Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-08-02

n''fks table, ny the general order OF the
House OF the 18Th of February. but the
resolutions were never received and. if
'h"y mad been, must have been laid on he
'ao'e by the gag resolution of eth of De.
cember 1888.
! have not been surprised TO find in the
Emanc'pator notice that nv resolutions
were not satisfactory TO the pe,,,ioners n,
whose suggestion prepared them for pre
s"n'atlon. They are in no wise and no, 10
me Femotest degree responsible for them.
had no expectation that nv resolutions
would be received bv the House. knew
'hey would not be discussed | presented
them ra'her to the petitioners. as compri
Slrg he only mode IN winch believe the
abolition OF slavery could possibly be effect
ed wnhnu, violence and without niustlce
lament The temper mutually ranking
between the Shareholders and the abolition.
ISIS, ana am convinced that. so long as It
mai exist. the abolition of slavery IN thus
Union, or even 10 the District of Columbia.
Is as far beyond The regions of possibility
as any PROJECT OF the philosophers of Luna
"a. Inc multiplication of Anti. slavery
ooc'e''es WIh'n the last three years has
appeared 10 me rather to weaken than to
promote their cause, or at least their pros.
pecfso immediate or early success. With
the increase OF their numbers. new and
collateral questions. always controverlible
and perplexlng. like parasite suckers from
me man stem Of The tree. have sprung no
10 dlV'de Their connsels and introduce dis
sons'on among themselves. The caplous
olsputat'on OF moral and political casuj,trv,
aoout non resistance. defensive war. the
rights OF women. political action, no Gov
eminent. the social condition oftbe colored
race Inc encouragement given to the
slaves TO escape from their masters. and
exaggerated representations ofthe mlseries
e' their condition. have eminently concur.
red not only to counteract their Influence
upon the main object of their association,
but to make them unpopular and even obi
aus, not onlv IN The South, bu, in all
parts OF the Union. Their ANNOYANCE Of
candidates tor popular election. by putting
searching questions to them as tests, in.
porting at once n promise and a threat.
has not propltlated to them the good will
OF any party, and has made them obnox
'ous to All. The purity Of the principle of
OF lhese formal inierroga,orles, for answers
to be followed by SURFACES, is very CUES.
'lonabe, with reference to the freedom Of
elections The expedient itself has seldom
u ever been successful to accomplish its
object. 1t has ip almost every Instance
d'eciueed the weakness of the Aboltiopis,s
as party, distinct from The great political
COMPETITORS Tor the favor and the power of
the People.
MY OBJECTIONS to the immediate abolition
OF slavery in the Territory of Florida are
the same with those which I have here Sc,
forth against the same measure in the Dis.
trlcf OF Columbia, with the addition that
the conditions upon which the Territory
was coded to the United States by Spain
formally stlpnla'e for its admission into the
Union on the same terms as are secured to
me primitive citizens ofthe United States.
10 impose new condition now upon the
'hhao'ants, as sine qua non, of admission
10 the Union as State, would be, in nv
judgement, breach of faith. | voted
against the admission of the State of Ar
kansas, because her Constitution expressly
denied to her Legislature the power of
emancIpatlng slaves. Should the Consti.
tuition Of Florida contain the same prov,s
'on' should vote in the same manner; bu,
the 'alth OF the nation is already pledged 10
the admission of Florida on The same terms
upon which other Southern States have
been admitted. and we have no right now
to require more of her than has been re.
quired OF them.
The petitions against the admission of
any State hereafter, the Constitution of
winch sha tolerate slavery. were not sus
cept'ble ofan affirmative answer A ncpa
i've resolution to that effect would have no
binding force, even if adopted bv both
Houses of Congress; for they cannot cir
cumscrlbe the powers of their successors.
But with The exception Of Florida, never
would consent to the admission of any new
slave State.