Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-04-04
For the Waterman and Journal
THOUGHTS ON SLAVERY.

No. a.-NATURAL LIBERTY.

II is an easy matter to speak in condemnation OF
Slavery, for it requires moral courage no inde-
pendence of mind or thought to do so. The mod
orn Abolitonist, the friend of Colonization, and
even many Of the statesmen of the South, have
been eloquent in the denuncion of Slavery. 1t has
been admitted by talented Virginidn, oil the floor
of the United States Senate, to be ga moral and
political evil."* But there are many that condemn
without reflection and without thought, and who,
in consequence Of this want of reflection entertain
very loose and incorrect notions respecting the
subject we are discussing.
The authors of our Declaration of independence
say-"We hold these truths 10 be ievident that
ali men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable rights;
that among these are life liberty and the pursuit
of happiness" If there are any to be found who
deny 10 the African the appelaton and the attrl-
butes of humanity, we shall not presume to reason
with them; such men too far gone in absurdity
to be affected by any thing that approaches within
the confines OF nationality. But if the African be
man, he was created free. His natural right to
freedom is as complete and perfect as is the right
Of his brother of a paler countenance or winter
skin BY no act of his has he ever lost this natu-
raj right, and the statesmen of l77G have deellred
it to he inalienable. Man can acquire no moral
nor natural right in the "boncs and slnews" OF
fellow norte except "by bill Of sale from the
ALMIGHTY"
as one thinks fl, without any constraint or CONTROL
except from the laws of nature. The law OF ma
ture is rule of conduct, arising out OF the natur0l
relations of human beings, established by the Gre
ator. and existing prior to any positive precept.
Human governments are established among men,
not for the purpose of diyestng men OF their natu
raj rights but for the purpose of securing and pro
tecting them. 1t is not true that in state Of ma
ture liberty would be perfect freedom from all
restraint; for man is moral being, and us such is
under obligation to render obedience 10 the moral
law, IN every condition IN which he nay be placed.
Whatever right man possesses in state OF nature,
government is under obligation TO protect and Sc
cure. Man can only forfeit those rights by the
commission Of some crime against the good and
wholesome laws of community. Legal writer's have
considered our natural rights as consisting Of the
right of personal liberty personal security and OF
private property. These rights Which may be
violated by the power of despot or tyranl, but
they, from whom these rights have been wrested,
may, at any time, whenever an opportunity is pre-.
sented reassume their rights and dispossess those
tyrants of their claims.
By what right can one man claim another as his
slave? What ughtful authority can one man show,
other than arbitrary law of the States for reducing
his fellow being 10 state OF hopeless bondage
Men are the same at birth; nature, in the bestow-
ment of her favors knows no distinction between
them. Is there an individual on Gods footsoOl,
who cam at birth, show any better claim to liberty
than his fellow? Whatever distinctions may sub
sequcnty arise, are and must be created by the act
Of man himself; individual instances may arise
when, from crime or insanity, the safety of COM
munity requires that an individual should suffer the
deprivation of personal libcry; but where or from
whom arises the right to extend this deprivation TO
his innocent posterlty? Let us ask the advocate OF
Slavery, OH what is this right founded' cit is
plain" says DIR. Claiming, THAT ii one man may
be held as property, then every other man may be
so held. If there be nothing IN human nature, IN
our common nature which excludes and forblds the
conversion of him who possesses it into an article
of property if the right of the free to liberty is
founded, not their essential attributes, as ration
al and moral beings but upon certain adventurous
| accidental circumstances, INTO which they have
| been thrown; then every human being, by change
OF circumstances may justly be held and treated by
another as property II one man may rlghttuliy be
reduced to slavery, then there is not human being
on whom the same chain may not be lmposed.'-
"llas nature conferred distinctions which tell us
plainly who shall be owners and who be owned
Who of us can unblushngy lift his head and say
that God has written Master there? or who can
show the word 'Sldre' engraven on his brothers
hrow:' A recent writer attempts the justification
of Slavery in the following language AS TO the
right of Slavery, look upon it as point complete
ly settled that all right is founded upon power, and
all obligation upon self-interest. What right have
we to seize and castrate a horse or OK, and con-
denim the one to perpetual slavery, and the other to
slaughter? The question about the abstract right
of making slaves is futile discussion. If one be-
ing has the power Of subectng another to his do
minion service and CONTROL and can do it with per
feet impunity why should he not! Let tic answer
to this question be given and pursued to its ulti'
mate turn, and the dispute is at all end In fact
| throughout all nature, this is the lqw."r
| We shall take no notice of the comparison in
troduced between the slavery Of men and the sa-
very of horses The sordld wretch who can build
an argument on the strength Of such a comparison
my be permitted TO leave the field OF controversy
without human antagonist.
All right, we are told, Is founded upon power
Is it true that human beings have accountable
ty to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe? One
villain meets another in the street, and attempts tc
inhict upon him fagellation. Ii he has the pow
CT to nhct it, if his physical strength Is adequate
to the task, then is clear that he possesses the
right, but should his opponent chance to prove the
stronger man Of the two, this would furnish evi
dence of guilt in the weaker patty. lie who makes
! a gross mscaculation of his power, and conse-
quenty attempts the preparation of vlllany, be-
yond his ability to perform, becomes thereby u
criminal while the successful freebooter, the pirate
or the slave.trader may be reckoned among the
righteous of the earth.
All obligation too, we are told, is founded upon
SCH llllcIcSt. plopOsltloh 10 SVHci'
ally disputed both by the divine and the philosopher
it is nevertheless one which is disputed more IN Its
theory than in its practice.
We believe that God has wisely connected in one
indissoube bond the duty and the interest Of man
kind. That golden rule which human wisdom new
er yet surpassed, was founded in selt-love-"Wlat
soevor ye would that men should do 10 you, do yt
even SO to them" Nor can for one instant be
lieve that slavery is rot an evil to the master as wei
as to tie slave. Set-inVeres, properly understood
urges upon the South, the obligation Of remedyin.
the evil OF slavery if any practical remedy can LC
devised
A state of slavery is a stale at war with nature
! No man can subject another to his entire dominion
service and CONTROL with perfect impunity,
| God has given to no human being such fear
! fu power. 1t is an usurpaton Of power, which
whenever exercised, will, sooner or later, return t,
punish those who exercise it, The brutal creation
deprived Of rational powers and faculties, may ig
norantly act upon the principle that all right Il