Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-08-06


Justice would not lash It's sdes-perhaps the blue cap
ped mountains Of Virginia, that have so long iroWned
on the vales cursed with slavery would not move out
of their places nor smoke with vengeance-but every
principle of Justice and humanity would visit its with
erng rebuke upon the mock tribunal who in the face
of the Law, should turn the duplicating bondman emp
ty away.
Where then is the cutlery about the peculiar laws OF
MARYLAND? As for Slavery it has no law, out OF hell,
to sustain it. 1t is a system of unwauantable and m1-
warranted oppression How long then shall we honor
the he-hound with legal baptism, while all the peo-
pie look piousy on, and respond amen? How shall
the free States of the North record their vote the
question of Towey's crimnality? Time only shall
tell for some times men are Strangely perverse, and
know the way Of right but walk not in it.
But be the result 1t may-let 1t come to tie worst,
and let us hear the name of Torey banded in the
streets as a disgrace let see TIE wife Of his bosom
and the children of his love neglected. and etto bear
alone the whitening rebuke of the friends Of order and
aw--to share in the cold sympathies Of the world
and reap only the tender merces of the wicked we
cannot rob him of portion ofhis fame. 1t has already
been awarded to him, and under the clearer sky and
more liberal government Of her Majesty, is still being
awarded by the 400 slaves who, be he dead or alive
in honor or in shame, will look up to Heaven and
thank God for the existence Of TorreY, and pray for
the perpetpaon of his postcrty For, without regard
to the yeXed question of his amenablty to the law OF
MARYLAND, by practical obedience to the law OF love,
or nstigated by the prompting sympathles OF geneI-
Gus nature, he has broken the feer-bahd and said to
the captive there is liberty for thee" Had the simple
slave been a civilized and chrstlNnzed stole, regularly
lndocrinated into all the mysteries Of our Northern
christianity, he would have known how to smother his
sense of his rights under the warm blanket Of his po-
ltical party or to screen himself behind the palisades
of his religious creed. But poor fellow, he had never
been taught. He not therefore to blame when he
accepted the delivorance, and thanked his delyerer
Divested, however, of all tinse and glare the mat
ter stands plainly and directly thus:-Torrey was con
tending the platform Of great and wide principle
Il principle which, we have seen, conravenes no
established law of any State-since not a State has
neglected to set forth in some terms other the ina
lienableness of mans right TO himself. That pnci-
pie ought to be strange one to any American clti-
zen for it is to it he what of public and social
blessing he may happen to enjoy. 1t is principle for
which other besides Torrey have seen fit to con-
tcnd-and for which, In a day not long ago, men dar-
ed to league themselves together in solemn covenant
having pledged their lives their fortunes, and their
sacred honor to sustain each other in the hour Of tri
al. They knew it would be unpopular to do so; they
knew it would be an attempt to beard the British lion
in his den, and would draw upon them the ven
geance of their trans Atlantic shareholders; for said
John Adams, wien the work of committal was accom-
plished, Gentlemen we must hang together, in this
matter, or zoe shall hang separate"
These men have all gone down to an honored grave
country freed by their right arms is their rest
ing places and they are known to Time, and will be
known to Eternity, the SgnerS Of the DeclddtlOn
In those honest days they dared to speak, and speak
as they felt No superior party ruled them out
of order" in speaking the contrary the acclama-
tons of three millions ofstout hearts and strong hands
sustained and chLered them on.
1t would seem, to look at the history of the world,
that Truths like coats have their day and are laid away in
their age to be looked upon by after generations, with
much the same feeling that with which we view an
antlquated wig, our grandfahers knee buckles and
short clothes And he who dares to clohe himself i'll
these old truths regardless of the standard of to-day
fashions, is looked upon a anutical Antiquarian.
Perhaps something Of this kind may be true in regard
to Torey. 1t may be that the PLAIN Republican prn-
cipes of the Declaration Of Independence have grown
somewhat out of fashion. 1t would not be strange in
this dav of enlightenment, when the march of mind is
with such lightning speed towards the goal of perec-
ton, if men have discovered want of adaptation in
these homespun notions of fathers, to the ccum-
stances Of the present Perhaps they have found it
cessary TO make certain prudential limitations of the
doctrine that all men born free and equa," 10 OPP
crate like SBciyuaircs for the sareruous and unwar-
rantabe preteu5ion3 Of boudmen. If so, then Tomcy
was most neXcusably behind his tines and out Of
fashion, With all his opportunities for knowledge and
education he ought to have studied the modern COM
mentares of Slaveocacy on the doctrine of Liberty,
more thoroughly. lie should have known the fashion
be ter than ohayc attempted to dress up slave in the
garb of a freeman. lie should have had dscernmcnt
and consideration enough about him to have known
that all those noble sentiments about Liberty, &c. in
the Declaration, intended for the people more
than half century ago, and at this day were only
menHt for Whie l0Es.
Regardless however, of these changes of fashion, or
the fluctuations of party feeling, Torrcy devoted his
Tune and as the sequel proves hs life, to the practical
enforcement Of the principles Of the Docaraon.-
Perhaps many will be disposed to say that he too
regardless Of the legal restrictions under which he
found himself in Maryland, and that by his course he
justly brought upon himself the censure Of the lovers
Of order, and the penal infections Of the law Grant for
the sake OF argument, that it Does tins exon
crate Maryland from blame and put right the narrow
and unprincpled policy she has pursued from the be-
ginning to the close OF this tragic affair? how not
Is it not enough to make the BLOND of Northern Blan
unless he be "a Northern man with Southern pnnci-
pes' boil within him. to think that fire. government
must be allowed to stiho the voice of freedom, al
though it be but whisper to the oppressed of brigh
ter and better land? Only think Of it, The great de-
m-god, Slavery after keeping sixty years vigil over
the purifying CarCassCs of three millions Of human be-
ings, until the cotton plains of the South were white
with the bleaching bones of men, must renew its drag
on-cyed watchfuness, when Freedom breathes from
the Northern hills lest signs OF lie should appear, and
the very ground should start with human forms, to a
venge the wrongs of murdered generation
With this in view and it is no fancy picture, let each
one Of us ask ourselves the question, how far and in
what respect should have acted otherwise than Tor
rey did-and then shall be prepared to apprehcnd
the true nature Of his actions, and award TO him his
measure Of praise or blame, But trust, however his
own course may be deemed there are none here so in
consideatc and rash as to be willing to sustain the a
thortes Of Maryland in the brutal and inhuman treat
mont of which they have been guilty in this NATTER
is the part Of every government to protect the rights
of its citizens. Its constitution and laws framed
for other purpose than to secure those who
nable TO them, in their just and legal rights, and in the
enjoyment Of all the privileges and blessings compatl-
bic with their own good and the general safety. I'M
this, the government of Maryland has been sadly at
fault and deserves and will receive, the censure Of all
good and honest men. Even supposing Torey to have
been the blacklist villain and his crime to have been of
the deepest dye, he could not have eXceled in GRIMM
atty men, who for crimes Of different character have
been recommended to Judicial clemency and received
the executive pardon Babe, the pirate has three times