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Peter D. Verheyen, Project Manager
Debra G. Olson, Digital Project Assistant
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Library
© 2003 This work is the property of the Syracuse University Library. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.
PETERBORO, OCTOBER 6th, 1854.
DEAR SIR:
The Liberty Party is the only political party, which identifies politics with religion, and which requires as much of truth, justice, and holiness in the department of politics as in any other department. It is the only political party, which contends for the political rights, and the equality of the political rights, of all persons - of women, as well as men - of blacks, as well as whites. It is the only political party, which contends, that the right to liberty, and land, and suffrage, and free-trade is a natural, equal, universal right.
The Liberty Party is the only political party, which holds that no crime can be legalized. We admit, that other political patries would deny, that perjury, or forgery, or theft can find shelter in law. But this party extends the denial to slavery also. It sees not, why legal protection should be accorded the greatest of crimes, whilst it is withheld from other crimes. The Liberty Party, in a word, regards slavery as a piracy and an outlaw; and regards all anti-slavery as vain, which admits the actual, or possible, legality of slavery. I spoke of slavery as the greatest of crimes. For who would not rather be wronged by perjury, or forgery, than be enslaved? Who would not rather have his property than his liberty stolen? Nay, who would not rather die than be a slave ? What manly soul exclaims not with Patrick Henry: "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
The Liberty Party insists on subjecting the Federal Constitution to the same rules of interpretation, by which other legal papers are tried. In other words, it insists that the Federal Constitution is an anti-slavery paper, whatever may be said to the contrary by those, who absurdly claim, that their interpretations of histories, and traditions, and other things, outside of the Constitution, are interpretations of the Constitution itself. The Liberty Party believes every abolitionist to be poorly employed, who, instead of interpreting the Constitution, according to the cannon of interpretation, and, therefore for liberty, passes over from the service of liberty to the service of slavery, and, in the very face of all his obligations, interprets it, in behalf of slavery. The purpose of some of our ancestors to get slavery into the Constitution is a matter of no moment, since they did not, succeed in getting it in.
We need, hardly say, that such a party, as the Liberty Party, must, necessarily, claim, that it is a high duty of civil government to suppress the traffic in intoxicating drinks.
A recent Convention of the Liberty Party of the State of New York presented candidates for State offices. I send you herewith a parcel of votes for them. There may be a few persons in your county, who would like to deposit such votes. Will you not give them the opportunity to do so?
The Liberty Party does, of course, expect but a small vote for its candidates. The day is, probably, far distant, when a political party, aiming to conform its action to the standard of absolute rectitude, shall receive many votes. The most, that the Liberty Party can, for along time, expect to do, is to repeat, from year, to year, the publication of its doctrines, and to supply from year to year, with ballots the little handful of persons, who welcome such ballots. Of the six or seven hundred thousand voters in this State, there are, probably, not as many as six or seven thousand, who feel bound to vote in accordance with the principles of the Liberty Party. Whether however, they are more or less, we deeply desire that they may all have opportunity to bless themselves, and bless their fellow men, and honor their God, by voting for the men, who are qualified to administer civil government, in the spirit of wisdom and truth and righteousness.
Your Friend,
GERRIT SMITH.
P.S. Every member of the Liberty Party should, if possibly able to pay for them, subscribe for the REFORMER, published in Oswego, FRED. DOUGLASS' PAPER, do. Rochester; the JUBILEE, do. 42 Beekman st., New York,.
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URL: http://libwww.syr.edu/digital/collections/g/GerritSmith/490.htm Last modified: January 21, 2003 11:18 AM |
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