Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-02-22
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1880.


oteciplce down which they would hurry us.
1t is because these ulrra.abo,,oni>ts have
ceased to employ the instruments of reason
and persuasion. have made their cause
political and have appealed to the ballot
box. that attn induced, upon this OCCASION
to address you.
There have been three epochs in the
history of our country at which the spirit
of abolition displayed itself. The first was
immediately after the formation OF the
present Federal Government. When tho
Constitution was about going into opera.
lion, its powers were not well understood
by The community at large. and remained
TO be accurately interpreted and defined.
AT that period numerous abolition societies
were formed comprising not merely the
Society Of Friends. but many other good
men. Petitions were presented tn Con-
grcss, praying for the abolition Of slavery.
They were received without serious oppo>
sltion. referred. and reported upon by o
committee. The repor, stated that the
General Government had no power {"
abolish slavery Rs IL existed in the several
States, and that these States themselves
had exclusive jurisdiction over the subjec'
| The rep"r, was generally acqUlescpd in.
and satisfaction and tranquility ensned. the
abriI'ion societies thereafter limiting their
exer,ions. in respect to The bIqck popula
ton. to offices of humanity within the scope
OF exlstIng laws.
| The next period when the subject Of sla
very, and alb ,htion Ipcdenta llv,w brought,
into notice and discussion. was hat on the
memorable occasion Of the admission Of the
State of Missouri into the Union. The
struggle was long, strenuous. and fearful.
IL Is too recent TO make it necessary TO d.
more than merely advert TO il, and to say.
that It was finaiIy composed BY one of those
compromises characieri-tlc Of our insitu.
lioD|, and oi winch the Constitution Itself
1, the most signal instance.
| The third ~ hat IN which we now find
ourselves. Various causes. Mr. President.
have contributed to produce the existing
! excitement on the subject Of abolition.
The principal one, perhaps. 10 the example
Of British emancipation Of the slaves IN the
Is la n0S adj accent to our country. Such l.
the similarity in laws, in language, in ,ns,i
,u,iors. ADD in common origin, between
Great Britain and the United States. thai
no grea, measure Irrational policy can h.
adnp,ed IN the one country without prodn
eng a onsidNrable degree Of influenc" III
me other. Cnofounding the totally fir
ent cases together Of the powers of 'h"
Blush Parliament and those OF the Com
g,ess of The United States. and the totally
different situations o. The British West In
d,a Islands, nnh the slaves ~ the sovfre'g"
g
and independent, States or thus Con'edera
cy. superficial men have I,r.erred from The
undecided British experiment, The praclica
b,lty ofthe abolition Of slavery ~ these
States. The powers of the Br.'ish par''a
ment are unlimited, and are often describ' ID
TO be omn'potent. The powers OF the
American Congress, on the contra, Y. are
few, cautiously limited, scrupuously txcn
ding all tina, are not granted, and, above
all, carefully and absolutely excluding all
power over The existence or continuance OF
slavery IN the several s. ates. The slaves,
tno,upon which British legislation opera ed,
were not in the bosom of the kingdom, but
in remnte and feeble colonies havlug M
voice in Parliament. The West lnha
slavahnder was neither represented nor
representative in tina, Parliament. And
whilst m Isl ferven'ly wish complete sue
cess 10 the British experiment Of Yves,
India emancipation ! confess that have
fearful forebnd,ngs of q disastrous ,ermlna
tlon of il. Whatever it may be, th,ak II
must be admitted that. if the BRUSH Par :.
lament treated the West India slaves as
freemcn, it also treated the West India
freemen as slaves. II. instead Of these
slaves being separated by wide ocean
from the parent country. three or four mis-
lions of Aftlran negro slaves had been dis
persed over England. Scotland w ales, and
! Ireland, aud their owners had been mem
brrs of the British Parllamrnt-a case
which would have presented some analogy
10 that of our own coun,ry--does any one
believe hat it would have been expedlen'
or practicable to have emaDc,pa,ed them
leaving them tn remain, with all then
embi''ered feelings,n the United Kingdom
'bonndess as the powers Of the BRITISH
Parliament are!
! Other causes have conspired with British
example To produce the excitement from
abolition. say It with profound regre,
bH, viii no intention TO occasion rr'ia
ton here or elsewhere, that there are per
7 sons in both parts OF the Union who have
sought to mlng'e abolition with politics ant
to arrey one portion OF the Union aga,n-
the other, 1t is the misfortune in fret
! countries that high party times, a di'po
si'ion TOO often prevails to SEIZE hold o
:. every thing which can strengthen the on
{ side or. weaken the other. Charges o
2 fosl ering abolition designs have been heed
lesslv aud unjus'y made by one part
against the other. Prior to the lat,
y election of the present President of IN,
G United States, he was charged with beln.
s an abollonsts and abolition designs wer
I 'npn'ed TO many OF his supporters. Nue.
y as was opposed 10 his election, and al
. to his adm,n,slla'ion. ! neither shared II
. making nor believing the truth of IN
, charge lie was scarcely Installed IN offic
4 k,f, k, Dha