Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-03-28
DUTY OF THE NORTH.


the subject Of slavery? This is the question on
which we PROPOSE at this time, TO Offer very few
remarks.
We IRE not unfrequenty told that the North
have great and an important duty to perform res
pecting slavery duty which we have too long
aud criminally neglected. Men who refuse to en-
rol themselves as members of an Anti Slavery So
ciety, are unbushingly accused of pro-slavery pre-
objections and principles, and as unwilling to do
any thing to externinaie the evil, however loudly
they may denounce il, condemn its voluntary
continuance by any people. All this passes Tor
nothing in the estimation of a certain few, unless
you are ready to pronounce their iavorite Shibo.
leth and TO join, Don Quixote like, in running
tilt against a windmill.
That the North have duty to perform in rela-
tim TO this subject we are not at all disposed 10 de-
n.y. He, who, because slavery does not exist in
New England, should strenuously argue that we
have nothing TO do in relation to it, understands
but little of moral duty and moral accountability.
If slavery be, az our Southern statesmen have de-
care6 it, "a moral and political evil" it is evil
which Injuries u.s. We are interested in its reno
val. No evil can effect one portion of our Union,
without affecting, in greater or less degree, the
whole body polite. II slavery tends to weaken
any portion of our repubc,-and the fact is too
self-evident to admit of doubt-the ,chole must
suffer with that portion We have all but lone
country and one destiny"
Our first duty is TO assert the right Of free dis
CUSTOM Let naughty Southern nabobs know thai
TOE are FREEMEN, not to be intimdated by unmean-
ing threHts. We should learn to trent as they de-
serve the supercious demands OF the South, that
we stop, by legislation, all discussion of this sub
ject, and yield our citizens, as martyrs, to their
blood thirsty laws. Had a foreign government
abused one of our private citizens, Dresser or
a HOfer has been abused in the streets of Nash
vile and Savannah, we should have heard war.
rit uipr in nttr anrc frnt, fr,C nrUin
Let il, lhen be distinctly understood that we hold
the right Of private opinion and OF free discussion
by tenure vastly superior to that of the will and
pleasure of the South. They may demand the
ears of our citizens if they choose, and they may
offer an exorhant price for taem ine neither want
their ears nor any part of their bodies till those
bodies can be made fit for the SOUS of men 10
dwell in.
Another duty is, to assert, and fearlessly to main
tain. the right of petition. Some few of oui poll
tcians have more than minated that the right of
petition was one not worth coniending for--tllat
the contest, in which Mr.. ADAMS has found him
self engaged, is foolish and Improbable one.-
| cannot by any means, so regard it. That MIR.
Adams has, in all cases, conducted with The pru
dence and caution which he ought 10 have done,
] should be very slow TO assert; but that the prn-
ciple for which he is contending is one of vital I'M
porlance, in republican government constituted
like our own seems, TO my understanding, TO be
nulSputaDle. L cannot CaHSent very patiently, 10
be told that we have in our Republic three millions
| of human beings, whose condition, in this respect,
is worse than that of the rich mans in hell, who
! prayed TO father Abraham, and Ahraham altho
| he did not grant, was inclined respectfully 10 hear
the PRAYER of his petition. That the prayers OF
.Nei0 England treemen should not be heard aud
respectfully considered is an outrage too gross and
vile to be submitted to in silence. When the peo-
pie discover that they to whom they have entrust-
ed the supreme power can unbushingly trampe
upon their right in one instance, they begin to lose
), all respect for their rulers The pertinacity OF
Congress in refusing to receive and consider the
petitions Of the people respectfully addressed ia
them, has rendered them odious in the minds Of
many an honorable, independent republican. The
name of CHARLES G. ATHERToN, Of New fiamp.
SHIRE has an odium attached to it, in consequence
of his willingly suffering himself TO be made the
cats paw of the South, compared with which, q
membership of the Hartford Convention would be
title Of honor.
1t is the duty of The North 10 be true TO them.
Selves Too long have we patiently submitted tc
the dictation of the South. We all understand
the mode of representation, and that direct taxa
ton was the equivalent offered to us for the repre-
sentalion of three fifths OF certain species o.
property, on the floor OF the Houses in Congress
in order to avoid this direct taxaton the policy o
the South introduced protective tariff. To THU
the North objected Her citizens were the advo
cafes of commerce and free trade But, as usual
the objections of the North were overrued, anc
the policy of South Carolina prevailed. New Eng
land, accommodating herself TO circumstances
soon invested large capital in the business o
manufactures, and the advantages OF free ovel
slave labor soon became so apparent. that a pro
tecive tariff, in the estimation of our Southern
brethren, was, at once converted into an an instru
ment Of oppression aud tyranny. Shameful to re
late, portion of the North who, obedient yassas
are willing to succumb--do yield, as they have of
...all "A I.a(Na II
generous South" The South have only to raw,
and buster a ue, to denounce our Norherr
statesmen as aristocrais and fsderasts- 2,
that their lips not bisered when they talk abou
arstocracy--and to threaten a dissolution of III,
Union, when our timd Northern democrats ore