Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-03-14
COMMUNICATIONS.
DUTY OF SHAREHOLDERS.

VHnt Is me duty ~ me adpehOtdeTF III Is easy Tor
us to deal in general principles, TO condemn the
conduct of the stakeholder, and to philosophers
on the crime of slavery, when TO phosophss is
all that we can do. But the question il forced
upon u.s. for our consideration, and we claim the
| right TO speak out our opinions on the subject
"unawed by influence and unbrbed by gain"
! Every consistent American republican is ready
TO maintain the doctrine that slavery is n moral
and political evil" Without stopping, ut the pres
ent lime, TO argue the question Of human rights,
or to show iphy slavehoIding is at variance with
those principles ofgovernment, on which our fed
ern union IL established, we maintain still farther,
| that all voluntary sldveholdDg is a crime in the
sight of God. Nor shall we, al this time, stop to
argue this question 1t is one in which all our
statesmen and politicians, in New England, saving
perhaps those enlightened few, who reside in TIL
dependency of South Carolina-.New Hampshire
-nre universally agreed.
1t follows then ms matter OF course, that slave
| ry should be abolished, ii be safely
done-that any delay in the prosecution of the
good work of abolition, which is not produced by
inevitable necessity, is criminal. 10 this reason
ing, portion Of the shareholders answer, slave.
ry is bad, but reinedess !" the modern abolition
ist answers that 81 oW is the accepted time" for
immediate emancipation. portion of our com
muny look on this discussion, somewhat in a.
mazement, and after as thorough an examination
as the hustle and turmoil of an excited camp will
permit are not able exactly 10 agree with either Of
the contending parties.
.r;,,,a 49,. go. ~, Iii SIa .I,Is %
shonIi 10 n r'n '"", -. su'o
sequence OF the preludices of curly education, the
associations of childhood or the circumstances in
which they have been placed. II was wise re
ha '.orsid,'.ad .pn.ai ill.,, NO. -; 81, " 'Iit
si,, in no. h',, !, IL o, g. , -, ;,.". y"
L.n,,w '' H., ho. .ot ,.'o w jug NY
,nIIirar o,i OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, a,,J o., ,,i,' H.. 10
cnsad ~, ,hs aro,,nd nr ;ann..n,a arS ;,;,;,,T.
nr'';,,,ca Vii. hiss nn ,o onu;i,...i ~
e. ;'.;",, 80 haI '.' o1 ,a'| LIS 90
,e"' eNo"0I ~ Wv" a,o,e W "ec'ue'
~, e " ,,eo eN""e '''o Question
20 "' "u'y NV. NV "''S' ,o' ""ro Ue "',y ."ch-
.a''o' " us"'P we P'e'os"'"e Vi 'he Ahhgh'y
| III prohouncihg Judgment.
We say then the act itself is criminal, as much
so as murder ald treason. Shareholders then
should regard Their slaves rs men not as brues, ms
persons ana not as property. The i10 may call
them properly, and they rom necessity may ac-
quesce, but so lar MS IN their power, they should
reIinqush all claim 10 their fellow beings us goods
ana cha'tels. Athough iils clam may he recos-
Missed by law, it is founded in injustice and oppres-
sion, and no consistent republican or humble hear
ted christian can ever voluntarily exert H. The
master should regard his slave, SO far as in his
power, as his ward, and should pay him his hire
as he deserves It, He should regard his marital
rights as sacred rs his own, and should tic UNI
power to elevate his intellectual and moral char
acter, ana whenever ne consistently eau, should
SHc MN 'De same relisiou5 privileges which ne
himself enjoys lie should immediately begin 10
40 r'ght regardeas OF lie question OF expense
ana proh' lie shou'd regard himself rs ration
az occou'ap'e ne"S' anu MS save as a ieiIoW
"orta possessed OF natural rights, as extensive
as ms own winch he has no right, voluntarily, to
too OF 10 destroy. whether ne should release
MN 'roin su"Jec''oh or ser'tune may depend up
on circumstances entirely beyond his control. Ii
me saSeholuer IS under any Obligation to The slave,
IL is DO mat Tor nm, winch VIII best promote his
interest, las happiness, ms welfare. He Is dem
T"' w. '';'.i e"'Pe' u ne "oes o.ner"'sc' ~ ny
Wv. i a1 VI ,he s,a'e' vi 'no conu'oh OF soce'y,
' n,nu;a,; 10 "' ,a,, , ua ueieu worse
,n,ser vyouIJ Ina cr;,,;noliy ,,,;i,, ,',t, - VIZ
Lease him. 10 he taken ;,nneJn,siy hw s,a,a ~,
,bori,v ,I,rust in,o ;,I md nf,ary,,. s"iJ @ r
the mi. fees He c1nno s,;1, I;s 'U" ,I'
er TO his conscenc. or h,s Cod nv sav;na ,hn, ,ho
mis(or,unes of his servant have becn Srn,J,,eoJ
tbrouyh rs. ogencv ri Others I'm, b;,s.ic H.,
knew beforehand Tim, sncb musI h. ,h,, ino,;,a
bile result and is himself nnswernble far rho con
seouences
is this propostion 1sp,ted Inv o,v ona, ifso
let us enuuire lVhn, 10 nov dn;,,, bv 49,. .LoI;
,ion;s, hrs,hrn, I, ;s .;,,U ~ on,'I -. I.'
Whv do M, mr. L.c','rers ,,,or,t ~ ,I sa'e.y,
con,Ionn, s,yery ,Lar, a., 't,.' ,t ~
own ,r;nc;nl.s Ia, ,l,a,, ,n, ~ i 'e'.
conseonnnc.s Win Cod ;, IN ,ha So ; -; 80
This Injunction ia Too oGoo ob,,ssJ a,,i H.,
n Dprssrn md Hn.nrn 100 ,i,;,I,, ' ~ W
what would me- tho rosn' RI, r ,.. "sS I" ~, u,
such fooIhnrd;ness !, no, r.n,';.,J H.. W." .na'
,ha, !, vnniJ do 30 ,aoJ - i,a; Wy onu
n.i'bsr wonId !, do 7nv ao,,'i 70 a''. ;y III
me- e,."cna,;o, ,,haso ,. ,.So,a ,I,u.;. "e
or ,hs .o,,,,,rv ,,,nIJ ha a,no,nu,J - ,o't :.
SI,vs.v ~ an ;ns,;,,,;on onnns:,,i ,,,;,h go ~
Lre of ,h. I,erarv s',,;,, ,,,,.,t oL u, Iy ~
.rn,nan, ~, ,ha So,,,, I, , "I to'a'ea' gov
nn,varG,l and n,onS,rn,,s ,han ,,o, h.,; H"'y,
,e .,,'o IN ,,,ar Isl, d."a aa ''1e9 oeess ~
,;on 'o,;aua !, wv , .,,.,D =, -; a"n
.hss ~ he c,,;,ot nJ " ', " .H'y '',a',
onu os ,ho ~" .poi I ,, Nv. o,'y SHELTERS 'ue
y y. ": 1f ;p,,s o ,;, eAas IA. MOUTH or
@ ~. ' ,'.I..;, wv ,'eia.ure " ,ie "ay
,""' "I ;n. rI,P'', a.u WIN an"usning enron