Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-04-22
DIR. CIANiiiNG.

We stated, some DAYS since that DR.. Clan
ming had prepared work in reply TO Mr..
Wcbs,er'a instructions to Mr.. Everett, touch
ing the case of the Creole. We have not
seen the work, but have found in the New
York American an extract ,hcrclrom, which
we present 20 our readers, who, though they
may not hold opinions with the learned au-
thor, will be glad to know what are his views
on the subject.
This principle is, thai. a man, as man
has rights, has claims on his race, which are
in no degree touched or impaired on account
of tie manner in which lie may be regarded
or treated by particular clan, tribe, or ma
ton Of lis fellow creatures. A man by his
very nature, as an intelligent, moral crea-
lurc Of God, has claims to aid and kind re-
gard from all other men. There is grand
law of humanity more comprehensive than
all others, and under which every man should
find shelter. He has not only right, but
is bound to Use freely and improve the pow
crs which God has given him ; and other men
instead Of ohstructng, are bound to assist
their develOpcment and exertion. These
claims man does not derive from the family
or tribe in which lie began his being. They
are not the growth Of "a particular soil :; they
arc not ripened under IA peculiar sky; they
are not on particular complexion they be-
long TO human nature. The ground on
which one man asserts them, all men stand
on, nor can they be denied to one without
being denied to ALL We have here COM
mon interest. We must all stand or fall to-
geih"r. We have all claims on Our race,
claims ofkindness and justice, claims ground
ed on our relation to our common Father
and on the Inheritance ofa common nature.
~
1t seems to be thought by some, that a
man derives all his rights from tie nation to
which he belongs. They are gifts of the
State, and the State may take them away, il
it will. \ man, it is thought, has claims on
other men not as a man, but as an English
man, an American, or subject of some 9TH
er State. He must produce his parchment
Of citizenship, before he binds other men to
protect him, TO respect his free agency, to
leave him tire use Of his powers according to
his own will. Local, municipal law is thus
made the fountain and measure of rights
The stranger must tell us where he was born,
what privileges he enjoyed at home, or no tic
links us to one another.
In conformity TO these views, it IS thought
that when one community declares man to
be slave, other communities must rcspec,
f this decree that the duties of "A foreign ma
ton to an individual are to be determined
, by brand set on him on his OWN shores
that his relations TO the whole race may be
affected by the local act of community, nc
matter how small or how unjust.
$ This is "A terrible doctrine. 1t strikes ;
blow at all the rights Of human nature. L
! enables the political body to which we hcons
no matter how wicked or weak, to maxi
$ each OF US an outcasi from his race. 1t make
man nothing in himself. As man, h,
b has no significance. lie is sacred only IA.
ar as some State has taken him under its care
Stripped ofhs nationality, he is at the mere,
D OF all who may incline to lay hold on him.
lie may be seized. imprisoned, sent to worl
t in galleys or mines unless some foreign Stat,
Y spreads its shield over him as one of its Cit
: zens.
: This doctrine is as false as it is Terrible
Man is not the mere creature of the State
d Man is older than nations, and he is to sur
d vive nations. There is a law of humanit
a more primitive and divine than the law @
he land. lie has higher claims tina
j those ola citizen. lie has rights which DAT
before all charters and communities; not con
n venilonai, not repealable, but as eternal a
the powers and laws of his being.
e. Tbs ann'h'iaton oi,be individual, Wy mer