from such pernicious compromises. Let them hold steadily on their course. and they will soon have b ut one pro-slavery party to coatend with instead of two.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News