ST. ALBANS, VT., Feb 25th, '55

MY DEAR DOUGLASS:—No sentiment is more congenial to one's feelings than the poetic phrase, "There's no place like Home." Phrenologists always tell me, that I have the organ of inhabitiveness large. And it is a wonder to my friends that I can be anything but a home-body. Well it is true, I have a home. It is to me the pleasantest spot on earth. In poverty or wealth, "be it ever so homely, there's no place like home." Yet, after all, I have learned, in the great Anti
slavery conflict, to enjoy home anywhere, where I can feel the influence of the Board of Brotherhood. Well, here I am at my own home again, after an absence of five weeks, where, in that time, I have been every night but two, and a good part of the days, in meetings, where, in each, I have spoken, from one to two and a half hours. Truly, the signs of the times indicate the time not far distant when anti-slavery truth will have a controlling influence on the public mind.

Old Winter has been quite pleasant with us Green Mountaineers for quite a spell, until to-day. Now we are driven indoors, or else suffer the Old Fellow to give our ears one of his unmerciful pinchings. Well, we have the bump of caution as Yankees, and so make ourselves as comfortable as we can indoors. Vermont blood is up to fever heat by the toil to push on the car of freedom; and during this winter with Thermometer's Mercury running down to 38° and 40° below zero, it could not chill the anti-slavery ardor of many of the staunch friends of the slave. How could it, with the soul cheering intelligence coming in of Liberty triumphant in the hall of American Legislation—Wilson, sent from the old Bay State, Seward, returned from the old Empire, DurkeeDurkee, Charles

Charles Durkee (1805—70), politician and pacifist, was born in Royalton, Vermont, and educated in the town schools and at the Burlington Academy. A merchant, he emigrated in 1836 to Wisconsin, where he was one of the founders of Southport, later Kenosha. Durkee served in the territorial legislature before being elected as a Free Soiler to two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1849—53). At the World's Peace Conference in Paris in 1849 he was one of twenty-three American delegates. He later became president of the short-lived Wisconsin Peace Society. After joining the Republican party, Durkee served one term in the U.S. Senate (1855—61) and was appointed governor of Utah Territory in 1865. Curti, American Peace Crusade, 172, 217; BDAC, 839. from young Wisconsin, Trumbull from Illinois, Harlan from Iowa? Let the old guards of slavery be on the lookout; the tocsin of Liberty is sounding, and there is a significant meaning in that sound that warns all base demagogues, and cold hearted religionists, to look out, for the day of reckoning is at hand. The patriotism of an intelligent constituency at the North, who have been long outraged by the insolent demands of the slave power, will not longer bear the insult. They will make their servants feel through the ballot box, in a way to make them recoil.

Our liberty friends in old Caledonia country, have met with a great loss in the recent death of Hon. John McLane of Cabot. He has been for two years past the Liberty member, from that town, in the Legislature of the State, and at the time of his death he was chairman of the State Central Committee of the Liberty party. Few men will be missed more than Mr. McLane. He was urbane and conciliatory, yet firm and inflexible to the principles of impartial freedom. It can truly be said, "A prince and a great man has fallen in Israel." But though dead, his influence lives among his constituents.—Thank God, though men die, principles of moral worth and christian excellence still live, and will find a lodgment in other warm hearts, that will throb in manly sympathy for God's afflicted poor. Warmed by the sunlight of God's infinite love, they will germinate and spring forth into maturity. True principles cannot be lost, though they lie long buried like the seeds in the Egyptian Mummy; the germ of life is there; it will outlive many centuries, and continue to bear fruit unto righteousness.

Now I don't like to quarrel with society, and yet I can't help thinking that in the present constitution of society, obstacles are thrown in the way in the carrying out of God's benevolent plan in blessing the human race. And in my very soul I am at war with almost everything around me of a religious character. It is too cold. The ground where they cast the seed, is kept by their selfishness too sterile. But little practical righteousness is exhibited from all their toil. To the church it may now be said, in the language of the old prophet, "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then had thy peace been like a river, and thy righteousness like the waves of the Sea." The
fact is, the church is too much wedded to State to be practical in anything. And the purse-proud aristocrat dictates to the American Ministry more of their duty than the spirit of God is allowed to do. Is it a wonder that the preaching is cold and monotonous? Is it a wonder that the ground is barren and sterile? I trow not. My greatest wonder is, that an infinite God has not entirely abandoned both Ministry and Church, and left it the prey of reckless infidelity. The church is looking and talking about the Millennium when universal peace shall reign over the earth, and righteousness shall fill the earth as the waters do the sea. But what is the church doing to bring about this happy state of things? Even with all her great missionary operations and Bible distributions and tract enterprises, she is heeding the behests of the slave power to hold the American Heathen slave in utter ignorance of his manhood and responsibility to God. How beautifully the church will rise in the Millennium, bearing American slavery as a great moral incubus on her shoulders.—What harmonious chants those must be sent up amidst the moral fog of the slavery section of this country. If I could whisper this moment into the ear of the heathen, I would use the language of the Infinite Redeemer, "Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the American Christian, ye can in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." For if the correct definition of righteousness be obedience to the Divine Law, then the American Church (unless she arouse herself to humanity) will find herself lacking when the Millennium shall come. Let your kind readers understand me when speaking of the American Church as the great influential leading sects, who control the current religion of the country, the minor sects of the country are struggling to be free. But the popular Ecclesiastical influence keeps them down.

Yours, truly,

JOHN W. LEWIS