Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-04-04

uuJuuSeu 10 De Chatte.5 personal IN the haad
Of their masters and possessors, TO all intent
and purposes whatever" Brepard's Digest.
Mr.. PRENTIss says, "Siavery, in its mos
mitgated form, imports an obligation of per
potual service, or service for life, without wa
gcs, with an unrcstrained right Of alienation
IN the master, coupled with an arbitrary pow
err OF administering any sort of correction, no
Immediately affecting life or limb. The ser
vitude runs from generation to generation, thu
children of slaves, belHg, by birth, slaves al
So" Speech in U. s. Senate, March 1, 1886.
DR.. Webster defines slavery to bee tht
state OF person wholly subject TO the will o
another"
The right Of alienation, from the above
would seem 10 be necessary incident of slave.
ry, as ii noto exists. Bui il does not hence
follow that it can exist in no other form. But
slavery cannot exist where tho scrvitude is
voluntary, or where the slave OF servant is moi
entirely subjected to the will of his MASTER
If the slave be compelled TO lubor for his mas
ter for life, without wages, il his children by
birth are doomed to the same state of servi-
tudc, though his marital rights may be respec-
ted, aud his master may be restrained from
selling him like an OK or horse, can he be
called Jreeman2 or simply an apprentice p
Should You, sir, ever find yourself reduced to
such state Of servitOdo, II would afford you
little satisfaction, | fancy, TO find that Black
stone would not call you Il slave.
But, perhaps, you may say that, after all,
the abolitonists do not contend for such an
emancipation from slavery, as is above DESERT
bed. This, however, is not the point now in
discussion. You charge me with Ignorance
OF the definition Of slavery of coniounding
the distinction between slavery and voluntary
>ervltude, and this simply because have as.
serted that the slave is slave still, SO long as
he Is subject to the will OF his master. With
out attempting to reconcile all the above au-
thorities, | must still be allowed 10 maintain
that my language was sufficiently correct to
be understood.
But, sir cannot think that you have been
exactly candid in saying that my notion OF I'M
mediate and unconditional emancipation is to
let loose all the black population oil the South,
and suffer them to roam wherever they In
their folly and ignorance might happen to
please" II my recollection serves me-for |
have not my communication IN the Watch
man Of the 18th Feb. now before mel was
laborng 10 show that the unconditional emun-
cpation of the aboltionists seems 10 require
conditions after all | did not suppose that
the aboitionists were so foolish as TO abide by
their own principles. My object was to show
that the slave was not qualified for freedom.
You say, ave ask for The slaves immediate
freedom, and we insist that they ought TO have
il Internationally, hat il, without being sent
to Llberio, and without a compensation to
their masters" Now let me enquire, are
these all the conditions you would impose o.
Emancpate the slaves, and what would him
der them from roaming in the manner suppos-
ed Give them, as you say, the same free
dom that whites enjoy, and who could hinder
item from leaving their masters, ifthey choose;
ana settling themselves, by scores and hum
dreds, in Watsfeld and elsewhere, as pau
pers and as citizens? Mobs might hinder
them, but the remedy would then be tenfold
worse than the disease. Give the slave his
freedom Internationally, and does he know
how 10 exercise it? how to enjoy it Impose
restraints upon his MISUNDERSTANDING adap.
ted to his condition and circumstances but diff
tcrent from those imposed OH white men-and
your emancipation becomes conditioned, al
though the Slauc may become freeman, and
that too without being sent TO Liberia.
You assert that the "kidnapper only begins
a wrong which the stakeholder perpetuates,
and that slave-holding is essentially kidnap-
ping continued" II does really appear to me
that your ideas upon this subject are far from
bring very clear and distinct. All voluntary
slave holding, we admit, to be sinful and
that legislation which has for its objectth I'M
limited perpctuation Of slavery is righteous
and unjust. But in your above assertion, you
speak unqualfiedly, and cannot subscribe TO
the sentiment The argument is simply this
the original deprivation of the natural liberty
of the slave was sin; all continuance of this
deprivation must consequently be sinful. In
the language OF the Hon. PELEG SPRAGUE,
GO \ NJ,
izen, in the full possession Of his faculties is
kidnapped, represented as n lunaiic, tor the
purpose Of depriving him of the control Of his
and kept IN confinement in private
mad house, until from the horrors OF his siu-
alton, HE mind is really aicnated, reason is
driven from her Throne, and lie actually be-
comes furious mailman? Would you re-
lease him then? Why not He has COM
mttcd no crime-ho has only suffered excru.
ciating agony, bodily and mental, by the crimes
of others. The original restraint upon his
liberty was sin-why not then every continu-
alton of 1t, and why not leave shining Instant
ly by setting him at large? The answer is
obvious; he is not in a condition TO be liberia
ted; he would do mischiefto himself and 9th
crs. And SO Of the slaves if they are not in
a condition 10 receive unrcstrained freedom,
if they would do mischief to themselves and
others, the safety of society, humanity itself
demands, that they should not, at once, be
loosed from all restraint"
You say that perhaps think "aboIilionists
have done injustice to shareholders by exag-
gerating the WRONGS of slavery" God knows,
that on this occasion, am no apologst for
crime. The icrongs of slavery Heaven pre-.
serve me from ever beng defender of its
wrongs. The wrongs of slavery can scarce
ly be 100 severely censured. Language, how
ever highly wrought, becomes cold and tame
when attempting 10 describe the wrongs Of the
degraded African. The legislation Of some
OF the slaVe-holding states, in relation TO this
subject, is enough TO make demons blush
Even n Congress, the poor slave ia denied the
rights Of humanity and the representatives of
freemen can, in the popular branch unbush-