Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1839-08-27
ABOLITION

among pfutg persons ~ Nn0m iciirrS
were Addressed. inviting them 10 De present,
81 the late abolition Convention at ALBANY
was. II seems. tho Hon Roger sherman, of
Fairfield. Conn. lis reply shows that so
far lfom identifying himself with that party.
he regards the course they have pursued.
and especially their language and bearing
towards the south as having already wrn't
immense mischief TO the coiorcrcd race, both
bond and free. AZ the same time hc gives
the aboliiion.s,s credit for good intentions.
and for many Of them expresses n high dc
gree Of respect and esteem. The letter is
Published entire iu lAe Commercial Adtcr-
tlscr. The following par, oi ID:
IT IS well known That slavery exists onlY
by force ofmuuripal law, aui can never be
abolished, by those which you all allow To-
DC the only admissible means of It's aboll.
ton. until those who enact the laws shall
coianiorly restore TO tho oppressed negro
The libery TO which AZ men are cndt!cd.-
How is this TO be ACCOMPLISHED By what
means can slave owners be Induced to con-
sent 10 the manumissoD Of then slaves -
Until that consent is obtained, the siavc, as
YOU admit, viii be held la bondage. Can
You discern that any progress has been made
toward this most desirable result, by the
HtdUs WHICH YOU Nist UitiltIlp utpittN
DO the people Of The Southern States man.
fest disposition TO yield the point, or be
GIN 10 listen 10 your pcrsuasjons. as if their
minds wch approSimating towards couyic-
tl0n' On tho contrary since the institu-
ton Of the Anii-Slaycry Society. have they
not more closely riycied the chnins of The
unhappy hfrlcans Arc not the privileges
of the slaves for acquiring instruction. and
attaining intellectual and moral elevation,
much abridged within the last few wears /:
Not long since, the question Of gradual e.
Emancipation was gravely debated in the Ic-
gislaiures of some Of the principal South
crn States. The phiianthropist began 10 re-
loicc in the anticipation of measures similar
10 those which have restored liberty to the
colored population of the North. But re-
Gently, even among the people of the free
States, spirit has EXISTED from some cause,
against the course adopted by the An,-Sa-
very Society, which has manifested keen
bitterness, and exhibited more open violence
than were ever before cyciteH in this coun-
try, against any efforts for moral rclorma-
lion. What IS the feature in the proceed
ings of the friends Of emancipation, which
has caused this unprecedented excitement
in the free states, and laid in slumber, or
excited into violent reaction, tho incpicnt
sentiments Of liberty which were felt AT the
South: Our Northern people have ever.
with few, If any exc options, dsapproved OF
slavery. They have no interest N lis con
tinuancc il is wholly abhorreut to the
principles which they have been taught t.
cherish. In the days Of our fathers, when
i, was abolished at the North. every class oil
the community, except, perhnps, few o
tic slave holders. favored its abolition. Nc
riots or cxc,emcnts disturbed or threatened
the public peace. At the South, many oil
the most distinguished men concuUcd II
onr sentiments, and addresses Of unryallec
eloquencc were made in favor Of Cmanci
patton, in tho midst Of powerful slayc-ho.d
crs. Witness that OF the celebrated Pink
new in Maryland, more than half ccnturl
ago Why Is IT that The late cycrlIons u
this holy cause have met, both at the Nortl
and the South the most determined, and Of
ten the most lawless reslstanccs And wh,
has open violence been most unlustiii
ably winkcd Al and tolerated 10y a great mas
of our most respectable citlzeLs, and cYci
by the officers of the law Either th'
people of the whole nation have undergone
n change of sentiment and character IN re
gard TO the great evil of slavery, or th
manner of operation has been most unhup
pily erroneous. As the change oil puo!'
feeling occurred soon after the commence
mcnt of the publications aud other procec
dIngs Of those who originated the oIganzs
aull-slascry associations,l think that chang
has resulted from those proceedings. Til
peculiar feature, which, as applchcnd,ha
caused them to defeat their own object,
the o1tremc and iaiemDerafe zeal by who
they are distinguished. Not only the slave
holders. but tho ministers of religion, and n
Others who do not patlake Of this character
istlc peculiarly, are prescribed, aud spoke
Of ia language OF rcproach.
Could II bc supposed that people S
high spirited as the shareholders Of III
South could be cowcd into compliance b
bitter reproachss' Had the Rev. DR.. T.,
wards, and Others who publicly cspoused II
measures Of emancipation adopted IN Cor
nccticut soon after the Revolutionary wa