Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-02-15

|
holding State, with the intention to place
him beyond the reach of the provision, or
prevent his recovery, by concealment or
otherwise, is as completely repugnant to it
as its open violation would be, is too clear
to admit Of doubt or to require illustration.
And yet, as repugnant as these combinations
are to the true intent of the provision, it is
! believed that, with the above exception, not
one of the States within whose limits they
exists has adopted any measure to suppress
them, or to punish those by whose agency
f the object for which they were formed has
|, been carried into execution. On the con-
trary, they have looked on and witnessed
with Indifference, if not with secret appro-
baton, a great number of slaves entced
from their owners and placed beyond the
possibility of recovery, to the great annoy
ance and heavy pecunlary loss of the bor-
derlng southern States.
When we take into consideration the
great Importance of this provision, the alb
sence of all uncertainty as to its true mean
ing and intent, the many guards by which
it is surrounded to protect and enforce it,
and then reflect how completely the object
for which it was inserted in the constitution
is defeated by these two-fold infractions, we
doubt, taking all together, whether more
fragrant breach of faith is to be found on
record. We know the language we have
used is strong, but it is not less true than
strong.
There remains to be noticed another
class of aggressive acts of "A kindred char
acter, but which, instead of striking at al
express and specific provision of the con-
stituton, aims directly at destroying the re-
! lation between the two races at the South,
| by means subyersive in their tendency of
one of the ends for which the constitution
was established. We refer to the systematic
agitation of the question by the abollionsts
which, commencing about 1885. is still
continued in all possible forms. Their a.
vowed intention is to bring about state of
things that will force emancipation on the
South. To unite the North in fixed hostil-
ty to slavery in the South, and to excite dis
content among the slaves with their condi-
ton, are among the means employed to eff
feet it. With view to bring about the
former, every means are resorted to in order
to render the South, and the relation be-
tween the two races there odious and hate
full to the North. For this purpose societies
and newspapers are every where established,
debating clubs opened, lecturers employed,
pamphlets and other publications, pictures,
and petitions to Congress, resorted to, and
directed to that single point, regardless of
truth or decency; while the circulation of
incendiary publications in the South, the
agitation of the subject of abolition in Con-
gress, and the employment of emssares,
are relied on to excite discomfort among the
slaves
This agitation, and the use of these means
have been continued, with more or less ac-
tivlty, for series of years. not without do
ing much towards effectlug the object inten-
ded. We regard both object and means to
be aggressive and dangerous to the rights
OF the South and subversive, as stated, of
one of the ends for which the constitution
was established. Slavery is domestic in
stituton it belongs to the States, each for
itself, to decide whether it shall be establish
ed or not; and if it be established, whether
f it should be abolished or not Such being
5 the clear and unquestlonable right of the
l States, it follows necessarily that it would be
Y Migrant act of aggression on State, de-
; structive of its rights, and subversive of its
y independence, for the federal government,
f or one or more States, or their people, to
: undertake to force on it the emancipation of
t It's slaves. But it is sound maxim in pol
S itlcs as well as law and morals, that no one
: has right to do that indirectly which he
Y cannot do directly, and it may be added
o with equal truth, to aid, or abet, or counte-
: nance another in doing it. And yet the
n aboltionsts of the North, openly avowinq
t their intention, and resortng to the mos,
e efficient means for the purpose, have been
S attempting to bring about state of things
, to force the Southern States to emancpatC
= their slaves, without any act Oh the part OF
o any Northern Slate to arrest or suppress the
IS means by which they propose TO accomplish
l. it. They have been permitted so pursue
It their object, and to use whatever means they
e please; if without aid or countenance, als(
e without resistance or disapprobation.
What gives deeper shade to the whole
y affair is the fact, that one of the means t.
y effect their object, that of exciting discon
II tent among our slaves, tends directly to sub
:, vert what its preamble declares to be on,
!, of the ends for which the constitution wa
h ordained and established--"to insure domes
- tic tranqulity"-and that in the only wa
e in which domestic tranquility is likely eve
" to be disturbed in the South. Certain it i
ID that an agitation so notwithstanding sue
Of an object in view, and sought to be carrie
r into execution by such means-,would, be
p tween Independent nations, constitute jus
&c cause of remonstrance by the party agalns
to which the aggression was directed, and,
of not needed, an appeal to arms for redress
p Such being the case where an aggressio
= Of the kind takes place among Independent
III nations, how much more aggravated must
es be between coniederated States, where tn
s. Union precludes an appeal to arms, while
of affords medium through which it can OF
err crate with vastly increased force and effec
IL That it would be perverted to such use
n never entered into the Imagination of tn
It, generation which formed and adopted tn
r. constitution, and if 1t had been supposed
a. would, it is certain that the South neve
a would have adopted it,
We now return to the question OF th
nv admission of Missouri into the Union, an
by shall proceed to give brief sketch of tn
tn occurrences connected with it, and the col
lis sequences to which it has directly led,
ce the latter part of 1919, the then territory
d. Missouri applied to Congress, in the usut