Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-03-28

must expect, When the press is Tree, as IL
here, and | trust always will be-ior, witt
all its RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all its evil, the en-
tire and absolute freedom of the press is es
sentlal to the preservation OF government
on the basis of a free Constitution. Wher
ever it exists, there will be foolish paragraphs
and violent paragraphs in the press, as there
are, | am sorry to say, foolish speeches and
violent speeches in both Houses of Con
gress. In truth, sir, must say that, in my
opinion, the vernacular tongue OF the coun
try has become greatly vitiated, depraved
and corrupted by the style of our congress
sional debates. Laughter And if il
were possible for our debates in Congress tc
vtiate the principles of the people as much
as they have depraved their taste, should
cry out, "Goo save the Republic"
Well, in all this | see no sold grievance
no grievance presented by the South, within
the redress Oft the government, but the single
one 10 which have referred and that is
the want of proper regard to the injunc-
ton of the Constitution for the delivery Of
fugitive slaves.
There are also complaints of the North
against the South. need not 90 over them
particularly. The first and gravest is, that,
the North adopted the Constitution recog-
nZing the existence Of slavery i'll the States,
and recognizing the right, to a certain eX-
tent, of representation of the slaves IN Con-
gress, under a state of sentiment and eX-
pectation which do not now exist; and that
by events, by circumstances, by the eager
ness OF the South to acquire territory and
extend their slave population, the North
finds itself, in regard to the influence ofthe
South and the North, of the free States and
the slave States, where it never did expect
to find itself when they entered the COM
pact of the Constitution. They complain,
therefore, that instead of slavery being re-
garded as an evil as it was then, and an evil
which all hoped would be extinguished
gradually, it is now regarded by the South
as an institution to be cherished aud pre-
served and extended; an institution which
the South has already extended to the ut
most of her power by the acquisition of new
territory. Well, then, passing from that,
every body in the North reads; and every
body reads whatsoever the newspapers COLI
tain; and the newspapers, some OF them,
especially those presses TO which have al
luded, are careful to spread about among the
people every reproachiul sentiment uttered
by any Southern man bearing at all against
the North; every thing that is calculated
TO exasperate, to ALLEVIATE; and there are
many such things, as every body will ad-
nit, from the South or some portion Of 1t,
which are spread abroad among the reading
people and they do exasperate, and alien
ate, and produce Il most mischievous effect
upon the public mind at the North. Sir,
! would not notice things of this sort APP
pearing in obscure quarters; but one thing
has occurred in this debate winch struck
me very forcibly An honorable member
from Louisiana addressed us the other day
on this subject. suppose there is not a
more amiable or worthy gentleman IN this
chamber-nor a gentleman who would be
more slow to give offence to any body, and
he did not mean in his remarks to give Of
fence! But what did he say! Why, sir,
he took pains to run contrast between the
slaves ofthe South and the laborlng people
of the North, giving the preference IN
all points of condition, and comfort, and
happiness, to the slaves of the South. The
Hon. member doubtless did not suppose
that he gave any offence, or did any nJus-
tice. He was merely expressing his opln-
ion. But does he know how remarks Of
that sort will be received by the laborlng
people of the North Why, who are the
laboring people of the North They are
the North. They are the people who Gull
,,v,4a thar o,,,, f,rrns with their o,yu hands
freeholders, educated men, independent
men. Let me say, sir, that five slxihs of
the whole properly Of the North is IN the
hands of the laborers of the North they
cultivate their farms, they educate their
children, they provide the means of indie
pendence; if they are not ireehoders, they
earn wages, these wages accumulate, are
turned into capital, into new ireeholds, and
small capitalists are created. This is the
case, and such the course of things, with US,
among the industrious and frugal. And
what can these people think when so re-
spectacle and worthy gentleman as the
member from Louisiana undertakes TO
prove that the absolute ignorance and the
ablect slavery of the South is more In con-
f6rmity with the high purposes and destiny
of Immortal, rational, human beings, than
the educated, the independent free laborers
of the North! There is more tangible,
and irritating cause of grievance at the
North. Free blacks are constantly en-
ployed, generally as cooks or Stewards
When the vessel arrives, these free colored
men, are taken on shore, by the police or
municipal authority, imprisoned, and kept
in prison, till the vessel is again ready to
sail. This is not only irritating, but ex-
ceeding announcement in practice. and seems
altogether impracticable and oppressive.
Mr.. Hoar' mission, some time ago, to
South Carolina, was a well intended effort
to remove this cause of complaint. The
North thinks such Imprisonment illegal,
and unconstitutional as the cases occur
constantly and frequently, they think it
great grievance.
Now, sir, so far as any of those grIevan-
ces have their foundation in matters OF law,
they can be redressed, and ought TO be re-
dressed, and so far as they have their foun-
dation in matters of opinion, in sentiment,
in mutual elimination and recriminatIon,
all that we can do is to endeasor to allay
the agitation and cultivate better feeling
aud mara cra.arnaI eantinanfc hef the