Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-03-03

NUMBER III.
Suppression of Domestic Vioience.


very exis!s in the Southern States Of this Union
undcr The guaranty of our Federal Constitution"
The patriots who framed the Constitution, decIar.
ed their object To secure The blessings Of Lib
eriy' MIR. Webster afirns That they "gu7rdntied
Sidcery' Did Madison, aud Washington, aud
Franklin shy one thing, aud do another, or is Mr..
Webster mistaken in The assertion contained in
his elIet? II this doctrine OF Mr.. Webster he
correct, IL fol ows, .! course, that HE free Suites
are involved IN all The gait disgrace, and reSpon =
StJifify OF slavery aud The position assumed in
my first communication, that Tie free States are
10 more liable to support slavery, tim The slave
STATES are to abolish H." is erroneous aud unUun
ded.-This doctrine OF Mr. Webster is often as
serted by southern shareholders, us well us 10y
northern men, who appear ANXIOUS to impress our
people with the ilen that The tree states are thus
subsidiary TO the slave States, and involved in all
the hateful consequences OF slavery. ! will not
call such men dough- faces with them | have
nOihng To do my business is with their Jrgu
meniS. Our country aud poslerity will hold them
responsible for their attempts to induce our PEG.
pie 10 yield up Their own constitutional rights, and
To become the voluntary supporters OF slavery,
and The slave trade. TO arouse our people to Tie
investigation of our constitutional rights III regard
~ tls subject, and to inspire them TO patriotic
and firm maintenance OF our interests and honor,
is the duty Of The public press aud Of public men.
To tie people of Ono and Of the free ; ales,
declare this doctrine unsupported by any clause
III our Constitution. No such guaranty is found
in that instrument The patriolS who framed that
blond ci Union, made such degrading slipu-
laiinu on the part of northern freencu Ii that
instrument hat continued any clnusc susceptible
Of doubtful construction, ia his respect ali will
agree. TINT 1t would, and ought 10 he construed.
as " 10 secure Tie blessings If hberiy," rather than
10 pe'paudte Sare,y. But there is no clause that
eau in The oplii0n vi the writer, he deemed doubt
j'n, or thar by any Stained construction can lie
said 10 .unJuity slavery. III, Ith section of ih.
! Ii nricc j., however, quoted in support Of the
doctrine referred 10. II rrn,ls as follows .1he
United S,nles shnI ourronI, IN treru Nf1tr in mis-
Union. n y,Dub.icnu G,n nj gcr,,,,,n,nt and .lnii
uroect them nua,,,,i r,v,,io,, am, an n,,,,irn,,r,
of the execut,v, vi,pn tl,. ,,,.,, rn,,,,,, II,
con, eu,d osoir,,i ,Io,ur.,, u; Jpuc,n .Ih,. ,,,j
,-u,taoty !, ,.eI M ,o,,,,.>,,,, ,I, , s. r,D,bjicou
farm IF r.rer,m,,d and mon vuh s,ny,,,. IA.
h-ilr,c,, however that tl,n,, vhu adhere. 10 ,l,,
II, cttIug NOW commended o.niusi RELY ut,uu lie
last rlal,-r which irdues line protection of The
Umrrd > ntes against "domest,c vi .ience."
The history ronrrrn,ny HE ius.r;lun Of this pro
vision Is This Iu 1856 the Shnys rebelionn broke
Dui N The State of Mns nchu EN-. This insurreciun
threatened the overthrow. NOT onl, of ibe noyeru
nrrnt of that State bu, por,ended the dcwutulI of
all Me other Stale governments hills they we're
thus endangered il was disco, cred thut mo nuth,r
Nv existed in the old articles of confederation. by
whirl, the troops of one SIote could he pu,uvyei
TO suppress an Instruction in another. This d,l-
fculiy gave rise TO the olou,iou of tbI clause for
suplressinp domestic whence Massachusetts
was Their the only Snte that Ind oLoij,bsd sioreru
In Ibis history il il diIicnl, IN trnce nm suv iu,pn
ton TO g,0ro,,iy slarerv II is iunossibIe TO SEQ
how anv I.p,l mimi can ,u,,ure ,is clause ;n,n
such n guaranty. II is sinplv n nrovision for SIM
PRESSING insuyrection, II mT,,,es Ms much IN the
free STATES ms IN .ore S,,,es and ,vould Inv. b.ep
adopted. had no slavery existed in eih.r Of lie
States. II has no relation 10 the character of the
Insurgents whether ,bev he bi,ck or ,ubije boud
men or Geemen, masters or siurts. If an insurrec
zion actually lake place, the mower of The Federal
Government must bc e,npo, ed 10 pot il down, it
milder measures will not effect that object. Bun
the President " en- called Oh for aid to suppress
an instruction, cannot sion to inquire mo the
cause from which it arose. He is entirely unan.
lhorized 10 withhold such aid il ease II arise from
the abolition of slavery The If eth is the Fede.
raj Constitution considers slaves as persons and
draws no disincllun in regard 10 the character of
the insurgents. When Tie United States troops
arrive upon the theatre Of action they must direct
her efforts to suppressng the Vi ience II is their
duty to slay all PERSONS found ~ arms against Tie
public tranquility. The master aud sav e Citing
side by side against the public authority, must
both he slain without distinction, and without in
curing into their relations to each other.
When the violence is suppressed The duty of
the troops will be performed II. then, every
sla'e w tHc peuCtHO VHctS ms master, ana
starts far CANADA, there is no power in The Fedr-
raj Government TO send our troops after them, or
10 set them as n guard to prevent their escape.-
The duty of the President, and OF the troors, is
To suppress The pioence and not to support sidreru
Such escapes of slaves would prove u total aboii.
lion of slavery. Where then would be the guar
AMY? But suppose the slaves engage ill., aud con-
linue the violence it viii then he The dur of oar
troops 10 STAY hem. Womb such killing Of sLapes
be support Of sarery? II Would be SO lar AN obo.
luton OF s!arery, and il all tho slaves he lius suin
slavery would he abolished flor no new imporlu-
lions can he made under our laws1 Where then
w,il he our guaranty? Again il the slaves
should slubbornly refuse to labor or to obey their
masters they would thereby work the alulillon of
slavery. Bur would such act oblisae the Federal
Government TO furnish obedlent servants ? or
should they commit suicide, and thereby abolish
HE iu stituIon, would the United States become
liable as guar,nrors? Or, were they 10 pursue u
course OF secret destruction of their masters