Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-04-26
VOLUME VI. NO. IL.
Address of the Free Soil Association
Of the District Of Columbia.
To the People Of the United States

which Is appointed by the constitution to legH-
late for this community Congress- while Il
holds the destiny of the people of this district in
It's hands, can be reached only through its re.
to the people of the Union if it fail
to perform its duty here. This is higher re-
sponslbllity than could be invoked by us, even
II fully represented in both the Senate and the
House OF Representatives We therefore con.
fdeutIaly address ourselves to the primary
Of power, The People of the Union, to ex-
act the Legislation proper to promote the pros-
perlty OF the people at the seat Of the national
government.
The great evil which cngs to this district,
s any ss - q sIs:
shun 1t the active and ehterprisng born in II,
fly away-and those, fixed by controlling cir
cumstances, it makes supine, and incapable Of
the set promoted, respected, inspriting indus
Try which anmates the bosom of the lndepend-
ent tree laboIer. Hence it is that the broad boz
som OF the Potomac is almost without ships-thO
great canal, reaching far into the INTERIOR almost
without boats-lts sluices, commanding the best
water power in the world without business-and
the hne, healthy, easily enriched country sur.
rounding, to great extent without manufactu.
ring establshments-its cities, penetrated by
large commercial channels, without population
and cultivation. The apprehension that tn ns.
tional government itself will be called to aban.
don district falling so far behind in the career
OF prosperity, every free section of the Union,
blessed with the freedom of all classes, contrib
utes greatly to the calamity which Congress has
the power to remedy, and should long since have
removed.
From the citations annexed to this paper, it
will appear that, session after session, petitions
aud memorials by the people, praying for the
gradual abolition OF slavery in the district, and
the instant abolition Of the slave trade, have
been urged OH Congress, but urged in vain.--
Even John Randolph, the most overstralned en-
thuSlast of the rights of the Old Dominion was
scandalzed at the shocking traffic carried on at
the slave pens the shambles set up for the sale
OF human belngs-under the very eyes of Con-
gresS. lie demanded committee 10 inquire in-
to the enofmly, and pledged himself, that if the
abuse could not otherwise be abated, he would
himself pursue the matter, and drag the crimes
OF the maeiactors to light. But neither the
strong appeals made IN the memorials of the
leading citizens of the district, nor Il e keen in-
dlgnant, eloquent voice of MIR. Randolph, could
penetrate the dull ear which mercenary inhuen.
ces and politica interests turned towards them.
Members of Congress and their constituents,
from the south. were purchases in the mart and
the great political power which certain men in
the south welded, and who looked to still more
ambitious honors than they wore at home, sought
to nt reaSe Itself by concentration and control
of the whole southern strength, as IL section, in
their own hands, by exciting jealouses on the
subject Of slavery, III regard to which they as
sumed the cham ionshlp.
By them the ban has ever been put upon every
southern man who dares 10 vote an amelioration
lin the condition Of Ire slave, or tue master Of
the slave, in any place over Which Congress 10
clothed with Jurisdsdiction. The subject is in
tardicted even to inquiry. A motion in Congress
on the subject is the tocsn of agitation on the
part of these peculiar guardians. The cry is,
that if Congress touches the topic where it has
rights over it, the next step will be to interfere
where it has no such rights They have, by
these alarms, affecting southern members az
home, ard threatening the patriotic with a disso-
luton of the Union, put down the right of peti.
Iiion-repeled petitions, by laying even motion
to receive them on the table. They gtifcd de-
bate in this indirect way in Congress-, so sue
cessfuly, that the arrogance of the South Caro-
lima Legislature has grown so high that it has at
length sent an express resolution to Congress,
telling it that the lime for debate has pasSed"-S
direct menace, iorbidding it to do Its duty at the
peril of encountering the power oil South Caro-
lima
The body of the people of this state, howev.
er, are not responsible for these insults. They
do not elect the Legislature, nor do they compose
it. The constitution of the state creates an ole
garchy founded on slavery. Every man in the
state is disqualified to hold a seat Ii the House
Of Representatives, unless seized and pJSSe ,Sed,
in his olUn right, Of settled freehold estate Of
FIVE HUNDRED ACRES OF LAND AND TEN Me-
GRoEs-or real estate Of the ualuc Of ESQ
sRERLING, CLEAR OF DEBT" This disqualh-
cation is increased, in the case Of a representa-
tive not residing in the district, to freehold es-
tate of $500 sterling, clear of debt, and in the
case of the on-resident senator, to 81 600 STR
ling. freehold qualification is also required
to confer the right Of voting and the consttu-
ton is unalteIabc, unless by a vote Of two-thirds
OF the slave holding freeholders, clear OF debt,
who compose the legislature. An assemblage
Of men, thus removing from the mass OF the
people by their circumstances and mode Of elec-
ton, and wholly inaccessible, through even an
organic convention, without the consent of two
thirds of themselves first given, cannot be said
to represent the state.
Such body ought not to be considered as be-
longing to the masses, disqualified as members to
sit 10 il, or as representatives fol those denied
the right of voters, to choose it. Yet this legia.
ature which does not represent the people IT
South Carolina, choose for them President and
Vice President OF the United States The Sem
ate, holding controlling influence over the e.
ections, is itself chosen, lit may be for years in
advance and before tho candidate for the Pres-
idential Offices are announced or can be known
to the people. These high officers constitute a
part OF the government of this district; and
they are, ia connection with this legislative power
pertaining to the district, but under injunction
by the oligarchy of South Carolina, IN the name
of The people, to deny hearing to those who
have no law-giver but the Congress of the Uni
ted States. May we not invoke the sympathy
Of the people of South CBrollna themselves, to
unite with us against those aggressors who usurp
their power to rob us, as they do them, of the
dearest rights
The gentleman who represents in the Senate
of the Uni ed States this orgarchy of slavery in
South Carolina, in his late caucus address, iol-
lowed up his uniform course of Intervention a.
cainst the rights of the district, deprecating is
delivery from the evils Of slavery under which it
lancuishes. because he chooses to consider it an
" OUTPOST of slavery And are we, the people
of this district, to be debarred from an appeal
for redress of grievances to our only legsla-
ture, in consequence of the Intervention Of the
Senator from South Carolina, and OF the South
Carolina Legislature? Congress is emphatically
told that ito debate" such subjects as the ap-
peals of the people of New Mexico, of Caliior-
MIA, and the District of Columbia, on the sub
iect of slavery, is not allowable. "The time 10
PASSED" for the federation of debate The ap-
pication Of the Convention Of New Mexico, to
be protected against the intrusion Of slavery in
its free territory, was pronounced "impudsnr by
the Senator frnm South Carolina on the floor Of