Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-04-03
Continued from LIST page.

in nv own family, tnroWn moo'y UP.
shelf. Here then is decided naJothy
in favor of the slave interest. IL mas nVe
out of nine Judges of the Supreme Court
here also. is a majority from the slave
s,ates. Il has, with the President OF the
Senate. and the Speaker OF the House OF
representatives, and the Clerks of both |
Houses, the army and the navy and he
bureaus have, am told, about the same
proportion. One would suppose that,
with all this power operating in this Gov
eminent, il would be content to permit
YES, will use the word permit would
be content to permit us, who live In the
free states, to enjoy our tiresldes and our
homes in quietness; but this is not the
case. The Shareholders and slave laws
claim that as property, which the tree
states know only as persons, reasoning
property, which, Of its own will and mere
motion, is frequently found in our states
and upon which THING we sometimes be-
stow food and raiment fit appear hungry
and perishing, believing it TO be human
being this, perhaps, is owing to our
want Of vision 70 discover the process by
which a man is converted into THING.
For this act of ours, which is not prohib-
tied by our laws, bat prompted by every
feeling, christian and humane, the slave
holding power enters our territory. tram
pies under foot the sovereignty of our
State, violates the sanctity of private resi-
denee, seiZes our citizens, and disregard
ing the authority of our laws, transports
them into its own jurisdiction, casts them
into prisons, confines them in fetters and
loads them with chains. for pretended Of
fences against their own laws, found by
willing grand juries upon the oath Ito use
the language of the late Governor of
Ohio) of a perjured william. Is this fancy,
or is it fact. sober reality solemn fact 3
Need l say all this, and much more, is
now matter of history in the case of the
reverend John B. Mahan, Of Brahen coun-
", Ohio2 Yes. it is so; but this is but
the beginning. A case of equal outrage
has lately occurred, if newspapers are to
be relied on, in the seizure of citizen OF
Ohio, without even the forms Of law, and
who was carried into Virginia and shame
fully punished by tar and feathers, and
other disgraceful means, and rode upon
rail. according to the order of Judge
Lynch, and this. only because in Ohio he
was an Abolitionist.
Would could stop here-but l can
not. This slave interest or power seizes
upon :perons OF color in our state, carries
them into slales where men are property,
end makes merchandise of them, some
times under sanction of law, but more prop
erly by its abuse, and sometimes by mere
personal force, thus disturbing our quiet
and harrassing our citizens. A case OF
this kind has lately occurred, where a
colored boy was seduced from Ohio into
Indiana, taken from thence into Alabama
and sold as slave; and to the honor OF
the slave States, and gentlemen who adj
minister the laws there, be it said, that
many who have thus been taken and sold
by the cOnnivance, If not downright cor.
Tuplion of citizens in the free states, have
been liberated and adjudged free in the
states where they have been sold, as was
the case OF the boy mentioned, who was
sold in Alabama. Slave power is seek
ing 10 establish itself in every state, in de
tiance of the Constitution and laws of the
states within which it is prohibited. In or
der to secure its power beyond the reach
of the states, it claims its parentage from
the Constitution ofthe United States. II de
.nands Of us total silence as to its proceed
inps denies to our citizens the liberty O
speech and the press, and Furnishes then
BY mobs and violence for the exercise O
these rights. 1t has sent its agents int
free states for the purpose of influencing
their Legislatures to pass laws for the Sc
curity ofils power within such states, anc
for the enacting new offences and new
punishments for their own citizens. so a
to give additional security to its interest
1t demands 10 be heard in its own persol
in the hall of our Legislature, and lningl
in debate there. Sir. in every stage G
these expressions and abuses. permit m
20 say, in the. language Of the Declaration
of Independence--and no language coul
be more appropriate-we have petltione
for redress in the most humble terms, an
our repeated petitions have been answere
BY repeated injury. A power, who's
character IS marked by every act whicl
may define tyrant, is unfit to rule over
free people. In our sufferings and on
wrongs, we have besought our fellow-cit
gems TO aid us in the preservation o. on
constitutional rights, but, influenced b
the love of gain or arbitrary power, the
have sometimes disregarded all the sa
cred rights Of man, and answered in vic
lence, burnings. and murder. Alter a
these transactions. which are now of pub
lie nolOriety and matter Of record. sha
we Of the free states tauntingly be asked
what we have to do with slayery2 w
should rejoice, indeed, if the evils of sla
very were removed far from US, that
conld ha said with truth. that we hay