State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-03-08

1
measures as its protection may require
This right remains, of course, among the
States ofthis Union, with such limitations
as are imposed expressly by the Consttu-
ton. Within their limits the rights of the
slaveholding States are as full to demand
of the States within whose limits and
| jurisdiction their peace is assailed, TO adopt
the measures necessary to prevent the same,
and if refused or neglected, to resort to
means to protect themselves, as if they
were separate and independent commune
| ties.
! Those States, on the other hand, are not
only under all the obligations which indie
Ipendent communities would be to adopt
such measures, but also under the obligu-
! ton which the Constitution superadds,
rendered more sacred if possible, by the
! fact that, while the Union imposes restric-
tons on the right of the States to defend
themselves, it affords the medium through
which their peace and security are assailed.
1t is not the intention of the committee to
inquire what those restrictions are, and
what are the means which, under the con-
stitution, are left to the States to protect
themselves. The period has not yet come,
and they trust it never will come, when it
NAV be necessary to decide those questions;
but come it must, unless the States whose
duty it is to suppress the danger shall see
in time its magnitude, and the obligations
which they are under to adopt speedy
and ef1ectual measures to arrest its further
progress. That the full force of this obliga-
ton may be understood by all parties, the
committee propose, in conclusion to touch
briefly on the movements OF the abolition
lists, with the view of showing the danger
Gus consequences, to which they must lead
: if not arrested.
Their protested object is tho emancipa-
ton of the Slaves in the Southern States,
which they propose to accomplish through
:, the agency of organized Societies, spread
I throughout the saveholdmg States,
= and powerful press, directed mainly to
excite, in the other states, hatred and alb
horrence against the institutions and citi-
zens of the slaveholdng States, by address,
, cs, lectures, and pictorial representations,
! Astounding in false and exaggerated state
ments.
If the magnitude of this mischief affords,
: in any degree, the measure by which to
: Judge of the criminality of the project, few
have ever been devised TO compare with
, the present, whether the end be regarded,
t or the means by which it is proposed to be
accomplished. The blindness of ianaticsn
is proVvIbiol. With moro zeal than under
d standing, it constantly misconcsives the
e nature of the object at which it aims, and
S towards which it rushes with headlone
n violence, regardless of the means by which
+ it is to be effected. Never was its character
D more fully eXempli6ed than in the presen
: instance. Setting out with the abstract prin
: ciple that slavery is an evil, the tanatlca
C Zeaots come ut once to the conclusion tina
: it is their duty to abolish it, regardless o
d all the disasters which might follow
C Never was conclusion more false or dan
e gcrous. Admitting their assumption, there
;, are nnumcrable things which, regarded il
: the abstract, are evils, but which it would
C be madness TO attempt to abolish. Thu
$ regarded, government itself is an evil, witt
e most of its institutions intended to protec
l. life and property, compromising the ciyl
n as well as the criminal and military code
which are tolerated only because to abolisl
8, them would be to increase instead of di
&c minishing the evil. The reason is equal,
re applicable to the case under consideration
!, TO illustrate which a few remarks on slave
a nv, MS it actually exists III the Southern
1t States, will be necessary.
e. He who regards slavery in those State
y simply under the relation of master ant
n slave, as important as that relation is
i, viewed merely ms u question of propert.
he to the slaveholding section of the Union
le has n very imperfect conception of til
G, institution, and the impossibity of abolish
l. ing it without disasters uneXampled in tn
g history of the world. To understand il
t, nature and importance fully, it must b
Il, horne in mind that slavery us it exists il
n Southern States, Including under tn
ot Southern all the slaycholding states) in
l. wolves not only the relation of master ant
,e slave, but alse, the social and political rela
ID tons of the two races, of nearly equal mum
: hers, from different quarters of the globe
r and the most opposite of all others in ever
m particular that distinguishes one race o
D men from another. Emancipation woul'
destroy these relahons-would diyest tn
y masters of their property, and subvert tn
I'd relation, social and political, that has exist
" ed between the races from almost the settle
Il. ment of the Southern States.
le tits not the intention oftlle committee 4
'e dwell on the pccuniary aspect OF this vita
&c subject; the vast amount of property i'll
Of VOWED, equal at least to 950,OGO,0OO dollar
I'd the ruin of families and individuals; til
III impoverishmcnt and prostration of an ell
tire section ot'the Union, and the fatal bloN
~ lllht Wollu NC gwen I" WV plOuuC'o'S
re the great agricultural staples OH which ia
9, commerce, the navigation, the manutac
e lures and the revenues of the country, a
in most entirely depend. AS great as thes
I'd disasters would be they are nothing CON
e, pared to what must follow the subverslo
Ill Of the existing relation between the Nv
IS, races, to which the committee will comm
es their remarks.
\ Under this relation, the two races hay
a long lived in peace and prosperity, and,
C. not disturbed, would long continue SO I
ne live. While the European race has raplt