Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-03-31
VERMONT TELEGRAPH.
eliverance of the helpless, unofending


South, persons suspected Of being abolition
lists, have been apprehended, and subjected
to shamefully abusive and illegal examin-
ation-narrowly escaping with their lives.
Amos Dresser, young man of good moral
character, and professor Of the christian re-
lgon, while engaged in the distribution of
the "Cottage Bible" near Matches in Mis-
sissippi, was arrested, on the suspicion of |
his being an brought before a
self-constituted court, -subjected to mock
trlal-and sentenced to receive thirty LASH |
es on the bare bdck,-which were accord
ingly inflicted with great severity.
James G. Birney, recently of Kentucky, !
man whose distinguished efforts in the cause
of suffering humanity, have rendered his
name dear to the friends of the oppressed
for entertaining and advocating the doctrine
of inalienable human rights has been
obliged to leave the place of his residence,
for the sake of self-preservation from the at
| tacks Of lawless violence. and to seek an
asylum in non-slave-holding state
In many places at the South, committees
of vigilance have been appointed by the cit
izens,-to arrest and bring to trial-to pass
and execute sentence upon-all persons sus-
tons, or Of having them in possession for
the purpose of distribution.
Large sums Of money have been offered
by individuals and legislatures at the South
for the destruction, or the delivery to them
of Northern citizens-virtuous, intelligent,
and patriotic cltiZens-possessed of talents
and character far beyond the reach of vitu-
peration-friends of God, and benefactors Of
mankind. The Executive of the State of
Alabama has recently made formal de-
mand upon the Executive OF the State Of N.
! York, for the delivery Of r. G. Williams,
the Publishing Agent of the American Anti
Slavery Society-to be tried by the laws of
the former, for acts committed in the latter
for acts Of philanthropy, prohibited neither
by the laws of his State, nor the Gospel of
Christ; there to be inundated on the altar
Of slavery, for having exercised a constitu-
tlondl right, guaranteed to every American
citizen-the lawful use of the United States
} mail.
But the tale of tyrannvs entertainments
syet but partially told. We have, indeed.
; fallen uron eventful times. The history of
the year just ended, is written with {" pen
of iron" in characters of woe On its title
our Liberties; liberty of Speech liberty of the
press, and liberty of assembling for benevo-
: lent purposes. Of these liberties our slave
holding brethren seem determined to deprive
as, that they may enlarge and perpetuate the
LIBERTIES OF SLAVERY ;-that they may revel
on in the liberty Of enslaving men, women,
: and children.
; Some six months ago, the post master Of
Charleston City, S. c., assuming respon-
l sibility, unheard of before in this land Of
e boasted liberty and law, submitted the mail
: under his charge TO the espionage ola mob
who separated the AntiSlavery publications
1 from the other species of intelligence, and
t made bonfire of the former in the streets
: This mob was committee appointed by the
: citizens of Charleston for the special pur-
p pose-and constituted a standing body,
thence forward to exercise an assumed guar
t dianship of the mail-to wait upon it on its
arrival, and ferret out and destroy all the
, Anti-Slavery matter that should come to
: their notice. In, many other places also,
d at the South, measures have been taken,
= similar to those adopted by the citizens of
e Charleston. But Southern agents in their
: attempts to "abridge the freedom of" ON
$ "press," have been aided by people of the
b North. The Charleston outrage was soon
+ afterwards seconded by the post master of
e the city OF New York; who, in violation Of
e his official trust, the rights Of citizens, and
the supremacy Of law, refused to mail any
n more Anti-Slavery publications going to the
= South.
J, But the conduct Of the Post Master Gen
= eral in relation to those outrages, gives muc b
g greater effect to the blow they strike at the
e freedom of the press. By neglecting the
h proper administration of his official duties,
e by suffering those transgressing subalterns
e to escape the penalty due to their crimes
e and permitting them to continue IN their re-
$ spective offices and BY his official letters to
i them, in which he does not at all condemn
= thelrmls-conduct-he has virtually sanction
:, ed their lnsubordlnate proceedings. And if
# he has not established precedent, by which
e every post master throughout the land is
+ virtually commissioned to suppress Anti
: Slavery publications, he has, by implication,
: assured them that itthey do, he will not
e call them to account; or in other words
l that he "will not Officially condemn" their
p conduct.
Moreover, efforts are now being made in
5 Congress, to obtain the passage of law,
: utterly excluding Anti-Slavery publications
e from the Southern mail. Whether or not,
Y 1t Will be obtained, we presume not to say
= we trust, however, that the great body of the
: American people still entertain to high an
e estimate Of the value of liberty, to permit
:, such infringement of our rights; since it
e would be but the introduction to a censor
: shIp,-not Of a part but the whole of the
d American press, and would usher in a Sc
y ries of political dissensions, that might re-
y solve society into its original elements, and
= bring in general anarchy and confusion
e But in addition to the threats and abuses
+ OF the South, and the attempts of individuals
n and legislatures to exclude their publications
! from the mail, Abolitionists have had to en-
$ counter still greater opposition from the cor
l. rupt public sentiment and morals of the
$ North. They have been denounced as
d " fanatics" " incendiaries," and "mad,
v men )" and public meetings have been held
g for the avowed purpose of putting them
e down. Those meetings, by misrepresenta