Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-01

Tended him captivating and carrying them l. TO sla
very in another hemisPhrre,o to incur miserable death
in their transportation hher This piratlcal warfare,
the opprobrium of n6de Powers, is the warfare OF the
Christian King of Great Britain Determined to keep
open market where men should he bought and sold,
he his prostiued his negative for suppressng every
legislative attempt 20 prohibit or restrain this eXecra-
bic commerce. And that this asSemblage OF horrors
might want no fact of distinguished dyehe IS ow eX-
citing those very people to rise IN arms among u.s. ana
to purchase that liberty Of which he has deprived them,
by numbering the people on whom he also o6truded
them; thus paying off former crimes committed against
the liberties of one people with crimes which he urges
them to commit against the lives OF another"
This, sir, is the language of Thomas Jeffer-
son, the great apostle of democracy, but the I'M
compromising opponent of slavery. He common
ced the Declaration Of Independence with the
seleevident truth, 'that all men are created equal;
that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inaIienable rights that among these are
| life, liberty, and the pursuit OF happiness =
Here, sir, you see in characters of " living light
the great basis Of universal liberty upon which
the Government is founded.
But again in 1871 and 1882 Mr. Jefferson
wrote his Notes on Virginia. Herr what he
then said on the subject of slavery:
Under the mild treatment orr slaves experience,
and their whocS ime though coarse food, this blot in
our country increases as fast or faster thanthe whites
Duriny the reg Il government we had at one time OBJ
tanned law which imposed such duty on the I'M
poltaton of slaves as amounted nearly to prohib
ton when one inconsiderute assembly, placed under
peculi rity OF circumstances, repealed the law. IhiS
repeal met Joyful sanction from the then sovereign
and M d !vce5--no expeliens which could ever after
be attempted by subsequent assemblies An they sell
dom met without attempting then-coud succeed IN
getting the royal assent to renewal OF the duty In
the very Fl st session held under the Republican Gov
eminent the assembly pissed law for the perpetual
prohibition Of the importation Of slaves Tins Will IN
same measure stop the increase Of this great political
and NOR II evil while the minds Of our citizens may be
rpetlng for complete emancipation OF human ma
! ture"
For if slave can have country in this world, it
must be any other in preference TO that in which he is
born to live and labor for another in which he mus.
lock up the faculties of his nature contribute, far
as depends on his Individual endelvors, to the evansh
ment Of the hnmlA race, or entail his own miserable
condition on the eulless generations proceeding from
him. With The morals Of the people, their industry
also is DESTROYED. For in a warm clmnte, no man
will labor for himself who can nuke another labor for
bin, This is tue thlt Of the prop9etors Of slaves
very small proportions indeed are ever seen to labor
AnG can the liberties Of ii nation be thought secure
when we have removed their only firm basis, con-
are Of the gift OF God That they not to be yo-
lated but with his wrath?
! Indeed, tremble for my country when reflect
that God is Just that his Justice cannot sleep forever
that considering numbers, nature, and natural means
0ply a revolution of the wheels Of fortune, an eX-
change Of situations among possible events that 1t
may become probable by supernatural Interference.
The Almighty his no attribute VIII CHI can take sides
with us in such contest. But it is impossible to be
temperate and to pursue this sub ect through the va
riOus considerations OF policy Of morals, OF history. ma
turlI and civil We must he cone ntcd to hope they
will force their way into every ones mind. think a
chlnge are ldy perceptibc since the origin of the pre-
sent revolution. The spirit of the master is abatlng
that Of the slave rising from the dust his condition
modifying the way, hope preparing, under the au-
spices of Heaven, for total emancipation, and thai
this is disposed in the order Of events to be with the
consent Of the MASTER rather than by their cXtirpa
ton"
Again, Mr. Jefferson, in letter to Governor
Codes, Of Indiana, speaking Of slavery, slld
"The hour of emancipation will come but wheth-
or small be brought about by the generous energy Of
iour own minds or by the bloody process of ST. Dom
ingo is leaf in our history not yet turned over"
will here, sir, leave Mr.. Jefferson and his
Notes On Virginia. and turn to the proceedings
1 of the Congress Of the Confederation. In 1854
Congress took into consideration the report Of a
committee consisting of Mr.. Jefferson, Mr.. Chase
Ct Maryland, and Mr.. Howell Of Rhode Island
to whom was recommtted their report of plan
for temporary government Of the western ter
rit~ry. The plan reported confined a clause
prohibiting slavery in the territory after the year
lSJ) Here is the clluse, and the vote upon
it:
" In CONGRESS- OF TIE CONFEDERATION,
".9pra -, 1884.
there shall neither slavery nor involuntary servtude
il any Of the said States otherwise than in The punish
ocn Of crimes, whereof the party shall have been con