Syracuse University Library
Special Collections Research Center
Gerrit Smith Broadside and Pamphlet Collection

To the friends of political reform in the county of Madison.

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874.

Digital Edition.

This digitization project was supported by Regional Bibliographic Databases and Interlibrary Resources Sharing Program funds, awarded by the New York State Library.

Call number: Smith 450

TO THE FRIENDS OF POLITICAL REFORM

IN THE

County of Madison

You have seen the Call for a Liberty party State Convention in Auburn, 12th and 13th next month; and for simultaneous Liberty party Conventions in the various Counties of the State, at 10 A.M. on Saturday, the first day of the coming year. What shall be our response to this Call? Let it be the presence of scores of us, at the Auburn Convention; and of hundreds of us, at the Court House in Morrisville.

These are not Conventions of a temporary, piece-of-an-idea Liberty party, to which we are called. With such a Liberty party we have no sympathy. Nay more - we are content, and happy, to see its folly and madness so busily digging its grave. Pretty Liberty party that, which refuses even so much, as to inquire into the bearings of its own admitted principle of action - the principle of the equal rights of all men! Pretty Liberty party that, which, when the civilized world is waking up to the claims of Free-trade, Land-Reform, and other Reforms, shuts its eyes to the light, which streams from these vital questions, and sneaks away into the hiding-place of its own darkness! Pretty political party that to assume to be the instructor and model of the other political parties! Toward all such impudent shams let our indignation know no limits.

No! - The Conventions, to which we are called, are Conventions of no such cowardly and compromising Liberty party, as that, which I have described. They are Conventions of a permanent, impartial, uncompromising, comprehensive, whole-hearted fearless, Liberty party. They are Conventions of a party, which dares to identify itself with all that is right and true in the sphere of politics. They are Conventions of a party, which sympathizes, not with the poor black man only, but with the poor white man also. They are Conventions of a party, which concerns itself, not only to break the chain of the slave; but to overthrow every form of political iniquity - every form of legalized fraud and oppression.

Who is there, then, that would have the slave a freeman? - let him come to these Conventions.

Who is there, then, that would have the landless poor share in the soil, of which systems of land-monopoly rob them? - let him come to these Conventions.

Who is there, then, that would have the masses delivered from those inequitable and oppressive burdens of taxation, which Tariffs impose upon them? - let him come to these Conventions.

Who is there, then, that would have an end put to Wars those foretastes and samples of Hell - and those devourers of the earnings and bodies of the poor, say what you will in praise of the gain and the glory, which they bring to the few? - let him come to these Conventions.

Who is there, then, who would see an end put to the traffic in intoxicating drinks - a traffic, which opens as many fountains of sorrow, and lays waste as many scenes of earthly bliss, as any other of all the agencies employed against human happiness? - let him come to these Conventions.

Who is there, then, that would exert his political power to arrest the appalling evils, with which rapidly multiplying outhbound secret societies threaten our country? - let him come to these Conventions.

But, let no person come to these Conventions with a selfish heart, and with partial and narrow schemes. Let no person come to them to promote the one reform, in which he is interested, at the expense of neglecting, or retarding, those other reforms, in which also he is bound to be interested. But, let all, who come to them, be so filled with the spirit of justice and generosity, and brotherly love, as to be glad to unite their efforts for carrying all needed political reforms; and so filled with the spirit of wisdom and common sense, as to see, that it is only by such union, that any one of these reforms can be fully and permanently carried.

How ruinous is this work of fragmentary reform! It defeats every reform by arraying the friends of the various reforms against each other: and, by bringing truths into collision with each other, it leaves falsehood to reign triumphant. Why will not the friends of all valuable political reforms stand together, in a true Liberty party, at every Election hereafter? Whilst divided, they conquer each other. When united, they conquer for each other. We do not forget, that, ere they can stand together, they must, so far as they have not done so already, break out from parties, in which many of them have suffered themselves to be fast bound. But, what business have reformers - have true men - in these parties? - what business to be serving the schemes and swelling the trains, of the men, who lead these parties? What right have they to belong to a proslavery or sectarian Church party? - or to the Whig or Democratic party? And what right have they to waste their energies in behalf of such a narrow, worthless, and pernicious thing, as some of its members would mould the Liberty party into?

Oh, that such persons in the County of Madison, as are the friends of needed political reforms - some of this - some of that - and some of the other reform -would now, forthwith, join hands in a true Liberty party! Oh, that such persons in the County of Madison, as weep over the crushed slave; and such, as would provide the homeless poor with homes; and such, as would bring to the Tariff-oppressed poor the blessings of free trade; and such, as would break up the oath-bound conspiracies against the equal rights of men; and such, as would put an end to all-devouring Rum and War; - oh, that all such person; would, without delay, strike hands in a true Liberty party! In that happy case, all the towns in the County of Madison, would, even as soon, as the next Spring's Election, redeem themselves from their political thraldom ; and present such an attractive example of the irresistibleness of united truths, as other towns in other Counties, and in other States, would quickly follow.

Yours, for every truth,

GERRIT SMITH.

PETERBORO, December 10, 1847.