Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-05-12
COMMUNICATIONS.
SLAVERY RIGHTS OF THE NORTH
M III

NO III.
The whole territory Of The sovereign State OF
Vermont laid open for slave-huniing 1t is pra
cy for man to go to Africa and hunt down, seize
aud bring away her children; but any slnve-ho-
der from the thirteen slave States may come into
Vermont, roam from town to town, mark out his
victim, pounce upon him 10y day or by night, aud
drag him into perpetual slavery. Such is our
honorable position, such the protection, which
Vermont gives TO her citizens Time was when
the man who could say | am Roman citizen felt
us though the broad shield of the Empire was
thrown over him. Tin is, when n slnve cate er
may seize, bind and reduce to slavery man, who
cries lam a citizen Of Vermont aud all our civil
rulers, from the highest TO the lowest, stand aghas
and utterly refuse TO rescue the victim. What a
privilege il must be to I've enrolled amongst the cit
liens of such high minded Republic?
Alter the free, sovereign and independent States
had, with such unbounded lberauy, laid their
constitutions, and sovereignty, aud all that is dear
to nan, at the feet Of The slave power, who can
wonder that she grew rampant end boldly at
tempted to control the government to seize all
the important offices, to use the army and navy
for her own benefit and to shape the whole adj
minisratiOn, domestic and foreign, according to
her own pleasure? Aud who can wonder. if she
boldly pushes her advantages, until all the free
States Frustrated at her feet, every ahorer re-
duced 10 n serf or II slave, and few arstocratic
suve- holders sway the rod Of desposm over this
thing under the sun. Aud WHEN we consider
what the slave power has already done, how rom
pletey 1t rules the great masses of The people, how
tanely the States submit. how cautious aud iinh
IN asserting their own rights, and how silent most
of our public journals, when slavery ,rampps up
on our bonsted liberty, there is reason 10 tpur that
the days of our Republic are numbered, aud that
they will soon he finished. One thing seems Ger
tain, slavery and liberty will not uinalsanale -
They cannot exist under the snIne government
They are perfectly hostile must lbs forever at var
and one must and w root ont the other. Il is
yet solemn question, which shall triumph in this
land. II The tree States are true to llrnse great
principles Which lie at ,he inundaiiun OF 0nr gen.
eral and State constitutions and dnrc to lnpinlan
their own Independence, aud to protect their own
subjects III a their natural anl civil rights, Lib
cry will win the day; but Hour sovereign States
qIail, and finch, aud suppca'e their doom will
soon he sealed, and their last end will he infamous
rs The traitor .4rnolL
Can it he that all the free States are us chain
ed TO the car of Slavery? Can this be the true
construction of our compact Has he sovereign
~ of Vermont hren thus SACRIFICED, nnl the una.
lipnHbe rights OF her citizens battered away -
What power could do This foul deed Congress
has no power, but what wns delegated hy the
States, and canuct rob them OF their freedom aud
sovereignty. A State cannot consent 10 Siispeud.
or give up her sovereign rights, and yet retain her
pact or conquest she becomes vassa State, de-
pendent on her master, and must obey his will. l.
this the position Ol Vermont, and of all those
States, which have been called free? Have they
all By hook m by crook, heen robbed of their SOW
ereign powers and degraded to pundcr for the suv c
power? Who could thus degrade them? No
power on earth. The compact was fraudulent
act which 10 person had any authority to make,
and no person Is under any obligation to regard
lis provisions.
No compact is binding upon moral beings, when
immoral in principle aud contrary TO the laws of
God. Bat the compact respecting slaves is I'M
moral III principle. 1t was designed to support n
system OF injustice, oppression aul cruelty and
authorizes one class OF men TO invade the rights
of another class to lear them from Their dearest
connections, to rob them OF their inaGnabe
rights, and TO hold them N The most cruel bond
age And it does all tins in direct violation OF
Gods express command, as recorded DeuL % 10.
"Ihou shalt not deliver unlo his niasier the ser
want which is escaped from his master unto thee
He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that
place which he shall choose, in one OF thy Giles
where it lile;h him best: thou shalt not Cypress
him. Oar slave compact says we shall not pro-
teci him, but shall deliver the man who has fled
from slavery, 10 his mascr. In the cutting Ian.
guage of another ask, (Which shnlI we obey;
the Lining God, or our deadt dthers2' Can com.
pact which is immoral in lis nature, and d.recily
opposed to the law Of God bind christian peo.
pie !? Or can any man feel the lenst cOmpuuc-
ton, when he tramples such compact in the
dust? Is it not right to obey God rather than
man? Let all who fear God, Judge in this case,
and do what lie will approve.
Compacs must he binding upon both parties, or
upon neither. II one pariy yiolates IN compact,
the other party Is tree from all galion, aud the
party, which violates one part of The compact has
no right TO call on the other party 10 fulfill The
other par of the compact Now 1t is notorious,
that, the slave States never have fulfilled Ilar part
of the compact, which respects citizens from The
free States tut are in the constant habit ut vin-
laling the compact. Instead Of graulin. 10 all
classes OF northern citizens ali the rights aud inn
munites OF citizens, Il certain class are Sc zcd,
thrust into prison, and sod INTO slavery If NOT re-
deemed. Another cli d are mobj,ed, tried by judge
Lynch, Jared insu ted, aud abused, aud treated
as outlaws. And every citizen from the free
States, who is "A laborer is DISTINGUISHED, and de-
MED the immunities Of citizen This has al
ways been the case is now the case and while
the slave power regns, it will he the The
slave States have uniformly violated one pari OF
the compact what right then have they 10 cOnI-
plain il the free States declare the compact void
aud refuse 10 comply Eltll all lis demands? Is
the slave power the sovereign dictator in the case
aud have the free states nothing to Ito bit obey
Must they taney consent 10 have their citizens
treated aliens, deprived of their unnlienable
rights, sold like beasts, and driven from the sou II,
and then allow tine slave caicher TO come into their
territories and seize bis yicin, aud carry him to
the land OF whips and claims !; This has often
been done. Aud our st, Ulcers have been base
enough 10 crouch 10 The slave power, and TO
her own sovereignty tramped in the dust. Why
did no. such lasiaris demand of the slave States
Il puHctual iultilinrnt Of the compact on their
part, aud utterly refuse to have the compact en-
forced in the Tree States, while the save States
disregarded it? Should France or England so