Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-04-21
NUMBER VII.


Mr.. EoiroR: proceed to notice, brief
ly, some of the instances in which the peo-
pie of the free States have been involved in
the disgrace of slavery. In my first num-
Der alluded TO the unanimous declaration
by these States of the self-eUident truth,
THAT MAN is BORN FREE AND Is ENDOWED
BY HIS CREATOR WITH THE INALIENABLE
RIGHT or LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT
OF HAPPINESS" Every act Of our Federal
Government which denies to our fellow men
these rights, exhibits to the world an ncon-
sIstency, and renders us obnoxious to the
charge of hypocrisy. The first act of gross
Inconsistency, on the part of the Federal
Government, was the act of Congress, ap-
proved 9th February, 1901, by which slave
ry and the slave trade we're re-establshed.
continued, and are now supported in the
District of Columbia. Under that law, the
people ofthe free States have for forty years
been involved in the disgrace of the slave
trade, which during that period, has been
carried on in the city of Washington.
AT an early day, it was found that the
slaves Of the south escaped TO the British
w. India Islands, to Mexico, and to Cana
da. Our Government espoused the cause
of the Shareholders, and opened cores
pondence with Great Britain aud Mexico.
IN order to obtain an arrangement with those
Governments for the return of such slaves !;
thus endeavoring to make the Federal Gov
eminent and the free States the protectors
of slavery, and holding out to the world that
1t was national institution, in palpable Vie
olation OF the Constitution, and of every
dictate of justice. In 1885 the people of
/ Florida sent representation TO Gen. Jack
son, that the slaves of that Territory and Of
the adjoining States, were in the habit Of
fleeing from their masters and taking refuge
with the Seminole Indians. Our troops,
paid by the General Government in money
drawn from the people Of the north, were
ordered there, and were literally made the
catchpoles of shareholders; thus making the
capture of fugitive slaves the business Of the
nation, and involving the people Of the free
States in its disgrace. mentioned in a
former number the fact that by order ofthe
War Department, gunboat went up the
ApalachIcola river for the purpose of de-
siroying fort in which fugitive slaves had
taken refuge, aud that two hundred and sew
enty human beings were murdered in cool
DIbou ON tHC b1tiilc VI OuT NONGTHtUcUI, Ddlu
by the freemen of the north.
In this extraordinary transaction, our peo-
; pie Of the free States were involved in the
disgrace of mmdering fugitive sldres
{ The efforts which our Government pu
/ forth 10 obtain indemnity for the owners o
l slaves who escaped to the British army du
: ring the late war, led that nation, and tn,
civilized world to believe that slavery wa
{ a national institution, sustained by the lre,
1 States, and we were consequently involved
: in all the odIum of slavery The exertion
{ of our government to prevent the abolition
. of slavery in Cuba, and thus TO stop the pro
5 gress OF human liberty, involved the peopl
y Of the free States in all the disgrace attach
e ed TO that extraordinary transaction. TIL
c spirited manner in which our Government
c espoused the cause of the slave dealer.
who owned the cargoes of the Comet an
e Encomium, brought upon the people of th
free States all the ignominy attached to tn
: supporters of the slave trade.
d But the honor Of the free States has su
u fered most deeply from the restraints place
upon our people by the force of public ser
timent among ourselves This state ofput
ic opinion originated in the patriotism {
s the northern States. Prior to the formatio
h OF our Constitution, our people felt the al
is solute necessity OF a confederated Govern
ment, with more ample powers than existe
e under the old confederation. To obtai
ID this, they were ready and willing TO max
sacrifices. Georgia and South Carolin,
lie would not adopt the Constitution, unle.
v they were permitted to follow the slay
y trade twenty years; to this the norther
States reluctantly consented, in order /
: bring them into the Union. The north ais
consented to permit the south to be repr,
% sented in Congress in proportion to the nun
-e Der of their slaves, and to pursue their Fl
.e gitive slaves, into the free States, and a
ID rest and carry them back. These conce
slons were sacrifices Of northern sentiment
-e and northern interests, made for the purpos
n of obtaining more efficient government,
RS order TO strengthen and perpetuate the il
h stitutions of our country. In this mannt
the Constitution was purchased by the fire.
le States Since the adoption of the Const
tuition, we have been constantly called on I
,e make further sacrifices TO purchase its co,
m tinuance Thus, in 1920, the slave State
demanded an extension Of the savehodin
influence, by the admission of Missouri
c. a slave state, in order to check the increa
4 ing preponderance ofthe free States. I'll
III free States objected The south threatene
l. an immediate dissolution of the Union, vi
ct less their demands were complied with
" The north submitted for the purpose of pr
SERVING the Union The sacrifice was declare
I, an act Of patriotism, and an example worth
to be initiated by statesmen and politician
In 1888 South Carolina demanded surrel
der of the tariff, and distinctly informed u
* that, unless her demands were compile
Is with. she would DISSOLVE the IJoion III