Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-06-05
Constitutional Rights---North and
South.

The citizens of each State shall be entitled TO all priv
leges and lmmunes of citizens in the several States"
No person held to service labor in one State under
the laws thereof escaping into another, shall, in
quence Of amy law or regulation therein BE- discharged
from sucn service or labor but shall be delivered up on
claim OF the party to whom such service or labor may be
uue'"-o' n Constitution, Art. ~, Sec. @
These two clauses from the same instrument,
the same article, are respectfully commended 10
the attention of President Fillmore and his Con-
stliutlonal advisers. They are by right of equal
validity, and equally binding on Government and
People. If there be any obligation resting on
the Federal Executive to enforce the one, that
obligation extends equally to the other. Yet
Tor lifetime the former requisition has been
steadily, Systematically, ostentatiously defcd.-
Citizens Of free States, trading to or visiting
slave States, are habitually dealt with in those
States IN glazing violation of its express niunc-
ton. White freemen from the North are sub
Iected to Imprisonment, indgnities, and outrage,
IN South Carolina and other lower law States on
vague suspicion that they are Abolitonists, and
punished with whipping and Punishment be.
cause OF the finding OF newspaper in their
trunks containing some articles unfavorabe to
Slavery. Colored citizens of Massachusetts or
Rhode Island, whose rights before the law of
their own States are equal to those Of any other
citizen, are regularly dragged from the vessels
in which they are serving as seamen or stewards,
on the arrival of said vessel at Charleston, S. G.
or other Southern ports, thrown into prison, there
confined till their vessel is ready to sail, and
then compelled to pay heavily for the cost and
charges of such arrest and detention, under PEN
atty of being sold into perpetual slavery
This has proceeded 70. years without opposl-
tion or remonstrance from the Federal Executive
Bnt the fist case of successful evasion, by few
poor Ignorant citizens Of Free State, of the
provision intended to favor Slavery, is the signal
for general commotion. The President is sum-
moned to the defense of the violated Constitu-
ton. Procamations and threats of military CO.
ercion fill the public eur. Whether the whole
State of Massachusetts is to be put under the
martial law or only the city of Boston subjected
to state Of siege, we do not hear at this present
writing but it is plain that something terrible is
medated.
All we ask is that the Constitution be dealt
with'fairly, and its provisions in favor of Free
dom be enforced as promptly, earnestly and fully
as those which arc held to favor Slavery. The
Federal Government was not created only nor
mainly to uphold Slavery; it was intended pri-
marily to subserve the cause of Freedom. Let
US have no re-enactment OF the Boston Port
Bill while the Constitution is defed in Charles
ton with the audacity of law and the impunity
induced by Federal acquiesence. Give us ex-
ecutlve enforcement as well of the clause which
guarantees to all citizens of Free States the I'M
impaired rights of citizens in Slave States, SC
Of that which favors re. enslavement, and We
have nothing more to ask.-TFibune.