Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-06-20


lion Of slavery. / believe further that the !
comparative number OH both sides fairly re-
presented the numbers, as well as the opinions
OF the constituent body--the people of the u
nied States. have no reason TO think there |
was one member Of the House who would
have voted for the immediate abolition Of
slavery in the District OF Columbia. The ma
lorlty were very averse TO receiving petitions |
for that object; nor was there opportunity a. |
iorded me OF presenting any more Of the null |
tltude which had received and was requested
TO present. On Monday the 18th OF February, |
the order OF receiving petitions was reversed;
commencing with the Territories and pro-
cceding from outh to North and upon the /
State of Massachusetts, being called the House |
adjourned at the motion Of MIR Cave Johnson,
Van Buren, member, from Tennessee. On
the goth and 9th February, days when by
the rules Of the House, petitions should
have been received, the rules were suspended
TO give room 10 other business. In the mean.
time an average Ol eight or ten petitions every
day, were coming TO me with requests that
would present them. On the last day Of the
session, | had two hundred Of them in my
hands, from the States Of Massachusetts,
Name, New Hampshire, Vermont, N, York.
| Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and South Caro-
lima. 1t had been customary TO allow mem
J oCIS uuNlHS prtt'OuS NuiCu tntJ Udu HUI udO
an opportunity 10 present, 10 leave them at the
close OF the session, with the clerk, and they
;. were entered upon the journals. This the
speaker now declined 10 allow without n spe-
cal order OF the House. Mr. Lawrence, who
| had also a number OF petitions TO present, NOV
ed for such an ordcr-but objections were
made to the reception of his resolution, and
the presentation of several hundreds of petit
tions were suppressed-and among the rest,
several relating to subjects no wise connected
with slavery OF its abolition. Sons Of the Ply
mouth Pilgrims have given you statement
faithful and accurate of the condition Of your
right Of petition in the House Of Representa-
tives Of the United States at the close of the
twenty-fourth Congress. In the Senate, the
same right was equally Frustrated, though
with less resistance, and by the means OF other
force.
Since then, the inauguration OF Mr. Van Bu-
rem has placed new chief magistrate at the
head Of this Union. To those OF you who
have petitioned for the abolition of slavery in
the District Of Columbia it cannot be indiffcr-
ent to learn that the only specific point Of pol
icy upon which he has thought proper TO
pledge the conduct Of his administration in adj
vance is the denial of that very measure. He
declares that even if bill for obolishing slave
ry in the District Of Columbia should obtain
I Congress, he would oppose TO its enactment
his constitutional negative. II this declaration
means no more than it imports, there is little
prospect that its sincerity or the irmness of his
adhesion TO its principle will ever be put to the
test. There is not the remotest prospect that
within the term ofhis administration jorty
OF either, much less of both Houses Of Con.
gress will be found prepared to vote for that
measure, and if so great a change in the
,,tI,I,n ind chn ka a. Il
duce ma orties of both Houses in favor of
abolition, it will not be without the efficacy of
his veto 10 resist its torrent. But if, there is
reason to apprehend, this promise is intended
as q pledge, that the whole influence official
and personal of the President OF the United
States shall be applied 10 sustain and perpetu-
ate the institution Of domestic slavery, it is a
melancholy prognostic of new system Of
, administration, Of which the dearest interests
OF new England will be the first victims, and
of which the ultimate result can DC no other
than the dissolution of the Union.
Slavery has already had too deep and too
painful an influence upon the affairs and
, upon The history Of the Union. Ii cannever
= operate but as n slow poison 10 the NOR
: ais of any community injected with il.
, Ours is injected with it 10 the vitas. We
: are told that the national government has
!. no right to interfere with the institution OF
domestic slavery in the states an any man
ner. " hat right then has domestic slave
ry to interfere in any manner with the ma
lonal government? What right has sla-
, very 10 interfere in the free states with the
dearest institutions ul their freedom With
o the right of aheas corpus? With lie
e right OF trial by jury? With the freedom
Of speech With the freedom Of the press
r With the sacred privacy OF correspondence
f by mail? What righl has slavery 10 in.
o ferc with The laws oioher raiions protec.
= tive OF freedom What right 10 interfere
c with the laws OF Bermuda-ol the Bahama
islands, OF Great BIitain' What righ
? has she TO cast her living chailels upon
sol which has baniShed her forever, anc
then come whining to the national govern,
ment that the touch Of the soil OF iberi,
a has quickened her chaucls into lreemen
1 and requiring of The national government
10 clam indemnity for her emancipateo
a chal,lcs. Nay more and worSe-whal righ
y has slavery 10 chde The national govern,
n ment for not demanding her indemnity il
v tone sufficiently perempt0ry? For no
e threatening Great Britain with WAR it she
e fingers longer 10 pay the price Of sinew'
bought and sold
u II the national government has no righ
= to interfere with the institution of domestic
" slavery in the states, in any manner, wha
right has domestic slavery Ia issue from hel
q cOnSecraIed boundaries, and call on the
}, national government for protection, for de-
: fence, for vindication of her pretended ana
/ polluted rightsi What right hasks she Il
= show her lace upon the ocean where the laws
$ OF the nation have denounced her aetesie(
n traffic PIRACY! The independence o
\ sovereign states from all foreign interior
: ence with their municipal institutions is re-