The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-06-22
slavery In Vermont.
REMARKS OF MR. UPHAM,
IN nErLr ro Dol souLE or LouIaIAnA. MAr 29

siiion, aud had not gained sufficient sirungtl
for such hn undertaking. Aud ! stated, nlrl
that rose simply for The purpose Of correst
log mistake which had been made 10y lhl
honorable Senator from Louisiana, IN regar
toihe constitution Of The State Of Vermont
When the hunoTnble SoDntor alluded 90 sis
ter State whose constitution tolerated n 6ys
/ TEN Of peonHge, that u, slavery for debl,
/ did not notice that he alluded 10 the State of
! Vermont. My attention az the Time was di
fecied to another quarter, aud did not know
Thai he alluded 10 the Slale Of Vermont IN
I III WIZ 70 Informed 10y "a friend. Had
known Il az the time should have risen nnd
| begged Tho Senator 10 yield The fluor,so lba
/ | might hive corrected the mistake. IN lh,
course Of his remarks on slavery in Mexico
/ be- alluded 10 tbs system of peonnge, which
ns / understand ii, -ssIsFsls ,l,r tirtfur n
serve HE creditor until his debt IL paid, aud,
iirit IL not paid IN his lifetime, his children
aud his children'H children Are held 10 service
until the deh Is discharged. The creditor
however, takes good care That the debt Is no,
discharged during the debtors lifetime, nor
ihnt Of his portoriiy understood him Ia
ray also that Ia Vermont tho constitution Of
that State authorised this pfacticc and IN sup.
port ofthis position he read the first article
Ofthe bill Of rights IN the constitution of the
"I'hn, all men nre born equally free and
independent, mud have certain natural, inhe.
rent aud inalienable rights, amongst which
are the enjoying and defending llo and lib
erly, acquiring, possessing, aud protecting
property, and pursuing and obtaining hnppi.
ness aud safety. Therefore no male person
born Ia this country, or brought from over
sea, ought to bc holden 10y law to serve nay
person ms servant, slave, or apprentice, al.
ter nc arrives az the age oftweniy. ono years;
mar female In like nhnner after the arrives
at the nEe Of eighlcnn yeAEa, nnlsss they sfr
bound 10y thur own consent after they arrive
at such age, or bound 10y law for the pay.
ment Of debts, damages, zines, costs or tho
like" .s
The honorable Senator commended that this
section fully established the fact tlint slavery
was sustained there for tie payment Of debts.
eau inform him, however, that no such rys.
TEN was ever established IN tlte State of Yer
mont. The FIRST constitution OF NcrmoHi
wns established in the year wv aud the gov
crnmcni was conducted under that conAiitu-
ton for sixteen years. During that Ietiod
-uundry iuwE were passed furnishing slight
offences with fines. Some Of Jlcse fnos
were recoverable lay action OF debt, on the
statute, the money 20 recovered paid into The
town Treasury, and others were prosecuted
10y way Of information aud indictment, for
the purpose Of collecting the fine; aud the
law authorized the magistrate before whom
the offender was brought aud convicted, If
he Ind no means ofpaying the debt, dana
gcs or fine, instead OF committing him To jail
TO assign him to the service OF the phrson
who would pay the amount OF the debt, or
fine aud costs, for the shortest period of ser.
vice. This law was in force when the con-
siitution Of 1893 was adopted. There were
then some Instances ia which the respond.
cnts, being unable to pny penalties thus i'm
posed. were assigned To the service of per
sons who cnue forward aud paid the amount
recovered for certain periods of sefyice.-
These laws, however, 50 far MS They relate to
the assignment of persons to service, have
long ago been repealed. Laws Of this chnr-
acier have, believe, existed ia nearly all the
States in the Union.
Now, Sirthis section declares that no per-
son ought TO he bound by law to Survice after
he arrives at the uge of twenty one years, and
no female after shV arrives at the age of 10
years, unless 10y virtue off voluntary CON
tract entered into by them glier their arrival
at lawful age To contract for themselves. by
that section. then, all the males are etnanci-
pnted at twenty one years ofage, and the f.
males nt the age Of eighteen years. After
they arrive at their majority, they may enter
into voluntary contracts 10 serve, and when
they make such contracts they nre bound 10y
Law to perform them But II they neglect TO
serve according TO their contracts, the only
remedy for the parties aggrieved is suits at
law TO recover damages for the injuries sus.
tanned 10y breaking Of the agreements.
Tho term "slRveh is used ia this seclion.-
The census of 1870 shows seventeen slaves
in Vermont, aud al the adoption of tho con
stiutiou Of Vermont in 1893 there were
probnby Ia the State SONS few slaves, and
the object was their emancipation.
Sir, il appears that the Senator from Lou.
isinna has made this discovery after the gov
ururuuut of fermUur hHs bEen nj GXisTcnce
for nearly sixty years under her present con
slitu,ion. But, sir, hive made a discovery
which will doubtless he MS new and startling
TO the people OF Louisiana as the discovery
mae do ny the honorable Senator from Lous-
ann will I've to the people of Vermont.
have discovered that the fundamental law of
Louisiana makes her n free Stnte. find in
her constitution the following declaration:
.4That in order to secure to nil the citizens
thercnfihe enjoyment of the rights of life, itb-
eriy, and properly, they the people of LOUIS
lanai do ordain and establish the following
constitution or form OF government and do
ngree with each etAeF to- f,.ttt, etft--
selves into free and independent State, by
the name of the State of Louisiana
Yes, sir, 10 secure the rights of life, liberty,
and property, the people OF Louisiana adopt
ed their constitution, aud mutually agreed to
establish free and independent State. The
word slave, or slavery, is not mentioned in
her constitution from the beginning TO the
end of il; and still, more than forty four per
cent. of her reputation are slaves.
lido not daSire 10 detain the SENATE further
on tho present occasion. ! merely wished
10 explain this article OF the constitution of
Vermont, aud the laws which were subse-
quently framed under il. And l say again,
that no constitution or other law ever exist