The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-11-05
Letter from Senator Phelps.
MIpDLrBuRY, Oct. 81, 1850

Mn WALToN-D Dear Sir Il was not
aware, when left Montpelier, of any
misrepresentation or misunderst anding
of my remarks upon the fugitive slave
bill, made before the Wing Convention
on the evening of Tuesday the 18th
inst, except what appeared in the Bur>
Iington Free Press, of which of course,
| should take NJ notice.
] have since learnt that was, pre-
vious to the Senatorial election, and have
been since reported as defending and
approving the bill. This IS altogether
untrue, well remember what | said
on that occasion. Aud although the i'm
mediate object of the misrepresentation
may have been answered, yet am not
disposed to permit any erroneous i'm
pressions on that subject to remain.
My remarks on that bill were cons
menced with the declaration, that it
was nat my purpose 10 dcfead H,-thar
it was cot my business. as / ras nat re-,
spoasiJc far IT," But remarked, that
there were some things, not generally
understood worthy of consideration.
then proceeded to state that by The laws
Of the slave States, as was Informed
5.i hollrycd, provision was made, by
WINCH n ,ou clanne, a- slave ufr {
try ine qre-lgu OF ms lreedom. al Mt
by these IaN provision vas also i.sd,
that he should have COUNSEL rm, ni
means 10 procure eIiaea. p0 s...
l.
remark, that the p th
were no more inclined Do ilto- s..uap-
ping THAI we were, and concluded what
was said on the subject with this sem
tenco: " IL this be the case, Tie bill cas
less Objectionable, (ps;haps ! used The
expression " far less Objectionabf") than
it ,oouM otherwise be, " recolect the
last expression distinctly. because was
aware that any general expression was
susceptible of misapprehension, and was
therefore guarded. This is everything
said by me in vndicalion Of the bill -
in apology, eXtenuation, or mitigation
Of it.
1t is surprising to m. that any person,
not disposed to peryert my hu1n ~.
should be able 20 torture lhe-a remarks
INTO defense of tine bill The mere
mention Of a fact certainly is not such,
aud the concluding remark, that this fact
rendered the bill less objectionable, will
be acquiesced in by ALL For if the sup
posed slave would have fair trial, or a
Jury trial, at home, the question as to
trial by Jury, is narrowed down to the adj
vantage of having that trial in one place
in preference to another.
| repeat, not a WORD escaped me in
appreciation of the measure, or in PAL
liation of it, except what is stated above.
make this correction as due TO my
self After service of eleven years in
the Senate, ] am not aware that any vote
or official act Of NINE hitherto, has met
the ultimate disapprobatIon of my con-
sti,nency. am certainly not willing, al
this late day, to have opinions attributed
to me, offensive to their settled aud deer
rooted sentiments upon a subject il
which their political, moral, and, to {
great extent, their religious feeling, i:
involved. Indeed | have too recently
stood forth upon'an occasionwhich ! trus
they have not yet forgotten, in defence
of their sentiments, and their rights t
express them, to be charged with throw
ing in the faces of their representative:
at Montpelier, opinions, which know
to be unpalaieable, and which are so in
consistent with the sentiments of the
same Legislature. which have so re.
Gently indicated elsewhere
SAMPL S, PHELPS.