Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-07-31

very interlores with, and annuls the rights Of
clizpns as guaranteed by the Constitution In
the second section of the Constitution, Tart. AZ
il is said, THE citizens Of each state, shall be
entitled to all the privileges and immnnitics Of
citizens Of tho several s!ates.' But, in the face
OF this TX press article, laws exist in almost ev-
cry slave-statc, by which free colored citizens
OF the Northern states may be, and actually
are, taken up and imprisoned as runawaye,
and, if not claimed arc sold for Jail fees into
perpetual slavery. This horrid outrage lie ha-
btually practised in the U. S. prison, in the
District Of Columbia, and throughout the whole
South" Address Of the N Y Young mems
Anti-SlaVery Society, p 12.l Moreover the
laws of the slave states uniformly discourage
emancipation and some of them expressly
prohibit it, except by consent Of thelegisature.
Stroud says lin South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama and Mississippi, it is not enough that
penalty is imposed upon the bencvoence Of
Il master who may permit his slave TO work for
himself a Sldue otCner must continue SiaUe
owaer, (uncss he dispose of his chattels by
sale,) until he can induce the legislature to in.
dulgo him in the wish to set the captives free"
lStrouds Sketch Of slave laws, p 147.l In
Georgia, the attempt to set free a slave in any
other way han by application 10 the legisla-
ture. is visited with a severe penalty, not ex-
son, aiding and assisting in such attempt, is IL
able to the same penalty; and any will or les-
lament deed, made and executed for the pur-
pose Of ellecting the emancipation Of Il slave,
is declared by an act Of the loglslaturuto be ut
torly null and void and the slave so attempt.
cd to be emancipatcd, is liable 10 be arrested
and sold as a slave by authority Of the State.
In North Carolina, slave cannot be Get free
except FOR mentorlous services, Ia be ndudg-
ed Of, and allowed bp the County Court aud
license first had and obtained theroupon." The
same was the law Of Tennessee until the year
1901, when anew twas passed, 'authorlzng
the court to emanClpute slaves, upon a presen-
taion OF petition for that purpose, with the
pro0iSO, that the reasons set forth in said petit
ton, shall, in the opinion of the court, be con-
sistent with the interest and policy OF the state.
In the state OF Virginia any emancipated slave,
over 2i years Of age, remaining "wiihin tue
state more than twelve months after his or her
right TO freedom shall have accrued" is lia lie
TO be Unprecedented and sold, by the ovcrseer
of the poor, for the benefit OF the literary fund"
ISeo Strouds sketch Of slave laws, pages 147,
I4s, tao, l5O, ISL, Is and 49,
But | need not refer you to the laws Of the
slave holding states, nor yet to isolated EXAM
pcs Of Sruolt, in order 10 prove me o6ercss-
i've tendency Of slavery upon the cnslavc1 for
the whole system is, from beginning to end, a
system Of robbery, compulsion and cruelty
Moreover, to the sufierings and disabilities of
the slave, which result directly and exclusively
from this system Of oppression, is added mex
pressiblo mental anguish, produced by the rel
alive condition oil others around hm.-whlch
is exactly the reverse of his own--by the cir
cumstance, that the land OF bis bondage is re-
publican .americc--that land which is called
triJIT1 | A n on TIL up Ell L..
the fact that he is always obliged to hear tn,
shouts OF liberty, which, every where around
him, arc mngling with the sound of the lash,
s. tho canking Of chains. This circumstance,
indeed, aggrayatCs 10 an enormous degree, the
sutfcriugs oil the slave. 1t is this which adds
the bitterness Of gall to .he NORWOOD cup of
his lot. But, as much as this circumstance
adds 10 the sui1ernes Of the slave, it judgments.
in still greater ratio, OUT national guilt. As
q nation, we boast above all others, Of our free
institutions, and the equal enjoyment of nal.
ienaDle rights, while at the same time, we cher
sh in our minds a despotism the vlest upon the
earth Il system of tyranny by which one-sixth
| part OF our whole population are ground TO the
| dust In order 10 bring more distinctly to our
view the base hypocrisy OF our hoastfll protein
tons 10 liberty, and the inconsistency of our
treatment to our oppressed foilow-countrymen
! in rcsenting and resisting opp sson, with that
! by which we now manifest our disposition 10
| Cypress. To do this, must advert, b iclly, 10
come of the leading events in the history OF our
| country, which relate TO the revolutionary strug-
| gle, and the formation oil our Federal Constitu.
| ton.
In the year 1867, bill passed the parlia.
ment, imposing duty 10 be collected in the
colonies, on glass, paper, painters colors and
! tea. This act, with several others, not less ar.
| bitrary and unjust, spread an alarm through
out the colonies, and revived the spirit OF OPP
| position. Associations were formed 10 pre-
vent the importation Of British goods meet
ings were called to resolve petition and &C.
monstrate. So strong was the resolution o
the colonists in opposition TO this act, that, o.
the arrival Of tea, though the duties had beol
reduced to three pence per pound, and not
| wthstanding the tea was offered So low, tina
even with the duty, it would now come chea p
er than it had come without it before, yet the,
would not purchase at all and " the conse
quence was, that cargoes Of tea sent 10 New
Z ork and Phlladelph were returned withou
being entered at the custom house and thos
sent to Charleston, S. G. were stored, but NO
offered for SALE" But on it's arrival at Boston
the inhabitants not being able TO procure it
return, resolved to destroy ii. Accordinel
342 chests Of tea were consigned to the water
deep. These proceedings produced a slron
excitement in Parliament, and gave rise 10 tn
passage OF several acts, still more oppressiy
} than any which had preceded. Whereupo
the different colonies formed continent,
Congress,-agreed upon a declaration ofthe
rights--and began TO make preparation f
f their defence. On the 18th OF 9TH mo. april
f ITS, was the battle Of Lexington, which oper
ed the bloody scene Of the revolutionary wa
"The provincial Congress of Mass. being
session at this time, despatched minute az
I count oil the affair to Great Britain; in cor
: cluson, using this emphatic language, "AE
C pealing TO heaven for the justice Of our caus
4. 4 L. L.. L.