The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-06-07


n fort upon the bank of the Apalachicola
river. Here they made their gardens, and
cultivated their farms. General jackson
sent orders 10 General Gaines, to enter this
territory of the King of Spain, TO destroy
the fort, and $40 arrest and return the fu-
/ gitive slaves 10 their masters" A gunboat
was despatched for the purpose of effscting
/ these objects The fort was caunonaded
with hot shot until the magazine was blown
up, and two hundred and seventy men. wo-
men. and children were instanianeously
murdered in cold blood. for no other crime
than that of prrferring liberty 10 Slavery
A law was passed in February. 1898, to
pay more than five thousand dollars TO The
officers and crew. rs bounty for This des-
irucion of our fellow beings. Our people
Of Ohio, and the other free STATES, were thus
involved in The expense of numbering fugi-
live slaves, for the benefit OF that instiIu-
/ ton.
The bill granting this sum. as a meri,ei
bounty for killing slaves, was reported by
the chairman of the Naval Committee, and
ii is said, was passed upon their arihority
without further examination in The House.
Many of he slave States have laws author
lziBg their officers to arrest AMI imprison
free colored persons who enter their States,
and 20 sell them rs slaves, unless the ex-
pense Of imPrisoniug them be paid. Many
free colored men in The employ oflhe Unit
ed States. have been thus imprisoned, and
the expense paid BY Gnvprnmcn: in order
10 release them wide reports Of commit
tees made at the last session OF Congress.)
Mich expense has also been incurred bv
i Government in sending deisChmrEis of
! troops and ofthe marine corps TO inIimidrIc
/ the slaves Of the south 10 obedience. These
/ instances have been frequent SO much so,
/ that officers, commanding de,achmens, do
not even wait for orders from the War De-
paTment, 10 march their forces into any re.
/ gion where appearances Of insurTcctiol are
manifested Every reader is aware that
ships, engaged in the slave trade, have been
wrecked on and near the British West ln-
dia islands and the slaves, finding them
selves at liberty. have refused 10 rrturn.-
Our Government has espoused The cause cf
the slave dealers. and have. for many years.
involved the people Of the free States in the
expense of Obtaining, from the British Gov
eminent the loss which TIE slave merchants
/ sustained by the Liberation Of their slaves.
/ Thus have We hcen taxed for the support
| of The slave trade. ] need not mention the
| particulars concerning the Creole. They
will be recoec.ed by every reader. Moro
I than hundred thousand dollars have been
appropriated for the erection of prisons in
tie District of Columbia. Those prisons
have been, and still are, used by slave mer-
| chants. 10 confne their slaves until their
cargoes or coflleS for southern markets arc
completed. In former number, referred
/ to the fact, that Democratic Legislature
Of our own State appropriated the money Of
our fellow citizens, TO pay themselves per
diem, while they discussed the proper mode
Of catching southern saI es. These ara
some Of the instances in which the people of
/ the free Safes have been involved in tho
direct expense Of sustaining and supporting
slavery. The amount cannot be ascertain
ed with precision. Many have estimated
il at one hundred millions dollars. or more
than onc-cigih par; of the whole sum expen.
ded by be United STATES. since the adoption
of our Federal Constitution, including the
[ expense Of The late war with Great Britain.
/ They include, in such est innate, the expense
Of removing southern IndiaaS, and the am.
ounr paid for 4 purchase of Florida and
/ Louisiana. The protection Of slavery,
doubtless, entered into aud formed a part Of
the objects attained by these purchases and
any estimate that admits Of dispute or argu-
meni. The amount is immense when view
I'd in the most favorable light. Yc, tho
abuse consists in the clear and nalpable vic.
laIion Of our constitutional rights rather
than in The number of dollars and cents Ia.
ken from our pockets, and appropriated to
he support Of slavery.
The Constitution has been vinlaL and
these violations have become so frequent,
as TO create alarm among our patriots and
sages. wide Mr.. Adams lite speech at
Brainiree.) The writer, however. cousid-
ers the most alarming circumstances to be-
the perfect silence Of our northern press.
and our northern statesmen and politicians.
under the infection OF those abuses and VIC.
laiion Of the Constitution, and of our riph's
and interests. We have submitted 10 them
so long. and so patiently, tina m my of our
people began TO entertain the opinion that
we are conslitutionally bouad To contribute
a portion Of our substance. accumuatrd BY
our toll and labor, to enable the slavehold-
ers of the south to keep their slaves in sub.
lection. Sir, this supineress of tie north,
press and northern men, is unworthy of the
desc ndants Of our revolutionary fathers.-
Further abuses should be resisted. While
we pa all possible Difference 10 the righ,s
ofIhe slave States, we surely ought 10 main
tain our own. We should stand upon the
strict line of the Constitution. We ouoht
not TO permit our southern brethren to in.
wade our rights. while we should bs rqu ly
careful not 10 encroach upon theirs.
PACIFICUS.
Sin the last clause oftrc 9th article Of our treaty
with Spain entered into in 1920. the United States
agreed to pay the Spanish officers and the private
Spanish citizens, for all property lost By the
ments Of the late American army in Florida.'' Oh
reference Of the ques ion the late Attorney Gen
II ILL., Il ~ Ill