Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-07-22

took it upon himself to say that we were bound
by the constitution to uphold slavery, but he was
contradicted by a stakeholder, and
1t passed off without any comment. Otherwise
| have never hear any opposition to that princi-
pie until the year lS43.
With this statement bearing in mind the pro-
position which | have made, it follows that in
every instance in which the federal government
has involved you or me in the support of slavery,
they have violated your rights and mine; they
have violated the constitution and taken upon
themselves powers which have never been dele
gated to them. This follows as an irresistible
conclusion from the principles which have laid
down. might stand here till the rising of the
morroWs sun, repeating instances in which the
federal government has lent its aid to the insti-
tuition OF slavery. This government was scarce
y formed before it became involved Even the
first treaty which was formed under it, stipulated
to give the Creek Indians certain compensa-
ton for the slaves they should return to their
masters. In 1898, when Knox was secretary,
there was command to pay the shareholders of
Georgia for slaves which had escaped to the In
dams. In 1892, Congress undertook to legislatc
upon the subject, and they made it a duty of the
commissioner to retain portion Of the annual
stipends for the same purpose.
In 1921, an express stipulation was made that
$685. 600 from the amount agreed upon in that
treaty should be deducted as a compensation for
slaves who had sought refuge among the Chero-
kee Indians. This money was found to be less
than half due for slaves who had escaped for we
have it on the authority of VIM. Writ, that, al
though their price was fixed at two or three times
their value, but 800, 900 was required, leaving
$4,000 unappropriated. After that had lain
in the treasury for some time longer, they petit
toned that it should be given to them in further
payment for their slaves. When that petition
was referred to a southern committee, Gin their
usual artfu manner) to Georgia committee,
they reported that although they had been fully
paid for their slaves, they had not been paid for
the children which those slaves would have
borne to their masters; and, fellow-ctizens, with
shame be it spoken, that your representatives
and mine, shamefully voted to give them the re-
mainder Of that money, and it was paid over to
owners of slaves under those circumstances
That is the government that has no power to in
tcrlere with slavery! Why, sir, look at the In
dian treaty Of 1892 in which the express sum of
$1,000 was stipulated to be paid to certain in
dividuals for slaves which had run away and
never been returned, and that sum was taken
from your treasury and paid to them.
| would speak eXperlmentally upon this sub
ject You all know in the year 1882 the brig
Comet, loaded with slaves, took her departure
from Richmond Va, took out her cargo and
was wrecked at Nassau near Providence. The
Wreckers took the crew to Nassau, and when
there they went about their business. This gov
eminent has nothing to do with slavery; but these
Shareholders, these dealers in the bodies of wo-
men, these trafckers in children called upon
whom! The olfScouring of the earth? No, they
called upon the President of the United States to
assist them to be their attorney, and demand of
Great Britain a compensation in dollars and
cents for the bodies of those men, women, and
Children and it was obtained Twenty-Five thou
sand dollars was obtained for those on board the
Comet and the Encomium, which was lost two
years afterwards.
The very men who now 90 through the whole
land in its length and breath; do not mean
your representatives, in New Hampshire, | do
not mean democratic representatives, but wing
representatives,, the representatives. of the free
states of all parties, stood in that Hall sacred to
, liberty, and deliberately commenced legislating
Z to pay those save-deaers, who according to our
! ideas, should have had resting place between
: heaven and earth suspended by the neck; for we
have declared the foreign slave trade to be Pira-
5 cy 1t was done; we passed the law; and the
r shame and disgrace rests upon the escutcheon Of
} this nation, and will rest there to all coming
= time Such we're the arrangements that no one
J upon that floor was permitted to say one word a
ganst the BILL and it was only by trick and fin
csse that gained an opportunity, when they hac
called for the previous question and 1t was sus-
tanned by voting for the bill and then moving q
l reconsideration.
1t may be known to you that when wing adj
ministraton held the reins of this government
? in its power, and were negotiating a demand
| with Great Britain which threatened to involve
? us in war with that mighty nation, while this
was going on, and |, humble as | was, dared to
throw in series of Resolutions denying the pow
err of the government to involve the free states i'll
5 the crime of the slave trade,-you know the re-
. suit; Sir, | was driven, as it were by force OF
arms, from that Hall to seek refuge only in the
!, integrity of my constituents, who reelected me
j and directed me to continue the same as before
r and ever have. That is the government, fel.
$ low-citzens that has nothing to do with slavery
, but will drive man from its Halls who dares to
t deny its right to involve you and me and the
! North in slavery and its damning crimes.
| 1t is not my intention to involve any party in
. particular; will expose a wing or Liberty
Y man if can catch him, as quick as any other
: and will not altogether pass over the demo-
: Gratis. | wish that | could blot from the history
S of this nation some of its deep and damnng
i crimes committed for no other purpose than to
4 sustain that institution will refer you to the
h time of the first Florida war. When number
d of slaves had escaped from their masters i'll
d Georgia, gone upon the Appalachlcola river
v there erected themselves ratification, gathered
Y their families together, and planted their field;
n and gardens; were living in their solitude, inter
/, ruptng no man, having sought liberty in the fal
d recesses of that wilderness, the shareholders o
Georgia instead of their going there to take
S them, called upon the federal government for al
e army to arrest the women and children who haC
t there sought refuge. The army was sent Two
S gunboats went deliberately and commenced
e fire upon that fort 1t was for no crime but be
: cause they had dared TO harbor in their breas
: that love of liberty which the God OF freedom
II has innlanted in every human being. There