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

citizens, to show you tlat what ms bCC'i '"
with regard to the maintenance OF the rights OF
the free states is not to be passed over OF treated
lightly.
1t has been my misfortune to be bound uhaer
oath to look into these things, to examine them,
and to expose them. knew the shafts OF calum-
nv which have visited me on that account, but
blame no man for that. He who assaled me
was honest. sincere, elevated to his countrys in
tcrcsts, as | verify believe 1t is because they
do not know the facts, and now | say that when
the truth shall be laid open before you, whether
wings, Liberty men, Democrats, or lndepend-
cnts, there shall be but one sentiment among
you. You shall net need division of parties
then. When every man shall know the truth
there will be no contention among the parties as
to the maintenance Of our rights. You all know
that in the Florida war, forty millions were torn
from the free states and expended, squandered
there, in butchering the Indians because they re-
fused to deliver up the slaves Of Georgia and
Alabama, who had shelter among them.
For another instance in which this govern
ment has involved our national character, | refer
to its atemps to obstruct the progress of freedom
among other nations; its endeayoring to prevent
the emancipation of slaves i'll Cuba, its cores
pondencc with Spain. Nor is either the wing
or democratic administration clear, for both adj
ninistratons have been thus involved in the same
crime Of endeavorin5 to obstruct the progress Of
liberty in foreign nations, The negotiations be-
tween our government and Great Britain in re-
lation to the slaves who had fled to Canada; the
fcmonstrance against emancipation in the West
India Islands, are instances in point; and might
stand till the rising of to-morrow's sun citing in
stances i'll which this government has involved
itselfin the support ofthat institution. In every
such instance, in which this government has in
volved our interests, our moral purity, or our ma
tional honor, they have outraged their political
compact and violated the constitution of our
country | call your attention to these violations
to show you that we have cause to call upon our
fellow countrymen to watch the actions Of the
government in this respect,
have never been able to estimate the whole
amount of expense that has been paid from the
treasury of the United States to sustain slavery;
but others, men of sane, rejecting minds, have
set down the amount at one hundred millions of
dollars out of eight hundred millions, being one
eight of the whole amount of the expenses of the
government, from the adoption Of the constitu-
ton down to 1919 That is the amount to which
we have been involved according to their estm-
ate. L cannot NOuCH LOT us UCCuIdCy, dlluouBH
know the sum to be vast in amount. Under
these circumstances many individuals Of all par
ties have felt it their duty to call the attention Of
the people of this nation to this abuse which i'll
our opinion threatens the overthrow of our lib
critics. and of the government ITSELF which haz-
ards the union Of these states, and must newt
ably involve US in deep and damning disgrace
throughout the earth.
1t may not be improper to refer to Annexa-
ton. Up to the year 1913, there had been a
quiet surrender Of our rights to the demands of
slavery without argument, investigation or discus
sion. No man had stood up to deny the right of
government to make these expenditures When
they called upon the government for aid, the
North submitted oft without why or a where
fore. 1t was silent acquiescencc on the part
OF the North, for nearly up to the year 1886 no
man was found to stand up i'll Congress, and OPP
pose these outragcs and violations 1t is there
fore, gentlemen and iellow-citlzcnS, that we feel
bound to call the attention of the people to this
subject. Up to the year 1913, there was one
general declaration on the part of southern men
and northern men, all were agreed as to the con-
sttutionalty of the law Southern men dcclar-
cd that we had no power to interfere with the in
to the sentiment. | know it has been said that
abotionists called upon Congress to interfere
They knew that something was wrong, and cal.
led upon government to interfere with slavery in
the district of Columbia; and perhaps may be
allowed to alude to another circumstance here
When the district of Columbia was coded to
the United States, all the laws of that territory
ceased to be in force. AT the very moment of its
cesslon, the laws for crimes, for debts, for hold
ing slaves, all ceased to exist. | want the par
tlcular attention of lawyers and Judges who are
present upon this point, for this is LEGAL argu-
ment When the state of MARYLAND for in
stance, coded to the United States the territory
upon which Washington stands, and all that
which lies north of the Potomac, and when the
federal government took possession of that terri
tory, from that moment all the laws of the state
OF Maryland ceased to have any power whatever
within that territory The first act of CONGRESS
upon the matter the act of Feb 81, 1891, was
to revive the laws of Maryland which had been
IN force, and declare them to be and to remain
IN force until further legislation. This was an
act OF Congress; and my representatives voted
Tor that act, and their names shall 90 down to all
coming time bearing the burden.
Yes, my teow-citizens, slavery by that law
exists to this day Without that law the slave
would have been as independent as his master
and the master would have had no more power
to chastlse the slave than the slave to chastse hi.
master. Thus is was until the representatives Of
New York, and New England, Il do not except
massachusetts, nor Connecticut, from which
derive my own extraction,) enacted those law.
there, and it is under those laws that the slave
exists there at this moment. 1t is you and
VINO ilI mold his hands pinioned by the law, and W.
VIII not relax our grasp while the master strike
MS thong into his quivering flesh. Have yol
not by thousands and by tens of thousands ask
ed Congress to release you from this moral gull
and turpltude in the capital? You have; and how
have your servants there treated your humbI
ana respectful petitions! They refuse to repca
that law, and they actually sustain slavery there
and uphold it.
Is there lawyer here tonight who thinks
am wrong! If so, when you return to YOUR office
expose my error, and you will do what no slave
holder has dared to attempt; for in the House