Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-02-28

WSditi-it 10 put Tie Ilght OI SOOu He!gH-
borhood, and kind and friendly feeling, to
allow the owner of the slave to pass with
his property unmolested.
Allow me to say upon this subject, that
of all the instances in which the power is
exercised to seduce slaves from their own
ers, there is no instance in which it is ex-
erclsed SO uDjustly as in the case of the Sc
duction Of family servants from the service
OF their owners. Servants in the families
are treated with all the kindness with which
the children of the family are treated
Everything they want for their comfort is
given to them with the most liberal indul-
gence. have known more instances than
one, where, by this practice Of seduction of
family servants from their owners into free
States, they have been rendered wretched
and unhappy. In instance in my own
family, the seduced slave addressed her mis-
tress, begging and imploring her TO furnish
her the means Of getting back from the
state of freedom into which she had been
seduced, into the state of slavery into which
she was much more happy. She returned
to the State of Kentucky and to her mis-
tress, from whom she had been seduced.
Now, Mr.. President, think that the ex-
listing laws for the recovery of fugitive
slaves, and the restoration and delivering of
item to their owners, being often made
qtate aud ineffective, it is incumbent upon
Congress-(a and hope that hereafter, when
better state of feeling, when more harmo-
ny and good viii prevails among the vari-
Gus parts of this contederacy-I hope it will
be regarded by the free states themselves
as par of their dnty)-to assist in ailay-
ing tins SUBJECT, so irritating and disturbing
TO the peace of this Union. At all events,
whether they do 1t or not, it is our duty to
do 1t. 1t Is our duty 10 make the laws more
effective; and will 90 with the fnrthes,
senator from the South in this body to nuke
penal laws, to impose the heaviest sanctions
upon the recovery of fugitive slaves aud the
restoration of them to their owners.
While upon this part of the subject, how
ever, allow me To make one observation or
two. do not think that States, as States,
are TO be held responsible for all the nils
coHduct Of particular individuals within
those States. | think States are to be held
responsible only when they act in their SOW
ereign capacity. If ther are few persons
IndIscreet-mdd, IT YOU chooSe-ianatics,
If yon choose to call them so-who are for
dissolvlng this UnIon-(aud we know there
,are some at the North who are for dlssoly-
lag 1t, IN consequence of the connexion
winch exists between the free aud savehoid-
ing States)- u do not think that any State
ought to be held responsible for the doc
trInes which they propagate, unless the
State itself adopts those doctrines.
There have been, perhaps, mutual causes
of complaint. | know-at least | have
heard-that Massachusetts, in apology for
some of her uniriendly laws upon the SUBJ
Ject of the recovery of fugitive slaves urges
the treatment which certain minister of
hers received liz Charleston, S. G. some
years ago. a most respectable, venerable,
and worthy man, (llr. Iioar, was sent by
Massachusetts TO South Carolina To take
care of the free negroes of Mass ichuseIts
that might pass to Charleston III any of the
vessels of Massachusetts. | think it was a
have created. | think she might as well
have omitted to send Mr.. Hoar upon any
such mission as that. She though, il her
right, however, aud sent him upon that mis-
sion He went for the purpose merely, as
was said, to ascertain the rights of the free
people of color before the courts of Justice
to test the validity of certain laws of S
Carolina in regard 10 the prohibition of free
negroes coming INTO her ports. | believe
that was the oblect-that was the purpose of
ms mission. lie went there and created 10
disturbance, as | understand, except so far
as asserting these rights aud privileges in
Il. b,I
them, of her people of color, might create
disturbance Well, he was virtually driven
out of Charleston, as ! believe some other
emisarv of the same character was driven
out of New Orleans. | do not mean to say
whether 1t was right or wrong to expcl him
from that city but do mean to say that
Massachusetts,, FOR the treatment towards
those whom she chose 10 consider as clti-
zens of the State of Massachusetts, on the
part of South Carolina, determined upon
that course of legislation by which she has
withdrawn all aid and assistance, and inter-
posed obstacles to the recovery of fugitive
slaves. She gives tnis as her apology; but
| think II furnished her with no sufficient
apology If South Carolina treated her i'll,
1t was no reason why she IN turn should
treat Virginia, Kentucky and other States
i'll. But she thought so. | mention the
case of the expulsion from Charleston, and
the passage of the laws by Massachusetts,
or rather the spirit in which they were pass
ed-not by way OF reproach, but to show
senators that there have been, unhapphy,
mutual causes of irritation, furnished, per-
haps, by one class of the States as well as
the other, though admit not in the same
degree by slave States as by free States
| admit also, that the free states have much
less cause for any solicitude and inqnietude
upon this whole subject of slavery than the
slave states have, aud that far more extern
sive excuses, if not Justification, ought to
be extended to the slave states than to the
free states, on account OF the difference IN
the condition of the respective parties.
Mr.. President, in passing from that reso-
luton, will add, that when the time comes |
for final action, | will vote most cordially |
and willingly for the most stringent meas
ures that can be devised to secure the exc
cution of the constitutional provision it al
udes to.
Mr.. Davis, of Massachusetts,, (interpo-