Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-06-21
QuINcr. Nav oI laaN-

puDllsheu IN the National lnteliigenoer o
23d April last, informed you Of the man
ner in which the duty had been discharged
OF presenting 10 the House of Representa-
tlves the addresses to that body, which j
had been youh pleasure TO commit TO m,
care.
-Ofthe duty Of the House 10 4eecire, L
hear, 10 consider, and TO aas1er those peti
tons, memorials, and circumstances, | hut
no more doubt than my own duty to pre-
sent them, and TO ask the action of The Hous,
upon them, from the moment when the,
were entrusted to my hands.
The majority--a large majority of tn,
House, however, were ola different opinion
and, following the example which had beer
set by The Congress Immediately preceding
and by themselves at the last preceding
session, they resolved to receire, but TO Law
on the table, without reading, without print
ing, without debating, and without in any
manner considering, every petition, memo
rial, resolution, proposition, o. paper, touch
ing or relating 10 slavery in these United
States, or the abolition thereof
This resolution. ynn peresive, 10 not
merely a general inierdict Of petitions and
memorials from the People, but OF resolu
ions, propositions, or papers, whether pre-
scented by members OF the House ITSELF oil
coming from lawful assemblies OF the PEG
pie, or from the Legislatures ofthe States
Ii is precisely the same in result as If the
House of Representatives had prohibited all
It's members from ever offering q resolution
or addressing the Speaker upon any subject
relating to slavery or the slave trade. II is
equivalent TO prohibition 10 the People 10
acknowledgement 10 discuss the merits and
demerits OF slavery and the slave-trade II
is in the result precisely the same as if the
House should send n guard of soldiers 10
close the doors Of every Legislature Hall in
the Union against all discussion upon the
rights OF man, the selfevident truths Of the
Declaration Of Independence. slavery, the
slavetrade and its abolition Al every pass.
age OF this resolution have felt deep indig.
nation-but far deeper humiliation. | have
felt indignant at the suppression OF my
right as member oil the House-ef the
right ofmy constituents TO use the privilege
Of lreemen, to assemble together and 10 de.
llberatc upon freedom and slavery-of the
right OF the Legislature of my native Com
monweallh to pass resolutions expressing
their drtesta,on and that OF .heir consiitu-
enis ofslavery in all It's forms But the deep
humiliation that have felt was as an Ameri-
can citizen. 1t was the consciousness Of de-
gradaion from the lofty stand we had taken
among the nations ofthe earth, as the first
proclamers OF the inaienable freedom Of
the human race. The ignominious trans.
formation Of the People who had commence
ed their career in the world by the Declare
lion OF independence. into nation of slave
traders and slave-breeders for sale, was a
contemplation Notifying beyond endurance.
considered the institution OF domestic
slavery existing in the Southern States oil
the Union as misfortune entaied upon
them IN their colonial condition, which, al
the time of the Revolution, they considered
in that light themselves II was, however
a part of tbeil internal organization, over
which the Congress Of the Revolution had
never exercised jurisdiction, and which, SO
long as it could be maintained in peace, was
reserved for the exclusive Legislation Of the
several States There was obviously gross
inconsistency between the principles pro.
claimed in the Declaration OF independence
and The practice Of holding human beings in
perpetual and hereditary bondage; and the
supreme judicial tribunal of the Common
wealth of Massachusetts had decided, even
before the conclusion Of the Revolutionary
war, that the principles Of the Declaration OIL
independence, repeated in the Declaration
of Rights prefxed TO the Constitution of the
State, had ipso faetO abolished all slavery
within the State.
During the war, and for several years at
ter, slaves were considered as very unprofit-
able property When the Constitution OIL
the United States was adopted, the people oil
the free States were anxiously DESTROYS Of
prohibiting the importation Of negroes from
Africa. South Carolina and Georgia were,
however not prepared for that, and com
promise was effected, by WHICH a term oil
twenty years was allowed for procuring q
supply ofthe article, and the trade was pro
hibited in 1903.
But, in the mean time, cotton had become
a staple article of our exploration, and some
wears after the Colonization Society was in
stituted
Human foresight is sometimes strangely
at fault in devising expedienls for improving
the condition OF mankind. The African
slave-trade was, il not introduced, countenan
ced and recommended by LAS CAsAs, one
ofthe most amiable and benevolent OF man
kind, 10 save The Indian race from utter ex
termination.
When the Congress TO the Confederation
in the same year Q7s7) in which the con.
yention at Philadelphia sent for the ratifca
ton Of the People the Constitution of the
United States, enacted, by the ordinance fol
the government OF the Northwestern Teri
tory, that there should be neither slavery