State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-01-19


south directed to free people of color. We
cannot deny the assertion, because these
papers may have been mailed Nv others,
for the sinister purpose OF charging the act
upon us. We are, however, ready to make
our several atiidavits that not one paper,
with our knowledge or by our authority,
has ever been sent to any person ofcolorin
a slave state. The free people of color at
the south can exert no influence in behalfof
the enslayed and we have no disposition
to excite odium against them, by making
them the recipients Of our publications.
| Your proposal that a law should be pas
sed, Furnishing the circulation through the
mails of papers intended to ercite the sLaUes
TO insurectlOn,n unnecessarily implies that such
papers are now circulated; and you express
! y assert that we have attempted to circu-
late appeals addressed to the passions of the
slaves, and calculated to produce all The hor-
rors Of serUiLe ,oar. We trust sir, your
proposed law, so portenlous to the freedom
ofthe press, Twill not be euacted, till YOU have
furnished Congress with stronger evidence
of its necessity than unsupported assertion.
We hope you will lay before that body for
its information, the papers to which you
refer. This is the more necessary, as the
various public journals and meetings. which
have denounced us for entertaining iusur-
rectlonary and murderous designs, have in
no instance been able to quote from our
publications a single cXhortatiou to the
slaves to break their letters, or the express
sion of Il solitary wish for servie war
How far our writings are calculated to
produce insurrectlon, is a question which
will be variously decided according to the
latitude in which it is discussed. When
wc recollect that the humble school book,
the tale Of fiction, and the costly annual,
have been placed under the ban of south
ern editors for trivial illusions to slavery
and that southern divine has warned his
fellow citizens of the danger of permitting
slaves to be presentat the celebration of our
national festival, where they might listen
to the Declaration Of Independence, and to
eulogiums OH liberty-we have little hope
that our dispositions on human rights will
be generally deemed safe and innocent,
where those rights are habitnally violated.
Certain writings Of one of your predeces-
sors, President Jefferson, would undoubt-
eddy lie regarded, in some places, so insur-
rectonary as to expose to popular violence
2 whoever should presume 10 circulate them
= As therefore, sir, there is no common
l standard by which ihe crimnality Of opin-
r ions respecting slavery can be tested, we
2 acknowledge the foresight which promp.
/ ted you to recommend that the severe
penalties of your proposed law should
Y he awarded, not according to the
= character of the publications, but the IN
4 tention of the writer. Still, Sir, we appre
4 bend that no trivial difficulties will be eX.
9 pericnced in the application of your law
4 The writer may be anonymous, or beyonC
= the reach OF prosecution, while the porte
), who deposites the papers i'll the Post Office
0 ana the mail carrier who transports them
V having no evil intentions, cannot be vlslteC
S with the severe penaltIes;' and thus vii
5 your law fail in securing to the south tina
+ entire exemption from all discussions OF
e the subject of slavery, which it so yehe
1t mently desires. The success Of the at
), tempt already made TO establish censor
n ship of the press, is not such as TO invit
is farther encroachments Oh the right of tn
people to publish their sentiments.
5, In your protest, you remarked to the Sen
e ate 'Ihe whole executive power being YES
II ted in the President, who is REsPoNsIBL
" for its exercise, il is necessary consC
l. quencc that he should have right TO en-
'e pIoy agents Of his o,On choice to aid him j
n the performance of h S duties, and to DIX
NJ charge them when he is no longer wiiiin
1t to be RESPONSIBLE for their acts. lie
at equally bound 10 take care that the laws i
tc faithfully executed, whether they impos
&c duties on the highest officer of State, {
st the iotpeSt subordinate III any Of the depar
er Inents'
in 1t may not be embarrassing to you sir,
to be informed III what manner your 'Subo
dnate' in New York, who, on your 'r'
ms sponsiblity' is exercising the functions
De Censor of the American press, discharge
lis the arduous duties of this untrled, and vi
rs, til now, unheard of Office. We beg lea'
N, to assure you, that his task is execute
lie with simplicity of principle, and celerl
Of despatch unknown to any Censor of Il
pt press in France or Austria. Your subo
ed dinate decides upon the incendiary chara
We ter of the publications committed TO q
sle Post Office, by glance at the wrappers
us bags in which they are contained. \
ed packages sent to be mailed from our otliC
ur and directed TO slave state, can escape Il
ret vigilence Of this inspector Of canvass nj
is brown paper. Even your own protest, S
he if in amti-slavcry envelope, would be ARE
m ted on its progress to the south, ms 'inllaI
his matoy, incendiary and insurrcctionary
ed the highest dcgree.'
,ur No veto, however, is as get, imposed
he the circulation Of publications from a
i've printing Office but our own. Hence VIII
of we desire to send appeals to the south,
cry that is necessary is, to insert them in sol
sir, newspaper that espouses our principles, p
o a for as many thousand copies as we thl
icy proper and order them TO be mailed acc'
IS ding to our Instructions.
ing Such, sir, is the worthless protection pl
er- chased tor the south, by the most unblus
- ing and dangerous uslIrpation Of which II
les, public officer has been guilty since the
i'm ganzalion of our federal government
We We're the Senate, in reference to your NJ