Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-07-05

ting the means in operation to furnish the
supply. If the purchaser of prize-goods
is responsible for the robbery and murder
by which they are procured, then is the
consumer of the produce of slave labor
equally responsible for the robbery and
fraud, the stripes and blood, and all the
complicated sufferings Of the guiltless
slave, who is driven 10 his task and SUBJ
jected to all his wrongs for mo other pur-
pose than to supply our demand for the
fruit of his toll.
Besides the direct support thus given to
injustice and cruelty, the indiscriminate
use of these articles has a powerful ten.
dency in another respect 10 impair our
testimony against slavery and TO counter
act all our efforts for its abolition. The
sagacious Shareholder will b. little affect
ed by our appeals in behalf of his help
less victim, so long as we stand read to
afford him all the inducement he desires
for perpetuating his favorite plan Of extor-
ton. Thus we pull down with one hand
what we build up with the other. But
could the STAKEHOLDER and his apologists
see US enforcing our precepts by COR
responding practice, and manifrs'ing
the sincerity of our professions by
willingness to endure sacrifices and self
denial, rather than be partakers Of other
mems SINS our remonstrances migh then
reach the witness for God in their bosoms,
and our efforts in behalf Of our suffering
outcast brother be crowned with success.
Another cause of strengthening the
chains of slavery, and enlarging its do
minion so as TO embrace the free colored
population within its crushing influence,
is found in the cruel and unwarranrabIe
prejudice against color, which almost
universally obtains in this country, and
which it is to be feared the members of
our society are contributing their share to
cherish and pcrpetuate The children OF
colored parents are not allowed to associate
with those Of the whites on terms of equal
ity, either at school or in social inter
course; and being thus in carly childhood
taught to regard themselves as proscrib-
ed race, their intelIects are crippled and
their spirits crushed in a degree greatly
preJudlcial to their improvement and fu-
ture charactar; and when entering upon
active life they find all the avenues to
respectable standing in society closed
against them, and they are compelled to
seek a livelihood by such employments az
are only pursued by the lowest classes in
community. Finding that no exertions
on their part can enable them to rise above
the degraded level to which this prejudice
has consigned them, that all their efforts
TO attain TO responsibility are rendered un-
avaiIing by it, they lose one Of the strong
est incentives to industry and economy and
gradually sink to a state of debasement
and wrctc hedness; and thus to a superficial
observer seem to confirm the unjust and
impious sentiment, that the coIored race
was designed by the Creator to occupy
subordinate rank in the family Of man.
kind; when In fact our own treatment OF
them is the on V cause Of their inferioritv.
The degraded condition of the free COL
ored people amongst US and our habit of
referring it to a deficiency of intellect has
the effect to check our sympathy for the
race, and reconcile US to the thought Of
allowing those in bondage to remain in
that state, as best adapted to their capacity,
and consequent v to withhold US from any
effort for their emancipation.
From the foregoing considerations it
appears that our society is contributing in
various ways, and in no small degree &C
cording to its numbers, to the support of
an organized system, sanctioned by hu-
man laws and confirmed by long usage,
which reduces one sixth part of the inhab-
ltants OF our country to the condition Of
goods and chattels-of br1tes; separates
husbands and wives, tears the helpless
infant from the bosom of its frantic moth
err ConsIgns its innocent victims to the
irresponsible control of the mcrciless
diver, who EFFORTS from them the fruits of
their labors without redress, and by the
terrors OF the cart-whip; tramDEps under
loot the marriage covenant and subjects
thousands of unprotected females to ic-
norance and degradation; denies to can
dIdates for immortality the outward means
OF acquiring moral and religions instruc-
ton, and dooms them to drag out mjsor
able existence, with no hope of relief but
IN the grave, and, with few exceptions, no
consolation in the contemplation of the
future
The different means by which we are
contributing to the continuance of slavery
seems to indicate the corresponding meas
ures required of us for it's extinction. But
besides the obligation growing out of our
immediate connection with the evil, to use
every exertion consistent with the direc
ton of best Wisdom for its removal. there
are other motives which should uroe rs
to this work of love Bv the BENIGN nr4-
cepts and example of our Holy Pattern
We are instructed to embrace the whole
family Of man within the range of onr
sympathles, and wherever we See human
suffering, degradation and misery, ,hther
We are TO direct nnr effortS for -