State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-04-26
From the ". Y. american.
THE ARKANSAS QUESTION

Mn EDIToR:-The following is all ex-
tract of u letter Just received from friend
in Philadelphia, a gentleman of the old
school-the school of Franklin, Rush,
and jay! Will you give it an insertion?
'The conditions which are contained in
the proposed Constitution of Arkansas,
meant to perpetuate slavery to remotest
time, by placing the subject even beyond
the control of legislative action, have ex-
cited but little attention, either public or
private, that | can discern; when there
ought to be throughout the country but
| one voice of indignant opposition. If the
beautiful and extensive Arkansas country,
purchased by the purse of the nation
should be delivered over, thus chained and
pinoned, TO the dominion of interminablp
slavery, and by the American nation too,
as it can only be'done so by the act of Con-
gress, it will be a sin of such unparalleled
magnitude as has rarely been committed by
any nation Yet is there no voice raised on
the floor of Congress--no public meetings
no private efforts to prevent its accom-
plishnent; but instead thereof the stiffness
of death-the stiffness which precedes the
most awful visitations of Divine Provl-
dence! But | err in saying there is no
movement: with this communication send
The Friend which contains some remarks,
calculated within the sphere of its circnla-
ton, to excite feeling and attention, and
within that sphere have reason to think
there will be a respectable movement My
object in writing now is to learn whether
personal influence, by correspondence with
members of Congress, has been resorted
to; whethet there is any mode i'll contem-
plation with you for concentrating midi
vidual exertions by public action; or, in
what way you have met the subject, or
design TO approach it? Are - and -
awake to it? and are men, untrammelled
| by Anti Slavery associatlon-yet good men
and true--such as- - - and 9th
ers who moved in the Missouri question, TO
! be found, who will come up to the rescue
who will occupy the foreground? Here
is wide field for action-where all chris
tal men can meet, and no UeSted rights to
| interfere!
! Your city once gave the impulse to q
public meeting in Philadelphia, when the
I question was raised regarding the admission
of Missouri. May it not do 1t again? ="
! Whatever action is had it
should he prompt, or it will he too late. l
am, with much esteem and respect,
THINE
The provision in the Constitution of
/ arkansas, referred to in the above commu-
nicalion, is in these words the General
| Assembly shall have no power to pass
laws for the emancipation of slaves with
out the consent of the owners: they shall
have no power to prevent emigrants TO this
State from bringing with them such per-
SONS as are deemed slaves by the laws OF
any one of the United States
These provisions do virtually immortal
ize slavery in Arkansas; for so long as n
single save-master insists, slavery must
endure. But all appeal now to the moral
sense and genuine principles of liberty, OF
: the free States, seems to us utterly hopeless
SO debduched on the subject of slavery
does public sentiment appear to us.