Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-11
The South Understands it.

We commend the following from the
Southern Press, to those cowardly and mis-
cradle apologists for slavery at the North
who would shirk their guilt and responsible
ty, and with the tell-tale meanness which
most school boys despise-which never
scruples at lie-charge the introduction
of slavery upon Great Britain. The declar-
alton of the Press shows that their charac-
ter Is fully appreciated by those upon whom
they SO meanIy fawn. That they spurn their
slandrous vindication with contempt We
love to see maniness everywhere and since
we must have advocates of Slavery, we had
much rather fight man than mouse. The
bold front of the slave. holder puts in mser.
able contrast the litteness of those who pro-
Tossing love for liberty, spend their breath
in UNFOLDING and apoogizing for slavery.
The remarks of the Press were ELECTED
by Mr.. Webster's apology for slavery in his
Albany speech The shareholders under
stand the matter exactly and are not belool-
ed because. northernefs choose to beCool
themselves.
We cannot complain that Mr.. Webster
entertains and expresses OPiufono ON the
ethics and economies Of slavery that we're
quite prevalent in the last generation of
Southern statesmen, and are held by con-
siderable number of public men at the
South. But it is poor excuse to be made
for the South in the North, and it IS very
feeble defence for the South to make for
herself to admit that slavery is moral and
political evil, and throw the blame for its
establishment on the government of Great
Britain. Such an argument or such con-
fesson, involves inevitably the infer-
erce that the South ought to emancipate-
Ii slavery is a moral and political evil, 1t
ought to be removed. And, although we
are not guilty of bringing it here, we are
guilty of keeping it here. 1t is absurd to
preach to the North the obligation of exc
cutiug the Fugitive Slave Law, and yet to
tell them at the same time that in so doing,
they will proong, augment, or aggravate a
moral and political evil.
Well may the North reply to the South
and say, you confess that slavery is not only
a disadvantage, but wrong, and you pre-
tend that you tolerate it because you can
not get rid of it. But now, when slavery
gets rid of you, and takes refuge here, you
come, at great expense and trouble, to re-
claim it. If slavery is an injury to you,
why not rejoice that you have got rid of so
mnch of II as has left you If it is an in
jury to the slave why not rejoice still more
that the fugitive is no longer afflicted with
it? As for the pecuniary loss you may sus-
tain it is considerable; but it is nothing
compared with the blessings it purchases,
of diminishing slavery, its immortality, its
dishonor and its ruin.
Now, the truth IS, the South is response
bic, not only for the continuance, but for
the introduction Of African Slavery. 1t is
true, also, that the North and that Great
Britain are equally responsible. But if
there had been nobody in the South to buy
negroes originally, there wOuid hare been
nobody there to sell them. In the colony OF
Georgia, negro slavery was at first prohib-
tied The colony consisted of pei sons
who were imprisoned for debt in England,
were permitted to leave Georgia. Ogle.
thorpe. the founder Of the colony, was a
philanthrophist, and sought in this way to
give liberty to this class of poor and unfor-
tunate men. The colony was founded on
socialist principles. 1t was afterwards aug
mented by settlements of Moravians, a
strictly religious and socialist sect. And
both classes of early colonists were de-
cided in opposition to slavery. Both chan
ged their opinions, and the prohibition was
removed, and Georgia became savehold-
ing."-AntisIaUery B~glc.