Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-03-14
TEE ORDINANCE AND TEE
SHAREHOLDERS 6.

Congress has row been in agssnn tbr c
months, and What has been done !? The Scua-
alto and Representatives from the free States
we've instructed by their legislatures in every
instance we believe except Iopa, to use their
influence to procure the passage Of the wlmot
proVso over the Territories Of The United States.
And what have Aey done? What is The pros.
pect Of freedom now? Where are the great
men of the N4tirn whose duy it is to guard The
temple of Liberty? Has freedom OF slavery
triumphed? The first three weeks were spent
in contest between the North and South,
whether the Shareholders should have The con-
troll Of Congress, The result ii before the coun
try. The remainder Of the session until the
present zine has been spent in planning schemes
OF compromise, and deyising means, and making
speecles-and forming alliances to produce the
over throw Of the ordnance OF 81 and unsttLe
the uniform and well settled policy of the gov
eminent, and TO put an entirely different cen.
strucfion upoa salutary legnlatons, which have
been adapted to prevent the eme0d wi slavery.
The ordinance of 1857 has been considered
and held by statesmen north and south, from the
time Of its establishment until very recently as
~ e e. dj"Sa hS' 15;1Fsg into torrory which
it was placed
The opinions of the early patriots and states
men were almost unanimous upon this subject.
They saw even while slavery was in lis infancy
that neutrality-suspicious. the wei
fare of our country demanded such prohibit
on Mem-souttera men, who looked upon slay.
cry as described IN the following declaration,
aided in the establishment of This prohibition
"Who that looks to ar unhappy bondage of
an unhappy people, in the mids of our society
and think of It's incidents or its issues, but think
of it as a curse upon him who suffers iii
You may place the slave whore you please
you may Cypress him as you please you may
dry up 10 the utermost the fountain of his feel
lngs, the spring of his though'-you may close
upo,, his mind every avenne OF knowledge, and
cloud it over with artificial nght-ryoa may yoke
him 10 your labors as the OK which liveth only
TO work, and woIkcth only to live--yon may put
him under any process winch, without destroy
ing his value as slave, will d base and crush
him as rational being you may do this, and
tie idea that he was born to be free, will survive
it all. II is allied 10 his hope Of immortality
it is the ETHEREAL part Of his nature, which OPP
pres ou cannot reach it is torch lit up in his
son by the hand of D4ity, and never meant to be
extnguished by the hand OF MN"
They looked upon slavery as direct and oper
violation of every principle Of Liberty which
they had labored 10 establish. Washington was
ready, by bis advice, and his vote tn wipe ou
the Stigma and disgrace. He says, 81 can on,
ly say, that there IS not man living who wish
es more sincerely than do, to see plan adopt
ed for the abolition of il bu there is only one
proper and etfectual mode by which it can be
accomplished, and that is, by the Legislative au
shority and this, as far as my suffrage will 90
shall not be wpntiug."
Jefferson, the great apostle of human liberty
denounced the whole system in the following
language: .'e " : = q
"The whole commerce between master and
slave is perpetual exercise OF the most bols
trOus passions the most unremlting deapoIlsln
on the one hand and degrading submission on
the other With the morals Of
the people their industry also is destroyed.
Inieed, trembe for my country
when reflect that God is just that his justice
cannot sleep forever that considering numbers
nature and natural means only, revolution o
the wheel of fortune, an exchange OF situation
is among possible events; that 1t may become
probable by supernatural interference The
Almighty has no attribute which can take sides
with us in such contest"
"What an lncomprehensible machine is man
Who Gao endure toni, famine, stripes. inprison
Inent and at itself, III vindlGaion of his owl
liberty, and he next moment be deaf to all thost
motives whose power supported him through III,
trial, and inAct on his fellow men bondage
ONE HOUR OF W HIGH Is FRAUGH1
WITH MORE MISERY THAN AGES OF
THAT WHICH HE ROSE IN REBELLION
TO OPPOSE"
"You know that nobody wishes more ardent
10 see an abolition, not only OF the trade but o
the condition OF slavery and certainly nobod
will be more willing TO encounter every sacri
fee for that object"
These werl the men, slave holders thong
they were, that laborcd for the establishment c
the ordinance to prevent the blightng ours