Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-05-16


Such an abandonment, 1t would be impossible /
believe of one who has earned such fame as de
fender Of the Constitution 1T wCGd be NOR
reasonable to suppose the existence of som
strange msapprehension, had not Mr.. Webster
with that precision and strength which are 8
peculiarly his own, declared his determination
to support this hidecus bill, +" with all its provs
ions, to the fullest extent" when, at the sam
moment, another bill, of which he took no no
ice, was pending before the Senate, introduced
by Mr.. Seward Of New York, securing the In
valuable privilege Of Jury trial.
disdain to avail myself, in sober argument
of the popular sensitiVeness on this subject; anC
acknowledge my obligations to the Const'tu
ton while it is suffered to last But still say
that the man who can read this bill without nav
ing his blood boil in his veins, has power o.
refrigeration that would cool the tropics.
cannot doubt that Mr.. Webster will yet sec
the necessity of reconsidering his position, OF
this whole question.
MIR. Webster says: d" 1t is my firm opinion
this day, that within the last twenty years as
much money has been collected and paid to the
abolition societies, and abolition presses, and
abolition lecturers, as would purchase the free
dom of every slave man, woman and child, in the
State of Maryland, and send them all to Lbe.
ria"
The total Number of slaves in Maryland, &C.
cordng to the last census amounted to S9,495
At $3.50 apiece, which is but about half the val
ue commonly assigned to Southern slaves by
Southern men, this would be $22,373,750. Al
lowing $50 each for transportation to Liberia
without any provisions after their arrival there
and the whole sum would be $25058,600; til
round numbers, twenty five millions Of dollars
more than a million and quarter in eaci
year, and about thlrty-a0e hundred dollars PEI
day. ! he'd not supposed the Abolitionsts hat
such resources at their command.
have dwelt thus long upon Mr.. Webster.
Speech, because in connection with his Two vote,
in favor Of Mr.. Foote'S committee of compro
mise, which votes, had they been the other way
would have utterly defeated the committee, it is
considered to have done more to leopard the
cause of freedom in the territories, than any 9th
er event of this disastrous session. have spo
ken of Mr. Webster by name, and | trust il
none but respectful terms. | might have intro
duced other names, or examined his positions
without mentioning him. | have taken wha
seemed to me the more manly course and i
these views should ever by chance fall under hi,
eye, believe he has magnanimity enough t
respect me more for the frankness have used
If am wrong, will not add to an error O
judgement, the meaneess of a clandestne attack
If am right no one can complain; for we mus
all bow before the majesty of Truth.
have now noticed the principal causes which
have taken place in Congress, and which have
led to what military men would call the demon
alization of many of the rank and file of its mem
bers.
Some recent events have brought wildly tt
mind certain historical recollections in regarc
to the African Slave Trade, now execrated b,
all civilized nations. When The immortals Viii
berforce exposed to public gaze the secrets O
that horrid traffic, his biographer says-"Th(
first burst of generous Indignation promised
nothing less than the instant abolition of thu
trade, but mercantile jealousy had taken thu
alarm, and the defenders of the West India sys
TEN found themselves strengthened by the indie
pendent alliance of commercial men, Life o.
Wilberforce, vol. |, p. 29l.
Again; opposition to Wilberforce's motion
arose amongst the guinea MERCHANTS" reinfor
ced however, before long by the great body o
West India planters" IBID
The corporation of Liverpool spent first ant
last upwards of 100000 in defence of traffic
which even the gravity and calmness of judicia
decisions have pronounced Internal"
"Besides printing works in defence Of thu
slave trade, and remuneratng their authors pay
ing the expenses of delegates to attend in Lon
don and watch Mr.. Webster's proceedings, they
pensoned the widows of Norris and Gree, an(
voted plate to Mr.. Penny for their exertons II
this cause" h. p 345.
1t is said that the Corporation of Liverpool
at this time, "believed firmly that the very ex
stence of the city depended upon the continu
ance of the traffic." Look at Liverpool now
and reflect what great rewards, even of TEN
pora nature, God reserves for men that abjur
dishonesty and crime.
All collateral motives were brought betor
upon the subject just as they are at the Presen
time The Guinea trade was defended 'as
nursery for sea men," Ib. p. 293
Even as late as 1916, the same class of mer
in the same country, opposed the abolition q
"white slavery" In Algiers, from the same bas
motives of interest 1t was thought that tn
danger of navigating the Mediterranean, cause
by the Barbary Corsairs was advantageous t
British commerce because it might deter tn
merchant ships of other nations from visit
ing it. After Lord Exmouth had compelled tn
Algerines to liberate their European slaves, h
proceeded against Tunis and Tripoli. In glvir
an account of what he has done, he defends hi
conduct upon general principles" but adds, "a
applying to our own country, Great Britain
may not be borne out. the old mercantile interest
being against h"--Oslers Life of Exmouth,
1903.
So after Admiral Blake, in the time o
Cromwell had attacked Tunis he says, in hi
despatch to Secretary Thurloe, sand now, see
ing it hath pleased God so signally to justify U
herein, hope his highness will not be offendc
at it, nor any who regard duly the honor of tn
nation, dLtho' expect to haze The clamors Of II
TEREsTED MEN"-Thurloe's State Papers, vo
IL. D. 800. And is commerce the daughter
Freedom, thus forever to lift her parricidal han
against the parent that bore her? Are ric
men forever 10 use their "thiry pieces of silver
or their "ten thousand pound sterling" or the
hundreds OF thousands of dollars, to reward tt
Judas for betraying their Savior View b
the light of our increased knowledge, and !
our more elevated standard Of duty, the extel
sion of Slavery into California or New Mexic
at the present time, or even the sufferance of
there, is a vastly greater crime than was Il
African slave trade itself in the last centur,
and would rather meet the doom of postert
or of heaven, for being engaged in the trait
then, than for being accessory to its propagate
now,
Let those who aid bet, or connive SLAYER
extension now, as they read the damnng sci
tence which history has awarded against The a,
tors, abettors and connivers of the African trad
bull change the names, and they will be readlr
of them selves. Should our new territories
hereafter filled with grooming bondmen, shou
they become an American Egypt, tyrannizt
over by ten thousand Pharaohs, it will be no d
fence for those who permitted it, to say, "W
hoped, wo supposed, we trusted, that slave
could mt 20 there . Nemesis. as she plies b