Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-03-31
-
- ACIEVCItG
TIE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF THE SEVERAL
STATES IN REGARD TO SLAVERY,
BepP series Of Essoys published Reserue Ohio
Chronicle, ajier The election Of 1912.


very. In my first number alluded to the unani'
nous declaration Ivy these States OF the seD.eUi
dent EHh THAT MAN IS horn FREE, And IS EN-
BOWED by nIs CREATOR WITH THE INALtENABLE
RIGHT OF LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS" Every uct oi our Federal Govern
meut, which denies to our fellow men these rights,
exhibits to the world an Inconsistency, aud rem
ders Us obnoxious to the charge oil Hypocrisy
The first net OF gross Inconsistency, on the part
Of the Federal Government, was The nc, Of Con-
gress, approved 9Th February, 1901, Ivy when
snvery and the slave trade wcra re-eslablished,
continued and are now supported in the District
Of Columbia. Under that law the people OF The
free Stnles have for forty years been involved in
the disgrace Of the slave trade. which, during that
period, has been carried on in the city Of ash
ington.
Al an early dry, it was found that he slaves Of
tie south escaped 10 The British w India Islands,
to Mexico and 10 Canada. Our Government es-
poused the cause Of the shareholders, and opened
correspondence with Grut Britain aud Mexico,
in order TO obtain an arrangement with those
Governments Tor The return ui such slaves tiiS
endouyorug to make the Federal Government
and lie Tree Stulco the protectors OF slavery, aud
boiling out to tho world ll~l 1t was national IN
stitullun, IN papabie viuHtUn ct the Constiluhon
aud OF every dictate OF lusrc. Ia 1885 the peo-
pie 81 Florida sent n approximation to Gen. jack
son, that the slaves Of that Icruury, and OF Tho
adjoining Smlcs, were in the habit oi fleeing from
their masters md taking refuge with the Semlh
ole Indians. Our troops, paid by the General
Government in money drawn rom tho people OF
HE north, were ordeted there, mud were literally
made tho catchpoles OF Shareholders; thus ma.
king the capture OF fugitive slaves the business of
the nGiiIn, and involving tho people OF the Tree
States in its disgrace. mentioned in II lOrlner
lumber The tact that. 10y order Of the War De-
| purlHent, ii guubuAt went up the ApanclicoIa
river for the purpose OF destroy ing fort in which
! ltuit 81, Ind nj rain nd hat
( hundred aud seventy humnn beings were muir
dered in cold blood by the agents OF our Govern
ment paid by The freemeu ol the north.
In this extraordinary transaclion our people OF
The free States were involved in tie disgrace OF
numbering. tugitire SLAVES.
The efforts which our Government put forth
| TO obtain indemnity for the owners of slaves who
escaped to the British army duiimg the late war,
led that nation, aud the civilized world, TO believe
that slavery national institution, sustained
by tia free States, md we were consequently in
v0lved in all the odium of slavery. The exertions
Of our Government to prevent The abolition OF sa-
very in Cuba, and thus to sop the progress OF hu-
man liberty, involved The people Of the free Sihies
in nl the disgrace attached 10 that extraordinary
transaction. The spirited manner in which our
Government espoused the cause OF the slave deal
ers, who owned the cargpes OF the Comet and
Encomun, brought upon the people OF The Tree
STATES all The ignominy attached 10 the supporters
OF the slave trade.
But the honor OF the free States has suffered
most deeply from the restraints placed upon our
people by the force Of public sentiment among
ourselves This slae OF public opinion orlglhn
ted in The patriotism of the northern States Prior
to the formation of our Constitution, our people
felt the absolute necessity of confederaed Gov
eminent, with more ample powers than existed
under he old confederation. o obtain this lhey
were ready and Wiling TO make sacrihces. Geor-
gia and South Carolina would not adept The Con-
sliIution, unless they were permitted 10 follow The
slave trade for twenty years TO this the northern
States reluctantly consented, in order u brng
them into the Union. The north ulso consented
to permit the south to be represented in Congress
| in proportion TO the number Of their slaves, and
| TO pursue their fugitive slaves into the Tree States
and arrest and carry them bnck. These conces-
uions were sacrifices of northern sentiments and
northern interests made for the purpose OF OBJ
tanning more efficient government. in order 10
strengthen ahd perpetuate tho institutions OF our
country. In this manner the Constitution was
purchased by the free States Since the adoption
of the Constitution, we have been constantly called
OH 10 nuke further sacrifices TO purchase ITS con-
hnudnce. Thus, in 1920, the slave States deman-
ded an extension of tho saveholding influence,
by The admission of Missouri ms a slave State in
Older to check the increasing preponderauce of
the free States. The free States obj fcied. The
south threatened an immediate dissolution of the
Uuiou, unless their demands were complied with
The north Submitted for the purpose Of preserving
the Union. The sacrifice was declared un act of
patriotism, and an example worthy 10 be inflated
by statesmen and politicians. In 1888 South Car
DINA demanded IL surrender of the tarln, and DIS
tinctly informed u.s. that, unless her demands were
complied with, she would dissolve the Unon.-
The statesmen of the free States hestaleh, trem-
bled and submitted. The tariff was repealed and
the interests of the tree States yielded up, in or
der to purchase "A continuance pf the Union. The
act is yet quoted 10y some as an example OF paIr-
otisn on the part Of the free Stales. Our press,
orr statesmen, und politicians treated it as such
and our people were thus led TO believe, that the
sacrifice of northern rights 10 The Interests OF HE
slave States, was, in lact, duty and a virtue.
Whenever the interests of the north aud the
south came in conflict, southern members were,
for more Than quarter o! century. in the habit
of threatening "a dissolution erMe Lhion'' as tie
most pffeclunI argument in favor OF htir meas
iures md il seldom tailed 10 convince their Oppo.
nents. This practice became So common, that
dir,ntiou appenrs TO have been regarded as the
right Of the south, and submission WAS looked up
on as the duiy ui the north. THIS leeng pre-
yued 81 hung, aud 10 such an rKirui that any de-
vianon from Tho accustomed submission was re
gardcd us suspicious.
In our circles al home Ihe ngItali"n "t any ques
ton which embraced he ms nutiuH OF sldSery, o
the slave trade, nes usually denounced rs dboIi
ZION and, without further examination, WAS re
garded as ,lShohorhble /" hlni VINO pI"PoaoH l''-
Our public men became UNIV Hing 10 RAISE hhl
question that should affect slavery, lest they shoult
thereby leopardize their political standing; ant
the public press discouraged every attempt 10 rs
sert the rights of the free Sales IN opposition Il
The interests of the south. 10 support slavery,
is absolutely necessary 10 suppress all knowledg'
of human rights among those held in bondage,
To the suppression Of such knowledge on
people of the tree States became accessory. 1t
doing this our own rights were lost sight Of w
saw our money taken from our pockets aud up
propriated 10 the recnpjure, hnd oven TO the mur
der OF fugitive slaves, and were silent under Ia
outrage. The spirit Of independence and homo
seemed to have fed from our people We saw
our Presidents: our Heads of Departments; OH
Speakers Of the House OF Representatives. aud o
the Senate; our foreign Ministers our officer
in the army aud navy, mostly taken from the tlav
Smlos aud we meokly suhmiiied 10 the abuse
~ $50 nLlr snecIIul unIlnna Cnnnrnsa Ireai