Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-08-07
A DIR ESS
TO the People of the United States,
ADoPrED BY THE ANTI-sLAyERY CONVENTION A
CINCINNATI, JUNE, lS45

CINCINNATI, JUNE, lS45.
CoNTINUnD.
At the time OF the adoption Of the constitution,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania had become nom
IslavehoIdng States. by the ordinance of 1887,
provision had been made for the erection of FIVE
other non-saycholdmg States. The admission Of
Vermont and the district Of Maine, as seperate
States, without slavery, was also anticipaled-
| There was no doubt that New York and New Jer-
sey would follow the example Of PENNSYLVANIA
Thus it was supposed to be certain that the Union
would ultimately embrace at least fourteen free
States, aud that slavery would be excluded from
I'll territory therealtec Acquired by the nation, and
| from all States created out of such territory
This was the tue understanding upon which the
constitution was adopted. 1t was never imagined
that the new slave States were to be admitted; un-
I less, perhaps, which seems probable, it was con-
tempatcd to admit the western districts Of Virgin
/ ia and North Carolina, now known as Kentucky
! and Tennessee, as States, without any reference
to the slavery already established in them. In no
event to which our fathers looked forward, could
! the number Of slave States exceed eight; while 1t
was almost certain that the number Of free States.
would be at least fourteen. 1t was never suppo-.
sed that slavery was to be It cherished interest in
the country, or even institution Of any
State 1t was expected thataIl the tates, stmu-
lated hY the example before them, and urged by
their own avowed principles recorded in the Dec
laration, would, at no distant day, put all end TO
slavery within their ruspectYr limits. So strong
was this expectation, that JAMES CAMPBELL, in an
address Mt Philadelphia, beore the Society of the
Cincinnati, in 1884, which was attended by the
constitution convention then in session, declared,
''Fhr time is not fardstant hen our sister States,
in imitation Of our example, shall turn their vas
sails into freemen." And Jonathan Edwards pre-
dictcd in 1911 thar, ella fifty years from this time,
ii will be as dSgraceiul Tor man tn hold a negro
slave, as to be guilty OF common robbery or thefL.'
4 1t cannot be doubted that, had the original poll
cy and original principles of the government been
adhered 10, this expectation would have been re-
allied. The example and influence of the gener-
'Ial government would have been on the side Of
freedom Slavery would have ceased in the Dis
trict Of Columbia Immediately upon the establish
ment of the government within its limits. Slavery
would have disappeared from Louisiana and Flor
ida upon the acquisition of those territories by the
United States. Nolaws would have been enacted,
no treaties made, measures taken for the eX-
tension or maiutainance Of slavery. Amid the re-
ioicugs Of all the free, aud the congratulations Of
all friends of freedom, the last relter would, ere
now, have been stricken from tue last slave, and
principles and Institutions Of liberty would have
pervaded the entire land.
How dillcrent--how sadly different are the facts
0fhIst0ry Luther Martin complained at the time
~+1f the adoption of the constitution, "that when
our own liberties were at stake, we warmly felt
for the common rights Of men; the danger being
thought To be passed which threatened ourselves,
we are daily growing more and more lnseHslble to
nus ''5''9 n,' ''ILt,''uou ~ ,n-
c'0"9e' n r f'I,p" ~" Wy ~ ny o"Oi o"O"-
"'eu'7 VI 'HG Po'tc%' ''"'o Pr"fl' "h'on y, .S"-
TI =" !,1 'ae-l','I'' 'u,g ", .i'
slavery by denying to the slave States the full rep
resentation to which their population would ent-
tie them, has had very different practical effect
~ "'s =" Wv sN,''h'' ".' al
wv a.! ~ ~ t, i ~ l c@t "
W wy ,h MISREPRESENTATION; r ti.''i1 w
tne,' 49, '",' VIZ srt
T @' - ~ -. ,t ,i - wv W
w o' r -, ~ ~ """
WIZ '' I;, -, ~: ' o 9s
't"''.''o' "Go1,''',IS ~ '''t' i ,R
e " ~ 0 Io '! .": " ~ i! .
'"n'9 "o"'t ..' va. a "'9t, W
III s'"so 3 r, .'Iou'",r noo
psl''"' """ ~ :! w ''" S''' 90 "o"lu ''.so
r navy que :" '"o n'o' I'S""'! ''Ptpse"talN'
oou'' VIC e''c'0' "i'! ~ ti1 "'J"I ny vi "e t"ou
s""u NoeS; III 1ne oIuV' ne "ouIu "eeu ohly the
n'"Jo''y ~ 'oo' W 0oHIse '"e representation
'Io'h s''e 0'a'T'' c'Goto" " ,n"0n s""''er COIL
q 'tluei'cy' an" O'u'u '8c'nea W a cHIh'non t.e'
)f "ou" I' - tt'', "'""9" "l'N
SPecIo res1Iu 10 're INTERESTS u "HSterS' whose
REPRESENTATIVES ~ '"ot my "'ie' IHeIy "ls1oG-
l. '"'y ~ w WIN n"S sust""c" 'seii VI e'c
e 'nen, u"u t"e "'lS,ocI"'y VI S'aFe"o,uelS III tnS
'oun'! , T9 "' "''t' ''' I"'oP''o" l" tlc se"cI"
run ne nu.'on nHo always peen ulV'ueu INTO
Is P",es' "' 'no sl"' W NAMING t"e pro-
e tc'.ou "u' VI '.lsl' Interests
'"o P'I' 81 'ilo' P1'.t'V" '"l'PT,t' nav sene','y
Succeeoe" III conrpl'lus All MS lnhuehce mas
a Ste"ty VoSou 'to 'SeN,nlS " "ua" 'iss'
y! M'l'Gn IN t'IS"a",y colIpaIneu At mas a..
10 o'ao'y ~ 'V " oo,uilnIa "!o III
. l"e ~ Si'le OF Tue CONSTITUTION; II mas
!" "'e" ~ u NV" wv H'''es' ',e"'eu ou'
le OF ilauona 1efrILoFeSj II mas usurped Inc con-
in tr9' OF our loft'Gn heS1c"l'on' au" G1meStG reg
h. 'sl''lon; " mas oc'a'eu 'he cnoce OIL the hgh onl-
!" GERS OF our government at hp'ne' an" OF our ma
4oha' representatives anroau' II mas h,'ed every
a department OF the executive ana judicial adIhnS-
" trauon with It's friends ANA satellites; 1t has detaln-
ed IN slavery m"!'ltoaeS VINO are cohS'itHuohaIIy
entitled 10 lneif freedom; It mas W"ged an I'M
l. relenlng war win the most sacred rights OF the
Tree, sitting the freedom OF speech ami OF debate
l. setting at nausht me right OF petition, and denying
r. IN the Iave states those mmu9lIles to the citizens
~ OF the lreri winch lhe constitution guarantees; ana