The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-06-07
PACIFICUS:
THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF THE SIEVE
RAJ STATES IN REGARD To SLAVERY
Being series of Essays published in the Western Ressve
Chronicle (ohio,l after the election of ls42
NUMBER w.
SUPPORT OF SLAVERY.
BY A WING OF OHIO.
VIOLATION OF The CONSTITUTION FOR THE

SUPPORT OF SLAVERY.
! Mr.. EDIToR In my first communica>
/ ton, stated that. by our Federal ConSliiu.
ton, the free States possessed "ihe absolute
and unqualified right of being exempt and
entirely free from the expense. the gull,
and the disgrace Of slavery and ofthe slave
trade" 10 establish this principle beyond
all doubt or cavil. has been the object of nv
second and third numbers. Having thus
disposed of that part of my subject, shall
now proceed Io call the attention Of my read
ers 10 some few Of the instances in which
the people Of the free S:aies have been un-
cons,itu,ionally involved in the expense Of
that institution reserving, for future num-
Der. all reference to the gull and disgrace
which has been forced upon US, in order 10
sustain and encourage slavery. This prac-
tice Of sustaining slavery at the expense and
inconvenience of the people Of the fee
States, had lis origin in the days of our rev
olution. In 1880, the authorities Of South
Carolina sent a confidential agent 10 inform
Congress that their State could furnish no
troops 10 defend her territory against the
British forces, as it was necessary that her
men should all remain at home 10 defend
their families and friends from the Slares
in case Of instruction. wide secret Jour
nal OF Congress.) Under these circum-
stances, troops were taken from the North
era States TO defend them against the Brit
ish, while they defended themselves against
their slaves, and compelled them 10 labor
for the benefit of their masters. In this
way southern plantations were rendered
prod uc;ive. while those Of the north were
left destitute of iaborers, and the burden Of
supporting slavery was thrown almost en-
tircly upon the northern States. BY the
subsequent adoption Of the Constitution.
slavery was made strictly Stale insiilu-
lion. lis burdens 10 be borne By such
States as continued them, while those States,
who preferred - do so, had an equal right
10 be exempt from all its evils, by enamel.
paiiuC their slaves. Yet the practice Of
throwing the burlhtn of supporting slavery
upon the nation at large, thereby involving
the free States in lis expense, has continued
down to the present day. These burdens
have been cast upon the people Of the free
States Firstly, BY appropriations made by
! Congress for the direct and avowed pur-
pose OF sustaining slavery and the slave
trade. And. secondly, by such action Of the
executive and legislative branches Of gov
ernment, as was calculated, eventually, to
produce that effect, and. in some instances,
the refusal Of Congress and the Executive
10 act, lest such action would relieve the
people of the free States from this burden.
To the first branch of this proposition, ]
shall devote the present number.
Our first treaty, formed with the Creek
Indians, was sighed 7th August, 1890. 1t
contained a stipulation on the part ofthe In
dams 10 surrender up all negroes 10 their
territory.
TIE same stipulation was contained in
nearly all our subsequent treaties with that
savage nation. | regret that the limits,
prescribed to myself. will not admit of de-
tail, and will here state. that if any reader
shall call for details on any point embraced
in these essays, ! will most chee'fulIy give
Them hereafter. This covenant of the lEdi-
ans TO surrender Up negroes, was connected
with sipuiaIions TO perform other acis, and
the exact amount paid for surrendering ne
groes is therefore unknown. For The viO-
ation of this clause of the treaty, we CON-
PEELED them TO pay 10 the Shareholders Of
Georgia, at one tire. two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. think il fair estimate,
10 set down the sum paid TO that nation, for
the purpose of inducing them TO return iu
gltiye slaves, nj three hundred thousand dol
lars. In our treaty with the Florida Indians
concluded at Camp NlouItrie. in 1923, we
agreed 10 pay them six thousand dollars. and
an annuity of five thousand dollars for
twenty years. The Indians. on their part,
stipulated ''io be active snd v.gilant in pre-
venting fugitive slaves from passing through
their country, and in experimenting and re-
turning to their masters such as should seek
an asylum among Them" Official reports
and documents now on file in the War De.
partment, show, beyond contradiction, thai
the Florida war was commenced and pros
ecuted for the purpose of regaining fugitive
slaves, and 10 prevent escapes Of that class
Of people.
The expense of this war is estimated at
forty millions OF dollars.
After the close Of the late war with Great !
Britain, our Government demanded OF that
nation compensation. for the owners, OF
such slaves as escaped TO their army during |
hos,iIi,ies. The demand WIS resisted, and !
wears of diplomatic effort we're employed in
ex,orring from them the price of liberty
thus gained by our fellow men. After much
effort and expense, we obtained fourteen
hundred thousand dollars for the slavehold. !
ers but the people of the free States were
taxed to ray the expense of obtaining
and distributing the money. 10 1928, and
for many years subsequent 10 that time, the
efforts Of our Government were put forth $50
prevent the ABOLITION Of slavery in the Island
Cuba, lest the example might affect the in
stiluiion 10 ouI southern States" And an
agent was sen, there to prevent the emanci-
patton of slaves. Our people Of the free
States were thus involved 10 the expense of
onnosino the liberty of mankind In 1918,