Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-04-21

their then American colonies. Did the Brit
ism government prohibit this commerce in
human fesh2 No. Did they encourag e
~ Yes Was this traffic profitable? Elk.
ceedingly profitable But did not the gov.
ernment allow the colonists themselves 10
engage in this trade and import their own
Slaves? AT this early period, the colonies
possessed few ships, or vessels of any de.
seription, fitted for making foreign voyages.
And amos, all those colonial vessels which
made foreign voyages were owned by the
colony of Massachusetts Bay. The enter
prlsing people of the North did, however,
IN process of time, engage largely in the AZ
rican Slave trade, and subsequently,, each
and all of the thirteen colonies owned and
held Slaves. II is true, the Northern colo
mics did not purchase so large a number of
Slaves as did the Southern colonies. But
why did they not2 For no other reason
but that slave labor was found not TO be so
profitable in a cold climate and amongst
farming people. But at length the Ameri.
can revolution put an end to British power
IN America AL the colonies being indie.
pendent and distinc, communities, had form
ed bond of union with each other, for the
express purpose of defending themselves
against the common enemy Of all The in
dependence OF all being now secured EACH
and all were now sovereign States, and indie
pendent Of each other, and of all the world
besides. The war having ended, each State
sensible OF the danger which might ensuc
TO one and all, without some bond of union
and common head, by which foreign inter.
course, and the more general concerns Of
the whole might be regulated on the princi-
pies Of equality and ciprocty,-fnallyI
met in convention, and formed the Constitu-
ton under which we now live, a constitu.
ton which, with all its defects, has already
securedto millions Of ireemen a greater share
Of freedom and happiness, than can be prov
ed everlo have been enjoyed by any other PEG
pie, during the same period, under any other
form of government, since the creation OF
mani
But let us examine little more infinitely
into few facts and circumstances connected
with the formation of our Constitution And
IN the first place, lei US ask, who were they
who were the most anxious TO abolish Slave
ry and the Slave trade d? Who had already
abolished it and who were most anxious 10
continue il? In the first place, then. we find
that the great and magnanimous State OF
Virginia had already prohibited the impor-
tation Of African Slaves within her limits, as
early as the year l77sl thus being the first
government on earth, which began the holy |
work of putting stop TO the horrid traffic in |
human flesh. Virginia-the largest slave.
holding State in the Union Virginia. dis
Iinguished alike for her patriotism and her
Chivalrous Virginia the
land Of patriots and the birthplace OF
Washington and Jefferson
And here let us, for a moment, go back to
he general Congress of 1875, which decla
I'd our independence The journals OF that
lay will show, as is generally known to us
all, that five members were chosen to draft
4 Decaratonof independence, which should
set forth the injuries which we had received
rom the hands of power, and which, we be.
ieved justified us in taking up arms. Mr.
Jefferson was the immortal author Of that
Declaration. Fcelingly alive to the many
injuries which his bleeding country had re-
:eived from the King and Parliament, Jeffer-
son did not overlook that OF African Slavery;
md hence we find in the original draft Of
he Declaration, which was unanimously !
approved by the Committee, the following
manly and spirited language Considering
he King las was then usuaD as the respon-
'ible author of all our evils, the writer thus
the subject Of Slavery" He has
vaged cruel war against human nature it.
self; violating its most sacred rights Of life
md liberty, in the persons of distant peo-
Die, who never offended him, -captivating
md carrying them into slavery in another
or to incnr miserable death in
heir transportation thither This piraticaI
warfare, the opprobrium of infde powers, is
he warfare of the christian King of Great
Britain. Determined 10 keep open mar.
set, where men should be bought and sold,
lie has prosttuted his negative for suppress
ing every Legislative attempt TO prohibit or
eslrain this execIable commerce. And that
his assemblage of horrors might want no
act Of distinguished die, he is now exciting
hose very people to rise in arms among US,
md to purchase that very liberty of which
lie has deprived them, by numbering the
,eople on whom he has obtruded them; thus
,aying off former crimes committed against
he liberties of one people, with crimes which
lie urges them to commit against the Tires Of
mother" But here let me ask, why was
lot this paragraph retained in the Declara-
ion2 Why did majority Of the members
Who then composed Congress, vote to leave
'ut the above altogether, since Jefferson, Ad-
ms, Franklin, Sherman and Livingston
we're all in favor of retaining it, as well as
arge number ofthe Southern members2 In
nv next communication, YOU will be able 10 .