Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-04-07


reason than that they were unwilling to be
robbed of their liberty. This murder, un-
Iparaleed in the history of any free and en-
lightened government on earth, was commit
ted by persons in our employ-by our agents
acting in our name and by our authority
We were thus involved in the guilt Of vo-
lently sending two hundred and seventy of
our fellow beings to their final doom, in or
der that slavery may continue and prosper.
"The deep damnation of their taking OFF,
rests on us-on the people Of the free States,
as we'll as on those Of the slave States
In the general support which our Govern
ncnt has given to slavery, they have involv-
cd our people of the free States in the gem
eral guilt of that institution. The last cen
Gus has given us some interesting data by
which the number of lives annually S0crif-
ced among the slaves may be estimated with
an approximation to truth. 1t has been
said by some intelligent shareholders, that
the most profitable time in which 'To use mp
a Stare, 'caS sevcn ycGrS." By this it is un-
derstood that the holder may make more
profit from his slave by driving him so hard
as to make the average length of life among
his slaves no more than seven years after
they reach maturity BY comparing the
number of deaths, between the ages of TWEEN
ty and forty, among the slaves of the south
and the laborers of the north, some opinion
may be formed as to the number of murders
by the abuse Of slaves in the United States.
The writer speaks from memory when he
states, that such comparisons show that four
hundred thousand human lives have been
sacrificed to the Moloch of slavery within
the United States between 1880 and 1910.
In the guilt of these wholesale murders the
people of the free States have been involved,
in just such degree as they may have lent
their influence and aid in supporting that in
stitution. Every man who uses his influ-
ence to withhold from our people knowl-
edge of these facts, and Of their rights to be
exempt from this inconceivabe amount of
guilt, becomes accessory to the murders
thus committed. Our public men and edi-
tors who endcavor to suppress the agitation
Of our rights on this subject, become volun-
tary plrticipators in shedding this river Of
blood, the stains of which centuries will not
wash from our national escutcheon.
! | might refer to numerous instances in
which the people of the free States have been
involved in the guilt of slavery aud the'save
trade; but | have mentioned enough to
serve as examples. My object has been to
show my readers the manner in which their
constitutional rights to remain free from the
guilt and moral turpitude of slavery, have
been invaded. If the Federal Government
had abolished slavery in every State of this
Union, the outrage upon the Constitution
would have been no greater, than has been
that of involving the people Of the free
States in the base wickedness Of slavery and
the slave trade. Yet, Mr. Editor, our pub
lie press, and public men, have not only re-
manned supinely inactive under these posi-
tive violations of the Constitution and OF our
rights, but they have been absolutely silent.
One of our great political parties has con-
stan,ly aided in the preparation of those
outrages upon the people, while it must be
acknowledged that the other has exhibited
entirely too much insensibility to our wrongs;
although their votes and acts, for some years
past, have demonstrated to the world an I'M
willingness entirely to yield up our blood
bought privileges. This servile yielding up
of the Constitution, as well as the rights and
interests of the free States, will gain no IA
vor among the people for either party. No
t SOuthtrn patriot will demand it, no north
ern patriot will silently submit to it. IL our
t Union be maintained, it will be by support
, ing the Constitution, not by violating it,
: BY maintaining the rights both of the north
and of the south, not by trampling upon
, those of either section. The south must be
permitted to maintain their slavery while
they wish to do so; the north must be per-
{ mitted to enjoy its freedom uncontaminated
t and unpolIuted by the guilt of Slavery The
political party that throws its influence into
r the support of all these rights, will be sus.
, tanned by the people; while the party that
! either invades the rights of the south, or SUI
$ pinely surrenders up those of the north, will
! be found wanting when weighed in the bal.
, ance of public sentiment PAClFICUS
"Every Democratic member of Ohio has, fol
years. opposed all attempts to repeal this law, tC
stop the Traffic in slaves
I tSince the publication of this article an attempt
has been made in Congress to dsapprove of terri
toria law of Florida which authorizes the sale int,
slavery of such free colored persons come into
! any port of that territory. The law sustained
by every Democratic member from Ohio, as well n,
most of those from the free States, whose constu
ens thereby become liable to be sold into interim
, nablr bondage. wide Journal of the House o
! Representatives Of the Sd of January 1912.
i tSee letter of MIR Van Buren,, Secretary of State
to Mr. Van Ness, our Minister to Spain, Octobe
%, 1929.
t A LaughaJle Scenc,--On Saturday NOR
$ ming several young ladies made their ap
Y pearance in our markets with kiss me-quicl
a mothers coming bonnets on their heads
{ and some of the butchers INDUCED in lit