The Constitution, Smith, and Whittier, Birney
Oct 1, 1844
Responding to Gerrit Smith and John Greenleaf Whittier, and their assertions that the Constitution is an antislavery document: “Even Gerrit Smith has stultified himself so far as to have written a long letter to John G. Whittier, maintaining the same absurd doctrine. Nay, he has gone so far as to eulogize those diabolical provisions respecting the prosecution of slave trade for twenty years — the putting down of slave insurrections by the government — the three-fifths representation of the slaves through their masters –as decidedly anti-slavery in their character and tendency! He is now completely absorbed in electioneering in behalf of James G. Birney and the Liberty party… Still, I mean to let charity and patience have their perfect work in regard to him; for, after all, he seems to be a noble-hearted and benevolent man, but his head is often sadly at fault… 1