Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-08-17

stIoying his value as slave, will debase and
crush him as n rational being; YOU may do this,
and the idea that he born to be free will sur
vive it ALL 1t is allied to his hope Of immortal
ty; it is the ETHEREAL par, of his nature, which
oppression caEnot reach it is torch III up IN
his soul by the hand of the Defy, and never
mean, to be extinguishcd by the hand OF man.
Erirac. from, The sDeech of he Hon. Henry Berry.
Pass as severe laws as you will to keep these
unfortunate creatures in ignorance, it is In vain,
unless you can extnguish the spark of intellect
which God has given them. Let any man who
advocates slavery examine the system OF laws
that we have adopted from stern necessity, it
may be said) towards these creatures, aud he
may shed tear upon that; and would to God,
sir, The memory of It might thus be botted out
forever! Sir, we have, as lar as possible closed
cve'y avenue by which light might enter their
minds; we have only to go one step further to
ex,inguish the capacity to see the highland
our work would be completed. They would then
be reduced to the level of the beasts of the field
and we should be safe. And | am not certain
that we would not do 1t if we could find out the
necessary process, and that under the plea of ne
cessiiy. But, sir, this is impossible. And can
man be in the midst of frcemen, and not know
what freedom is 4? Can he feel that he has the
power to assert his liberty, and will he not do It 7
These views, (said Mr.. CoLLAMER,) so elo-
quenty expressed by gentlemen in Virginia TO
The Delegates of Virginia, are the views enter
tanned by the uass of the people OF the free
States of this Union, and it must not be expected
that the representatives. of such people will per-
nit this great evil to spread further.
l Some gentlemen from The slave States say, by
excluding slavery from the Territories the people
of those Sares are excluded, as they cannot 20
with their PROPERTY slaves. This is untrue their
slaves are not their property but in slave States
IL sc tl,nuH na
into free States but they must be taken back tc
be held. 1t is sad they are accustomed to
their use they caEhCt prosper in the new terrific
res without them. VIrginans have gone ir
great numbers to the Western States, nnt
there they have prospered aud shown that
they were not the slaves Of slaves. If they can
not 20 on equal footing with their fellow citizens
of other States, it will only be because they ,cH
not. If Congress should think proper to forbit
all sale of intoxicating liquors in the Territories
could 1t be said they had made an unequal law
and had prevented those who will use it from 20
ing there
Mr.. c. said he insisted that the bill for the ter
, ritorial government Of Oregon should be passct
, by ITSELF 1t had no connection or relation t,
, New Mexico or California. 1t was true that Or
3 egon had once been used TO get in Texas, ant
1 now some desired to unite it with New Mexico
and California, and see il ii would be equally Of
, fecive as TO them. Such is the character OF lh,
. Senate bill this morning brought To this House.
4 There was once established a compromise lin,
n called the Missouri compromise. 1t provided
Q that no slavery should ever exist north of laii
S tude 80 30 on territory we there owned. Sontl
OF that IL was to be left to the people there. rhl
settled some part forever free. The presen
proposed compromise leaves Oregon 10 prcscrv,
l,sell Tree or to admit slaves, the people Their,
please. Then the whole amount OF this bill 4
to deliberate the compromise line, or, more prop
erly, to remove 1t up TO latitude 40, and to fix
settle, and establish freedom nouhere, and at til,
same time to settle nothing for New Mexico o
| California on this subject, and to deny them al
power to settle 1t for themselves.
/ The people OF The free States desire no com
promise of principle. They simply desire tina
our free territory should be kept free, and the.
will be satisfied with no law on the subjec
which leaves 1t in any degree doubtful. Tn
law must be direct, positive and unanbiguous
p absolutely iorbddng slavery in the Territories
ANY thing short of this, will but raise the cry q
repeal, repeal, and increase the cause OF agla
, ton.