Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-01-21

south directed 10 free persons of color
We cannot deny the assertion, because
these papers nay have been mailed by I
others, for the sinister purpose Of charging
the sct upon Us: We are, however, ready |
to make our several affdavits that not enc |
paper, with our knowledge or by our au-
thority, has ever BEEN sent to any such /
person in slave state. The free pe ople
of color at the south can exert no infu-
ence in behalf OF the enslaved and we
have no disposition to excite odium against
them, by making them the recipients of
our publications.
Your proposal that law should be
passed, furnishing the circulation through
the mails ofpapers intended to excite the
! sLares to instruction, necessarily implit
that such papers are now circulated and
you EXPIRE ssIy and positively assert, that
we have attempted to circulate appeals ad-
dressed to the passions of the slaves, ard
calculated to produce all the horrors ofa
serrttc eoar. We trust, sir, your propos-
ed law, so portentous to the freedom otthe
press, will not be enacted, till YOU have
furnished Congress with stronger evil
dence of its necessity than unsupported
assertions. We hope you will lay before
that body, for its information the rapers
to which you refer. This is the more
necessary, as the various public journals
and meetings, which have denounced US
for entertaining insurrecticnary and mur-
derous designs, have in no instance been
able to quote from our publications a sin
gle exhortation to the slaves TO break their
letters, or the expression of solitary wish
for servile war.
How far our writings are calculated
to produce instruction, is a question
which will be variously decided according
to the latitude in which it is discussed
When We recollect that the humble school
book, the tale Of fiction, and the costly
annual, have teen placed under the ban
by southern editors for trivial illusions to
slavery-and that southern divine has
warned his fellow citizens of the danger
, of permitting slaves 10 be present at the
J ceie bration of our national festival, where
t they might listen to the Declaration of In
dependence, and to eulogiums On liberty
. we have little hope that our disquisi-
tons On human rights will be generally
, deemed safe and innocent where those
. rights are habitually violated Certain
writings Of one Of your predecessors,
. President Jefferson, would undoubtedly
f be regarded, in some places, so insurrec-
! tionary as to expose to popular violence
/. whoever should presume to circulate
r them.
? AS therefore. sir, there is no common
: standard by which the criminality of opin-
# ions respecting slavery can be tested, we
y acknowledge the foresight which prompt
d ed you to recommend that the "severe
= penalties" of your proposed law should
e be awarded. not according to the charac-
- ter of the publication. but the intent on
Y of the writer. Still, sir, we apprebend
that no trivial difficulties will be experience
l. ed in the application of your law. The
n writer may be anonymous, or beyond the
- reach of prosecution, whilethe porter who
v deposites the papers in the Post Office
J. and the mail carrier who transports them
l. having no evil intentions, cannot be visited
Il with the severe penalties )" and thus
d will your law fail in securing to the south
Of that entire exemption from all discussions
ID on the sub ect of slavery, which it so We,
T. hementlv desires. The success of the at
J. tempt already made to establish censor
ship of the press, is not such as to invite
r. farther encroacf ments on the ri ht Of the
Y, people to publish their sentiments.
- In your protest, you remarked to the
e, Senate The whole xtcutive power be-
D. ing vested in the President, who is RE
TO sPoNs1BLE for its exercise, it is a necessa
10 ~ consequence that he should have
4 right to employ agents of his oarm choic,
p to aid him in the performance of his du
4 ties. and to discharge them when he is nc
lie longer ceiling to be RESPONSIBLE fol
IT their acts He is equally bound to take
to care that the laws be faithfully executed
ID whether they impose duties on the high
E. est officer of State or the forrest su6o1din
r ate in any of the departments.
W 1t may not be undressing to you, sir
to be informed IN what manner you
a. Subordinate in New York, who, or
e, your responsibility" is exercising tn,
o. functions of Censor of the American
s. press, discharges the arduous duties o
tie this unit led, and until now, unheard of of
n fee. We beg leave to assure you, tina
his task is executed with a simplicity O
It. principle, and celebrity of despatch I'm
T. known to any Censor Of the press il
re France or Austria. Your Subordinat,
a decides upon the incendiary character o
lr the publications committed to the Post OF
re fee, by a glance at the wrappers or bag
in in which they are contained. No packa
pt ges sent to be mailed from our office, AM
he directed to slave state, can escape tn
~ vigilance of this inspector of canvass an
re brown paper. Even your own protest
5? sir, if in an anti-sl avery envelope, woul
T. be arrested on its progress to the south, a