Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1838-11-13
Communicated Iror The lfooidl

"is Il ct, OF can II bear the shock
OF rational discussion, that a mar,
Compounded and inside up like other men
OF elements iumujtuous. 10 whom Lost
And folly, IN IS ample measure meet
Asin the hosotus OF the slaves he rules,
Should be a dtspot absolute. and b asst
Himself the only freeman OF his land
Mr. Editor Who IS 10 blame for the existence Of
holders Of slaves. Does it then follow that abolition
soc,rues 10 the free states are q graluitous affair To
this question / will say that in the free states these So
cieties are unlike any other voluntary associations in
one respect at least. Because they are formed to cor
rect evils which do mo-, exis; among US But the tenn
pefanee societies for instance, are formed to check and
diminish the evils Of inieInperance and to prevent their
recurrence at a future time, hence they are standing
associations and will be useful as long as there is any
danger of this evil They come IN direct contact with
the evil 10 be removed, hence they are wisely adapted
TO the rxigencies of The case. But slavery il not an
existing evil with US, and a%pprehend there is no dan
ger of lis being again introduced into the free states
In the slave.h holding states, therefore, such societies
should have originated But in the free states it is on
ly obliquely that such associations can effect the SUB.
i-ct of slavery. For we have no voice in the legisla-
tive assemblies Of the slaye.holding states, and cannot
hope to rmbody a public opinion that shall vote down
slavery in those states. For though every individual
in the free states should Join abolition societies it would
not carry a single vote into the legislature of a single
sloveholding state. What then is the use Of such as.
socia,ions with us7 1t may be said that we show the
south that We are enemies 10 slavery. But have not
our laws and our practice eyinced the same truth for
many years Have we no. ever preferred TO 1--we by
the sweat Of the brow rather than 10 hold slaves Are
not the laws and the conduct of the north a perpetual
protes, against slavery If our example has had no
weight with them, will any thing We can do Influence
them They have said by words and by deeds that
they will receive no teachings frcm US on this subject.
Hence slavery, so far as II exists by state laws IS not
a national az, nor a national san, II Is chargea6Ie 10
hose who are its eiosnt oanSe.. BY denying the night
Of Congress to legislate on the subject OF slavery in
Washington, because that city lies within the terrific
,ies Of slavery, the slave holding states have shoulder
ed the whole enormity Of the evil as it exists in this
Union. Rather than to keep up an uuayalIng quarrel
with the south about the freedom Of Columbia 1t may
become xpedient to remove the seat OF national legis
lation to the csplto. Of Pennsylvania or Ohio. II the
spiri, Of slavery IS 50 tenacious as not 10 yield an inch
of ground, nor suffer a majority 10 govern on THIS as
well as on other questions in Washington, i, might per
haps be willing 50 far TO compromise as 10 have The
seat Of legislation removed to such a place as that the
north shall cease in any sense TO be accessory 10 slavery
Its q gloomy subject to every mind that is made up Of
the proper attributes Of manhood. Shall we turn our
eyes from the siekening sight like the Priest sud the
Leyie who b~eholdipg a fellow man in distress passed
by on the other side-or like the good Samaritan shall
our sympaihies flow out for the wre,ched-Ond out
kindness. and our charities evince that We have a fellow
feeling for al who suffer- The experiment of abolish
ing slavery IN the British West Indies, having lcrnina
trd successfully, uh- cotton and The cane growing 81
luIuranily as sver) will no, the people Of the slave
holding states 60 and DO likewise ESQuiEtE.