Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-08-16


any conditions at all, they have the right
10 make such terms and force such condi-
lions as shall secure to themselves and
their appointed successors perpetual con-
troll and ascendency, so far as they can
secure it. A liberal compensation may
be allowed, that will afford measure of
comfort and enjoyment, 0. the scantiest
subsistence may be prescribed for the
most excessive and crushing toll. In fact,
there is no stopping place, in carrying out
the principle, short of the most AFFECT and
intoleIable slavery. For the right TO re-
7uire this as a condition. is the right 10
require thai. The right to determine the
amount of labor is the right to determine
the kind of labor, the place of labor, and
for otom it shall be performed. The
right of the hundred to meet the fifty on
the shore and say, accept of these condi-
lions or suffer the consequences, is the
right 10 meet them and say, accept Of
those conditions or suffer the consequence.
es. The right to move them with piec-
es Of metal, is the rightto move them with
pieces of wood. The right TO put them in
pain by Withholding from their stomachs,
is the right to put them in pain BY laying
on upon their backs.
So much for the right ofpriority of pos
session. But let US now add to this what
ever is necessary to cover the whole case.
Suppose then that the hundred had ps id
money for the island. Or suppose that
they had found il in barren condition,
and had brought it, by unremitled labor,
TO state of fruilfulness. Suppose what
you. please, as to the manner in which il
came into their power. The ffty are
forced upon the shores OF the island by
circumstances beyond their control. Have
the hundred right to assume the control
of them2 Have they right to exercise
power over them, touching life OF locomo-
tion! All must see that if their coming
into possession Of the island already
Astounding with the means OF sustenance
would not allow them 10 ens!ave those
who came within their power, the mere
circumstance Of their laboring and render
ing it productive could not give them
such right. Whose were the fructify.
ing influences accompanying their labors
10 produce sustenance2 Whose were the
rain, the dew, the atmosphere, the light
all the elements aiding them in produc,
| ing The fTuil2 Did these elements belong
TO the hundred more than to the fifty? II
so, then what righlsI ask have the fifty
at all, of any descriptions Clearly, on
this supposition, they have not even the
right to breathe. And to this il comes
For if The hundred can, from any consid
Grafton, whether from the fact that they
have labored in connection with the pro-
duction of the fruit, or from any othe:
consideration, withhold the means Of sub
sistence from the fifty until they have
compelled them to accept of one condition
they may withhold and compel them tc
accept of another condition. The princi
| pie once established, there is no place tc
stop. as showed before. short ofthe mos
cruel and crushing slavery, and death
| itself.
! In all this have not been supposing an
| insupposable case. On the part Of ths
hundred, The door has been flung wide
open for every possible circumstance t1
be taken into consideration. Let !heu
represent The present occupants of the sol
on the face Of the whole earth. Plainly
j. matters nothing to the argument, wheth
er they got possession in one way or il
another. There is no way by which the,
4 can possibly acquire The right to exercis,
power over the fifty. To steer clear Of al
controversy about the condition and cir
cumstances oil any other class now living
aside from those who claim the soil ant
its products at the present moment TO b
theirs, let the fifty represent the infants t
be born from this time forward. The,
are thrownupon the earth by circumstanc
es entirely out of their control. Nov
whose right is it to say that they shal
never breathe the air, nor walk on tn
ground, nor eat the fruit produced by III
: air and ground, exceptas pririlege-nc
J as right2 If there are such things a
: rights in these matters arc ,heu A. l