Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-06-11

speech and the freedom of the press sl,,l, m, W.
abridged, the mere naked right of tho North f.,
speak and write what they please on the sul,ccf
of slavery, is conceded, it is denied that tbcv
have any right to speak and write to us on tina.
subject.
The Constitution runs thus "The citizen
of each State shall be entitled to all privilege
and immunties of citizens in the several States
We understand that all the benefits here confer
red, must be exercised within the territorial
limits oftfie States Of which they are claimed
For instance, the citizen Uf Massachusetts is
and Of right can he, none the better for any
thing which this clause Of the Constitution So
cures to him in Virginia. until he enters Vir-
gnia in person. In Virginia he NAV and will
cnioy call privileges and immunities which,
Virginians the mselves there enjoy. The priv,
lege of freely entering the State, and of do
meaning himself as they demean themselves OF
doing as they do, is his, even to his so CLAIMING
and enjoying up to Il fixed period of time. when
he acquires in addition to what he has already
enjoyed, citizenship itself. No difficulty occurs
here for by the time the elective franchise i,
conferred, he becomes sufficiently informed tn
exercise it intclligently and appropriately. All
here works well in practice. Men prove them
selves adequate Judges of what lies Immediately
around them, but very inadequate to Judge of
what is situated remotely from them. Repub.
lies will succeed if sufficiently limited in terrific.
rial extent. Salvation comes to our Union. if il
comes at all, from observing and Respecting
State limits.
Northern men claim that they are citizens OF
the United States. If this be true. we are ruin.
ed. The best proof of this is the acts which thew
perform in exercise of this high immunitv.-
They do little else than demonstrate their incom.
potency for exercising intelligentlys such tunc
ton If therefore this function exists, all ia
lost.
But we deny its existence, and pare down,
and limit BY the exact lines of State demarca,
ton, all political and moral rights and respon.
sibilities. We deny that citizen of one Stat,
has any political or moral rights or obligations
in another State, which he can exercise or dis
charge out of that State. And this solves tho
mystery, why the South takes no notice of the
moral efforts which are made at the North abou,
slavery. They plead an absence of jurisdiction
they stand on their reserved rights they take
their own matters into their own hands they
respect themselves. They reply not. because
to reply would be admitting that the productions
of the North had some claim to notice. which
they deny. The profound ignorance of the
North, on the subject of slavery, has no claim
TO enlightenment. in answer to its impertinent
assumptions that it knows more about our duties
and responsibilities than we do ourselves
Was there ever such falacy as when the
North, because their assaults upon the South
are unanswered, suppose that therefore they are
unanswerabIe and that we are laborinr under
the conviction of the truth and Justice of their
doctrines ! The question of the becomingness
of such addresses. lies at the very vtals of the
question of the duration of our Union. a peo-
pie convinced that another people, situated re-
note from them. and in cline and condition
entirely diverse from their own, know more a.
bout their concerns than they do themselves
Could the moral North but be informed of the
state of the Southern mind on this subject, am
convinced that the discussion of slavery would
nearly cease among decent people at the North
not indeed out of any respect which they have
for the people of the South. but from respect
which they have for themselves, and for ascer-
tanned and defined truth.
Could the North understand what the South
think Of their moral productions on the subject
of slavery, while they answer them not, thew
would feel any thing but fattcred, and would
perhaps be convinced that the South had studied
m,nners and politics. and Christianity, and the
subject of slavery in all ITS bearings, to better
effect than they had supposed, and would per-
ceive why it is really nexpedient to exercise
their right to the freedom OF speech and Of the
press. for the particular benefit of the South.
1t is too true to be tested on, that this whole
modern discussion at the North about slavery
is unanswerable or at all events, that the
South cannot answer it. Could the South but
once be induced to retort their moral arguments
upon themselves. modest men at the North would
not feel disposed to teach the South more on this
subject We have not now for the first time
in the history of this worlds affairs. an instance
of peoples saying With our tongues will we
prevail we are they. that ought to speak: who
i, lord over Us ?" Nor is this the first time that
it has been proposed to s. pull out mote out Of