Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-11-10


nristocratic gentry who, living upon the labor of
slaves. for the most part care not straw what
Is the condition OF the poor but industrious whit
man, nor what becomes of him or his family. IL
they can get Of them for their overseers they
take interest in them according TO their skill in
managing unluly negroes. And they are glnd TO
make use olall Of you on patrol e. military duty to
prevent revolt the wretched beings by whose
toll they support their own indolent passioDs.-
And how many, let us ask, are these noble gentry
tor whose comfort and care not only their slaves
are to tell, Int their feew- citizens must he OPP
peessed by the deprivation OF the right Of repres
enlaiion? BY no computation that can he made,
eau II be shown that there are more or can he
more than 32703 citizens in the Slate who have
any direct interest in slaves. And this is indeed
nm exceedingly liberal allowance. Then look at
it. In population Of nearly SIX hundred thou
sand, there are thirty-two thousand seven hun
dred and three, who not only have the despolic
power over their 327,0}5 slaves, but tie entire
political power over 22635I white cllizens who
cannot by any constitutional means redress them
selves when oppressed Ivy legislative authority
who are sn completely kept under that they can
not even have the question Of their proper rights
bron sht into discussion IN the only body that
cons tuition lily effect Il change in tho govern
ment. is there greater deSpotism under The
canopy OF heaven The State Is ruled snire!y
aud completely by about $4,000 aristocrats men,
WON IN and childrun-n told. They make your
Legislature, your judges, your Magistrates, your
Governor, And do these your Lords and mas
tels, the slave holding nobility ever do any thing
for the benefit OF the people, anything tor the pros
perity OF the whole State? No never never
aud yet Theses are they who pirate about dcmpc-
racy and equal rights. What, for instance, have
they done Tor the education Of your children?
TLey have provided for theirs. Our taxes have
gone TO The building Of splendid college edilires
and the support of learned faculties that the chill
nj oh, lao
the children OF the poorer but more industrious
citizens have been left to get an education among
the pine knots Of the sand hills and the forests OF
the hill country MS best they eau. In the northern
free States, they have schools at the public ex.
pense all over the country, supplied with good
teachers, md rich aud poor all send their chill.
dren 10 these schools, and all thus equally have
the benefit OF good education. Hence in New
England, you can seldom find Il man who cannot
read and write but in our STATE one fifth part of
The adult whites cannot read, and except The slave
holders, there are very few of the other lour-iihs
who Can even do this with any thing like correct
ness But this is the nee essary policy OF slave
holding arlstocracy. 1t is to their interest that
those who do not own slaves, should ho kept in
ignorance or Otherwise they would know how
orr Interests IRE neglected and our rights have
been cruiiiy stolen from us. You cannot, there
fore, expect any plan TO be adopted by our State
that will give you any hope Tor tho intellectual
culture of your children"
Nor Is the writer less decided while speaking
OF he Sliv:o..s Effects OF slavery upon The State, in
moral and pecuniary aspect Why the ruin
The ignorance, which prevail, lie asks? "The an
swer is plain. The value OF property in the
Stale is not land, bnt negroes. The capital YES
ted in negroes is SO much taken from the value
OF land" For this reason good land brings so
| little. For this reason the same Hind of soil
which in New England, or the North w est,
would sell from 20 to 100. or over 5000 per acre,
does not fetch" in South Carolina, s. BIT let
| him speak out his views: he is sensible, free
thinking Carollnian, and should he heard.
" What is the reason State is not prosper
| Gus? We have natural advantages that ought To
have given us prosperity equal to any State in the
| Union. Here sixteen millions of ceres of eve
ny diversity of soil and aspect, level, hilly and
mountainous, fourteen millions Of which are vet
uncultlvated. The soil grows cotton, rice, indigo,
Indian corn, wheat, rye, OATS potatoes, and indeed
| everything The agrlcnlturalisl wants. We have
numerous streams Tor commercial and mnnufac-
turing purposes We have gold ore, and ron.-
| We have marble, aud we have stone in abundance.
we have fine harbor. on our sea-cOast for for
eign commerce. In word, we have with sa-
lubrions climate, all that is necessary in The way
OF natural advantages, to make us as prosperous a
people as any in the Union. Oar men are sturdy,
| strong, athletic aud as capable of labor as any
people, And yet, with such people and such
natural advantages, we ARE going down hill. Our
white population Us diminishing. The last census
shows decrease IN ten years OF several thousand.
why is this 1t is because our government
gives no encouragement to free labor We have
nothing 10 stimulate enterprise. Hence we have
none coming from abroad TO buy up and improve
our Ian !, ami our owu people, crushed down by q
hidden oppression, are leaving The S;nle to find a
more prosperous home elsewhere. Fellow Citi-
zenS, we must do something to.save our beloved
Stale from entire ruin. We must demand our
rights with fixed determination to have them
! The Constitution mus, be amended so that free
population, not interested in slaves, may have
their rghlIul representation in the government OF
the State. This matter Of properly qualification
is iRepubllcan, aud only iraught with disaster
TO the interests OF the great majority OF the people
And it will be burning shame If we longer al.
low this small handful OF indolent, proud slave
holders TO ride over us rough shod, as they have
been doing. Countrymen! rouse up for shame
and pour IN your memorials to the Legislature
demanding an alteration Of the Constitution. II
they listen 10 you well, aud good. i they do NOT
we can then see what further can be done. II
we can once have just representation, and then
begun TO legsate for free labor, we shall see our
beloved State gaining in enterprise aud mpor-
lance We shall be inviting hardy class Of emf.
grants among us, who understand farming and
manu- features, before whose enterprise our wild
lands and arid wastes will be converted into beau
tful farms our streams will give forth the hum
of the shuttle and the wheel our commerce viii
increase, aud everything will bear testimony Of
free, and enterprsing. and an enlightened people
God speed the day"
We have remarked often, that there were un
der currents in the Slave States which by aud b,
would gather force enough to act on this subjec
OF slavery, if not unwisely disturbed. Here i,
another proof ofths declaration. Even in Soutl
Carolina mems interests, as well rights, ar,
forcing them to think, and to utter their thoughts
aud doubtless every year will add 10 their nun
beers, aud to their influence Truth will have il
way when urged us this writer argues, nolwith
standing the ultra views aud violence OF Curon
politicians.
CHRISTIANITY AND WAR