Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-02-14
TEXAS REPORT,

in the last Legislature, is appro-
rate TO the present crisis, and will be read
nth both interest and profit. II discusses
re subject with that manly independence
nd irmness so Characteristic of our State.
nd at tie same time presents the real points
lvovcd in the controversy with clcarness
nd force which can hardly fail to command
nc assent Of all right minds.
70 The Hon House Of Representatives no,r in session
The Select Committee appointed to consider so
much OF his Excelency's the Governors Message "a
elates to the subject Of Slavery and the Annexation
If Texas TO the United States report
That they have devoted the shor, space Of time nj.
lowed them, TO the consideration OF the resolution
and lament that upon a matter Of such CONSEQUENCE
10 the prosperity and existence of the Union thew
have been prevented by other duties from bes,owinp
upon 1t the time and attention which It's Importance
Although the committee fully concur in the propo-
siion that in moral and religious view slavery is an
enormous evil and sin vet chiefly in its political
aspect that II r,q1 res 10 be considered on the present
occasion.
The system t.clf is founded in injustice in the
physical power Of stronger subject the weaker lis
origin and subsequent history nbnndantIy prove this.
he black man was stolen from Africa and trans
planted 10 this continent and it, Islands, to I'll the
cant place of the Indian who had been ex'ermlnatcd
by the ayarlce Of the white. whole nation Of these
from the earth by the exactng and Inlolerant Span
iard and the shores Of Africa depUpuated by vio-
cncc and robbery in order TO supply living machines
better able to endure the rigorous AMI n>utieabe de-
mands If the slave owner.
Alter its early Introduction by the Spanards t,,e
system gradually extended itself into the southern
colonies OF England. and in the end, with slight mt-
cation Of its Original horrors, became incorporated
into their constitutions and a stern necessity COM
PEELED its Acknowledgement in the constitution of the
Unan From ITS first authorised establishment on
rfrfnr % tori .In |..
tie present time Slavery has been DISTINGUISHED by
the same general characteristics 1t requires the I'M
rewarded and compulsory labor Of the slave 10 sup
rort the extravaganza and Incidence Of the mas r.
His lie and strength are exhausted without hope of
al ovation, ihat race Of men may riot in his produce
lions The ties OF kindred are severed thu, profit NAV
come from traffic in human fish indscrlmnate
commerce between the sexes encouraged that the
offspring may increase the wealth of the master; and
the hoiast sYmpathcs Of the human heart tortured
and 0EnhlAej to sl'iate the Shareholders lust for
wealth and power. The inevitable consequence of
such n state OF hinge, Is, that the master becomes
tyroat and the slave comparatively brute
II needs bit mule perception to discover iha, where
s1.h state Of things exists The energies of people.
. aHd the capacities Of Il State, cannot be devcloped
and when wc survey thp.c States in which the insti-
tuition Is allowed $ haI that Influences become
reality.
/ Immense tracts Of AMI once cultivated by the me-
gro race have long bsen abandoned TO the rsnrpaon
II aronl''s and uud rwopd; enormous estates of no
profit TO the owners farms half fenced and hnf tiled
/ by lh' lands Of agng slaves, as needle of their
masters interest as the teams hey drives lands once
fertile, now reduced in value two and three dollars
an acre which, if cultivated by free labor would rise
/ to twenty; commerce anGushnr; the slave being
unfit and the master proud or too idle to engage
! nIl the distant dwellings OF the whrcs and the more
eq1 NJ novels ofthe negroes equally diapidated and
ecay.di lew improvements in the arts of civilized life,
we ifHt OF enterprise and progress which 20 disln-
gn'sh every land c waited by freemen, utterly extinct,
ana the l1nd enve!opcl IN n calm of apparent descla-
hon' undlsiur6ei save byan occasional anced or real
s-h OF seFNAe lnsrrrec'on presenting 10 the guilty
IMAGINATION OF the STAKEHOLDER the horrors Of mered
IttInuu'ho Tor centuries OF oppression. Such is bu,
!al '.ur' ' me ltnal '1n ion OF those States in
when the save institutions have taken the deepest
! ''tt,,' -;..,,
faf-ei ing the morc,u decree Of an all wise Prov
dencr mat man shall not prosper by injustice and
HhWhhH 10 attribute the evils of his condition to their
true cause, 10 his pqrirHi1r institutions and IN re
morn ttn by gradual immediate manumiseion
%! hs low m1n thu Shareholder demands that The
national 1iS7'nn shall be directed TO the lief Of his
CONDITION. as Il human onaotmcn's could remove or
pr v.nt evils inevitably flowing from niqnitons in
,uulI1ns without their abolition or amendment The
history %! hat legislation proves that whenever the
.'nah nave demnn'ed laws FOR the protection Of their
interests The Demand has been cheerilly welded hy
the North and srli the evils under which the Sonh
have In'oIe are not removed nr pnlla,ed; and while
.r 1lH'e states itman stationary or re'rogrnde the
rec N'n''S n5c nlv1ncinE n prosperity beyond any
example M the history Of the human race Unab e
I'd AcC7GHt Tor that prosperity by considering that il
owing tnur,ly 10 the ud' irlGus habits and unr-
lG energies 81 litencn who own the soil which thew
work. a"I he goods which they make the Southern
statesmen seek It's causes IN the pretended partial leo.
,s,nl7l Of Congress; end forthwith demand ,epeal
Or moilt,alpn Of all laws protecting Northern in
iergstS md at the time cautious not TO disiu,b
The laws lrIte.tu1 thas- Of the South Accustomed
% obedience nj home and festive nj refusal or delav
tArv as med threatening tone and rnjn, 10 n ds
solution o the Union as remedy for heir intol,ra.
@ Die. multiplied IIls FROM love of he Union nnd n
dread Of civil war, the North hcsi,afe and conrede
c Conc ssIon Is followed by more arrrran, demands
q until ut last are Gurol to Weld onr Assem- IN
measure which Will at once dcrriyp the North Of ,
t relsln1'l lie proportion of influence in the pntiona
councils and bring l,r at the, feet of II Sr,b ".
have - ofol y.lla to the as,nnri1ns of I'm, ,ns,
p ti4b institution that our submissions have hrrom,
p~ovCrhal. We need only mention the Missouri ones
ton the repeal Of the Tariff of 1925 that of s31 IN,
g Compromise act Of 1888 the almost unhroken snc
~ cgs.'3n ot southern Presidents, tie selection of mos
e Of the officers IN tc Ian! and naval service and head
Of dcpltmenis, from the slave States and the comm
less millions If the public treasure layshed upon tb,
l. ly10'es o those states m the shane Of salaries IN
c'e"ili pensions, bounty lands, revolutionary claims
d lSc. &c We are silIi disposed 10 conceie TO the
verge OF aang ana TU1 IN order Ia preserve the IN
ie-f'y o! the mon hut at that point hall pause
n --c'hcesSon VIII men cease 10 be n 'irruc, and will
become e'im'' when wearc required to take step
l. WcA may prove a'aI ana cannot be rcraced, which
j. surrender iortyer an power to enact laws essen
ust !" .ur prosperity ana 'NS'Tnre NJ free people
"'''o"' me consent o. 'h'S save institution it be-
~ g1"JS oI' -uF 10 I's' ana Teroi the mso'ent de-