Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-05-15

Spirit of 1776.

Mr.. EDITOR:-The extract, which have ia
ken from private letter, from worthy clergy
man in Northern New York, is too good to be
lost 1t seems to carry US back to i776, when
our ministers were not afraid to speak, and pray,
and preach against oppressive laws, and those
who made them. In those days our pulpits
were net stuffed Nth cotton, nor ruled by COLON
Lords. And hope the old fire still burns in
the hearts Of a large portion Of our ministers,
though some have failed to try them. ".M this
iOiN Igive thee IF thOW sOih .faH dOwn and pOr-
ship me-" has been motive too powerful for
some to resist, and they have fallen. | know of
none of this class, however, in Vermont and
hope never to know one. If Judas has left any
children among our Green Mountains, advise
them to move South before their iniquities find
them out. But to the extract: There is that
most wicked, mendaciOus, cruel, heathenish,
brutal, barbarous, anti christian, God-provoking,
deVil-pleasing FtgitiUe Steoe La,O, which is
stirring up the people and calling for the repro
bation and noncompliance Of every being, who
has soul in him. But God has allowed the
government to pass such e law, that it may
arouse the people to action, when nothing else
seemed to affect them. am ashamed to be
E'called an American, and if in Europe, should
be temptod to deny my country. How perfect
| iy despicabe must we appear as nation, even
in the eyes ofthe Turks and Algerians What
sort of defence can be made for us before the
world? Nero would have blushed to have per-
Epetrated such crime, with the light which has
blessed this nation. Only think A poor pant
ing fugitive from the~IGsh has, with the energy
of q martyr, broken away from his prison and
his pitiless task-master, and found his way by
the light of the North Star almost to the land of
freedom but is overtaken and captured by
gang of human hyenas, and because some doz-
en- of his black brethren have pitied and rescued
him, the President of this great christian Repub-
lie, the asylum of the oppressed, and The home
of the free, is aroused from his political sumbers,
and sumInonedthe army and the navy, and call
ed upon twenty.three million people to turn
blood-hounds to chase them down, recapture
the poor fugitive, and send him back to the ten
der mercies Of his old tyranical master! 0
shame !: sOhere Is thy blush Such crime as
this the sun never saw, except when he hid his
face from the massacre ofthe Son of God. The
slaVe-power may Aatter itself that the "peace
measures of the last Congress are final set
tlement ;rbut they will find that "wben they cry
peace and safety. then sudden destruction will
come upon them, and they shall not escape."-
As well might they attempt to smother Mount
Etna with horse blanket, as to put quietus
lpon the spirit of reformation which is at work
lPon their darling, yet doomed institution
Peace measures" better.call them them war
measures; for they are directly at war with the
Judgment and conscience ofthe world, and must
rouse the spirit Of sleepless resistance in every
nan that is not welded to this form of SIM
Nothing that the Abolitionists have done has ef-
ected so much towards the final overthrow of
he iniquitous system, as tho Fugitive Slave Law
will effect, if tbe not speedily repealed. Let
hem go on, then, if they will not be persuaded
Q do right; and they will soon work out their
"h ~--------s----5 .-..-4a--p -.--a-9 -,
ubllee in Pandemohum when that law passed, |
nless Satan and his crew were absent at Wash
ngton at the time. Well, "the triumphing of
he wicked is short" One 4hing is certain;
here are but few of the peop at the North who
re "gOOd citizens" enough to aia or assist the
ired assassins of the slave power in running
owntheir flying victims. There may be few
heartless soulless beings in the form
f humanity, who may be hiredto do the bid
ing Of these modern Pharaohs; bat the num-
er is few; and if President Fillmore must
atch Negroes, he and Daniel Webster and
Ienry Clay can have aclear tun after them, if
ley can find no employment more noble. l,
'r one, would see them run their legs off before
would help them in the least. But enough of
lis dark picture which admits of no shade of
ght." AN OLD MAN.