Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-07-13

Accordingly ! colony Of fugitive slaves is
orow;no sn securely, beyond our border,
IN The enjoyment of all the rights Of Brit
;sb subjects. And this good work has
been going on fol- years, without any COM
plant against England as violating ma
iional law, or without any claim for COM
peosation. These are plain facts. We
ourselves Constructive law Of nature and
nations as England does.
But the question is not to be settled on
the narrow ground OF precedent alone
Let Us view it in the light Of eternal, uni \
versal truth A grand principle is invoIy.
ed in the case, or rather lies at its very
foundation and to this | ask particular
attention. This principle Is. that a man,
as man, has rights; has claims on his
race, which are in no degree touched or
impaired on account of the manner in
which he may be regarded or treated by
a particular clan, tribe, or nation of his
felIow-creatures. A man, by his very
nature, as On intelligent, moral creatureof
Cod, has claims to aid and kind regard
from all other, men. There is a grand
law of humanity, more comprehensive
than all others, and under which every
man should find shelter. He has not on
ly q right. but is bound to use freely and
improve the powers which God has Civ.
en- him; and other men, instead of OBJ.
structing, are bound 10 assist their@ devei-l
lopment and exertion. These claims a
man does not derive from the family or
tribe In which be begun his being. They
| are not the growth Of particular soil !;
they are not written on a particular CON-
plexion they, belong 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 a common interest. We
must all stand or fall together. We all
have claims on our race-claims of kind.
ness and justice; claims grounded on our
relation 70 our common Father, and on
1 the inheritance of common nature.
/ Because a number of men invade the
rights Of felloH-crcature, and pronounce
him destitute of rights, bis claims are not
a whit touched by this. He is as much a
man as before. Not single gift of God,
on which his rights rest, is taken away.
4 His relations to the rest Of his race are in
no measure affscted. He is as truly their
brother as if his tribe had not pronounced
4 him brute. II, indeed, any change takes
4 place, bis claims are enhanced, on the
Iground that the suffering and injured are
lentitled 10 peculiar regard. lfany rights
should be siugularIy sacred in our sight,
they are those which are denied andtrod-
den in the dust.
II L seems TO be thought by some. that a
! man derives all his rights from the Major
TO which he belongs. They are, gifts o
II the State, and The State may take them
away, if 1t will. "A man. it is thought
i has claims on other men not as a man
! but as an Englishman. an American, or q
. subject. Of some other State. He mus
!, produce his parchment of citizenship, be.
| fore he binds other men to protect him, tc
respect his free agency. to leave him the
) use of his powers, according to his owr
: will. Local, municipal law is thus made
} the fountain and measure of rights. Th,
= stranger must tell US where be was born
: what privileges be enjoyed at home, or NJ
! tie links US to one another. -
o In conformity TO these views, it is tho
n that when one community declares maj
r ito be a slave, other communities must re
spect this decree that the duties OF for
? eign nation to an individual are to be de
y ltermined by brand set en- him on hi
It own shores that his relations to BIZ
y whole race may be affected by the losa
:. act of a community, no matter how. small
: or how unjust.
II This is aterrible doctrine. It strike,
q . blow at all the tights of.hnman nature
!; It enables the political body to which "
e belong, no matter how wicked or weak, i
: make each Of us an outcast from his race
a II makes man nothing in himself A
Ie man, he has no significance. He is 81
$ cred only as far as some State has lake
tel him under its care. Stripped Of bis ma
'ei iionaliiy, he is at the mercy of all VIII
: may incline to lay hold on him. He ma
is be seized. imprisoned. sent to work in ga
of Ieys or mines, unless some foreign Stat
], spreads its shield over him as one of Il
2. citizens. (
I'll This doctrine is as false as il is terrible
Man is mott the mere creature of the State
IS: Man is older than nations, and he is 4
- survive nations. THERE'S law OF hu
a mainly more primitive and divine tina
W the law OF the land. He has highe
o. lclaims than those of citizen. He ha
W rights which date before ali character
te and communities; not conventional, no
" repealable. but as eternal as the power
le and laws of bis being.
b. This humiliation OF the individual, b
IS merging him ia the State. lies ia The four
Ut Idation Of despolis,n. The nation is too
= ten the grave Of the man. This is th
. more monstrous. because the very end {