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Formation Of The First Liberty Club In Michigan

Formation Of The First Liberty Club In Michigan image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
February
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The late meeting of the State AntiSlavery Society in Adrián, with the discussion that arose out of its proceedings, and which are elsewhere fully reported, excited much interest in that village: considerable anxiety was manifested among the cifizens to know the Liberty objects, and obtain correct införmation respecting a party, now feit by all, to be rising, spite of every disadvantnge, to eminence and importance. Many converts, whose character, standing, talents, and mature judgment, render tneir recent adhesión, of almost inappreciable value at the present crisis, were deeply imbued with the usual anxicty aftcr correct införmation. Bcyond these there existed in the community very many anxious enquirers - conscientious, cantious and honest: these also desii-ed införmation. Slill further off were those, who were excited by discussion, and desired its continuance - sorae for the purpose of the honorable collision of opinión, but others from the hope, that more matured preparation, and better opportunity than it waspossiblc 3ret to enjoy, would enable them to vanquish a party, to whom they are opposed. To gratify this numei'ous portion of community, as well as to keep their own arms bright, and their zeal alert, the Adrián Liberty men met on the evening of 17th January, 1844. They resolved to form a Liberty Club, to meet wcekly, and to ihrow their meetings open to discussion with every opponent. A convenient school house in the centre of the village was selected for meetings: it was resolved to get liberty tracts, and in every way to diffuse införmation, thus to mature to the yielding of fruit, the seed latey sown in that rich anli-sJavery spil. - [t was also understoodthat lectures would :e given through the county: other minor arrangements were made. The followmg pledgo or agreement was drawn up and signed. It was from the pon of a late and valuable convert, and ils tevms shew how thoroughly he feels and appreciates the essêntial objects of his new politica! associates. His own, is the first sigua, ure. "We the undersigned, deeming it of vital importance to the interest of Freemen, that correct införmation should be speedily disseminated on the subject of American slavery and of its injurious influence upon the free laborer of the North and Northern Rights generally, do hereby constitute and organice ourselves into an association to be called c:The Liberty Clti; of'Adiuan," and we agree to meet together once in each week to discuss the above subjects - to disseminate införmation, and to devise ways and means for the entire abolition of slavery in the United States." The next day the above instrument was taken round, and ex.tensively signed, at the first meeting the members were to elect officers. &c.O3 The Morning Star has the following: "Churcu andStatr. - lt is pnblished that there are at the present time about twenfyfive chaplnins ii the Uniied States Navy, (wo tlon't fcnow liow mnny there are in the army) nnd that of these sume 17 or 18 belung to the Episcopal church, leaving bot a small balance to be divided an.ong all the otlier religions denominations of the country. Does not'this show a disposition on the part f government to favor one dcnomihation more than others? and one. too, whose form of government is not the most congenial to onr republican inbtitutions! The present chaplain at West Point, is not only an Episcopalian, but hos been pubücly charged with preacljing the ronkest Tracfarian doctrines. When this charge was communic.iled to lnm, h e. replied through the columns of the Wafchmnn of the Sonth, that he was not amenable to the public for his opinions, hvl only to his Diocesan Bishop, thus refnsing lo meet the charge. - This looks a linie more like uniting church and stnte than any thing else that we have yet secn.The salary of a chaplain, when on tUity, is $1200 a ycar, besides his rations, amounting, we beüeve, to some S2C0 or $300 a year more - when on fiirlongh (that is, ilo'mg nothing,) SB80O a ycar. We know of one chaplain, and he is nn Episcopalian,) wlio has had leave of absence for years in succession, which time he bas drawn ífÜOO a year fiom governmont, for which he has rendered no service whatever." We see nothing very dangerons in this state of thing8. It is natural the Executive shnuld appoint chiefly from his own denomination, with whom he is bestacquainted. As to the pay, foor or five . dollars a day are low wnjres in the Navy. Some of the inferior officers get ten or eleven dollars a day.QUa' We dropped in on Wednesday Even'wg to hear C. H. Stewart, Esq. of Detroit, address the repenlers of Ann Arbor, on the wrongs of Ireland, We were much interested in the view of the subject taken by the speaker. Ho showed that the American Rev olution and that now progressing in Ireland were the same in their object - the assertion árid maintenance of civil and religious Liberty. Yet the one was achieved by war - by bloodshed - by the sacrifice of many thousand lives: tho othor was progressing1 by reason - by argument - by a rational defence of human rights, and against these weapons, the bayoner, the sword and the can non were useless. The present state of thingsin Irelnnd exhibited a contest between-mere Brute Force and the Intellect and Right Reason of a whole nation; and the speaker expressed the most sanguine hopes that thie grand experiment of opposing Reason to Violence,now for the first time tried in national collisions, would be entirely successful, and set a noble exumple for future gencrations.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News