Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-09-16
The SIayehOIding Circular

]
American slavery Such an announcement is
worthy of notice Here follows the circular:
Charleston, Aug 2, lS47.
SIR:-We trust that we shall not be consider
ed as taking an unwarrantable liberty in address
sing to Yourself and some others, in whose dis
erection we rely, the following communication
We make an appeal to you irrespective oiparty
politics, as one having a common interest with
ourselves, upon a matter, as we conceive, OF
momentous concern to every southern man.
You cannot but have observed the rapid pro-
gress ofthe anti-savery spirit, for some time past,
and the alarming influence it has exercised on
the politics of the country, as exhibited at Wash
ington, and throughout the non-slaveholdlng
states the union.
The inundation of Congress with petitions for
the abolition Of slavery in the district of Colum-
ba, though the act Of petitioning for such pur-
pose assumes an inleriority in the slavcholdlng
states, and the language of the petitions. is re-
pletc with vltupratiOn and insult has been per- !
severed in until it has almost ceased to arrest at
tentlon The application in the United States,
of the principle Of the English case Of Sommer-
sett, decided by Lord Mansfield, by which it is
declared that the relation Of master and slave
ceases as soon as the parties pass the Jurisdiction
OF the local laws which authorize slayery-a prin-
| ciple which isoates and degrades the slayehod-
cr-has been more than half acquesccd in. Wei
have seen state after state legisating with a view
to avoid the act of Congress in regard to fugitive
slaves, and prevent its interference with the a.
boye principle, until we are so tamiliarzed with
such legislation, that the public are scarce aware
, that the Pennsylvania Legislature has recently
nulihcd this act of Congress, and affixed hea-
Ivy punishment to the attempt to enforce it with
in the limits Of the state
The missions of IIoar and his compecr to S.
Carolina and Louisiana, by which Massachusetts
undertook, on the very soil of these states by a.
gents resident in Charleston and and New Or
leans, to obstruct the the execution of the local
laws in regard to the introduction of free colored
persons, though met promptly by the states, res
peclvely, to whom particularly the insult was Of
tered, excited in the South but passing inter-
4 est and Is now almost forgotten Apathy on
our part has been followed by increased and still
: increasing activity on the part of the enemies of
our institutions.
The introduction at the close of the session Of
Congress before the last, of the Wilmot provlso
and its passage then in the House of representa-
> tl7es, by vote of IS to 80 the provision at the
last session, against slavery, in the bill organic.
= ing government for Oregon and the the re.
$ Pudlaton of the Missouri compromise, eyinced
r by the rejection of Mr. Burts amendment: the
IF renewal ofthe Wilmot proposition by Mr. Pres.
4 ton hng the vote on this, and the adoption final.
il, ly OF the ProylSo as shaped by Mr. Hannibal
-, Elamlln, of Maine, in the House of representa-.
tlVeS by large majority, are facts which leave
>, no shadow OF doubt as to the utter disregard o.
d southern rights in that body. The defeat of the
4 obnoxious measure in the Senate gives us no Sc.
if curly IN the future Senator'S in their places
l. openly proclaimed their approval Of the principle
J. 1t contained and placed their opposition, dis
it tncty, on the ground that, though RIGHT in itself
j., the time and occasion rendered its adoption in
IS eXpedient. The legislatures of eleven states have
with singular unanlmity, urged a renewal of these
efforts. Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
- New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, n. Hamp
Al shire, Massachusetts,, Ohio, Michigan, and more
o recently Maine, have all, through their legsla
G. lures, spoken still more explicitly than by their
< representatives in Congress.
" The tone of the press, wing and democratic
1t agraran and religious, in every non-slavehold
/. ing state, manliests foregone conclusion, tina
the aDoltlonsts are to be conceded to, at least Sc
lar as to forbid the extension of slavery in the
United States beyond its present boundaries,
While clouds thus gather, what preparation
d. DO we make for the impending storm! Are on
+ people even aware of its approach
s. How have the aboitionists, so nconsidcrablt
g IN numbers, and themselves without official sta
IL ton, effected SO much! The answer is obvious
vs. They have adhered to principle. They have
ar made 1t paramount to party organization ant
% temporary policy, and they have thus held thu
balance OF power between the two great parties
The have on this account been courted alterna
III tely, and together, by whig and democrat, unit
n, 1t has come about that no politician, on eithe
e. side, is considered as available, who cannot en-
:? list IN his behalf this necessary vote; and the
ct are actually at this moment controlling the DIES
W, TIMES Of this great confederacy Shall we no
at profit by their examplel
h. The aboltionsts have throughout the non
.. slaveholdlng states presses zeaousy, ably. an,
efficiently, enforcing their views, and presentin.
" their paramount principle-and they have latel
c' established an organ in the city of Washington
ne We have in the South, papers of both parte
I'd worthy of all confidence, but these are but it'll
We read elsewhere; and there is no one of them @
VS. very general circulation, even in the southern
all states; and we have not one paper in a non-save
in holding state, and none in the city Of WASHING
en- ton, which, in this emergency, has proved fas
90 and fearless friend; not one which habituay re
:" fleets the public sentiment of the South en- thi
9S question. The intelligencer blinks the question
M the Union rebukes equally the spirit of abolition
he and the spirit which resists its aggressons: an
ms, with all, except the aboltonsts themselves, pa
he " success, with It's triumph and its spoils is til
lg- absorbing, if not the sole consideration
we lhe object OF this communication is to obtai
nd your and and active cooperation, in establishing
od at W washington, paper which shall represeI
IAN southern views on the subject of slavery, souther
of views OF southern rights and interests, CROWN
40 out &c, OF and connected with this institution.
we want paper whose polar star shall
fy- the sentiment, that danger to our institution
to can only be ayerted by jealousy watching o.
up rights under the constitution; by INSISTING mo
ace the proportonate influence intended to be seen
cd to us by the compromises of that compact. an
of above all, by maintaining at all times, and al
,ece hazards our equality, full and complete, wit
IS whatever other communities we hold connection