Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-08-28
For the Freeman.
For the Freeman.
TO The Ministers and Christians Of Verm0"t'-

DEAR BRrrHREN: AS you are about to exer-
else your suFrages as freemen, permit one OF
your numberlklndy to ask whether you have
duly considted the responsibility OF voting the
present year A majority of you are expected
to vote with the wings. What will such an act
Involve? Will it not involve your appreciation
of the Fugitive Slave Law2 Let us see. That
law is an Integral part of the compromise
pedsures-th particular stipulation otthe North
to tfR SouHl And this law is now the only V'taI
part Of - compromise. The millions and ter
ritory to Tgy,s rapacity are gone by, accepted,
and now'haEe no living force,-cannot give rise
to any &C. lRp of keeping faith. California
never VS., never could have been part OF the
compromise. 1t is worse than misnomer to call
it so. 4 California had prerented herself as a
SLAVE Stae to the Union, and the South had SUI
tered her ia become free State, and, as such,
to enter the sonfederacy, then there would have
been compromise in it. But she came as free
State, and thus, of right, entered as such. No
rightfulpower anywhere existed to prevent her
admission. WE have then the Fugitive law as
the only thing in the compromise about which
question of keeping faith on the part OF the
! North can arise.
Well, then, how does a vote for the whlg par
ty involve appreciation of this law? Thus: The
wing party, in their convention at Bellows Falls,
in July last resolved their warmest and fullest
appreciation of the National administration OF
President Fillmore. Well, what designation
shall we g1e his national administration We
cannot properly call it the Tariff administration,
because President F. said some things in favor
of Tariff, because for many other Presidents
have said as much, and some more In favor OF
protective Tariff And am sure no wing
would have us call President F.'s the best ad-
minisraon, because the President has advanc-
ed some very curious things in favor Of the veto
power Nor is there anything else peculiar
to the administration by which we can properly
characterize it, IF zoe ercepthe Compromise. The
compromise, then, is lis grand Characteristic
We call it therefore, properly and necessarily
the compromise administration. We might truly
call it the Fugitive Slave Law administration,
as this is the only point of Importance 10 us just
now, and the President with his chief Secretary
has madeso many speeches, and such strenuous
efforts to have the North acquesce and faithful
y execute this law. And SO the Presidents Or
gans and friends do not hesitate to make the
Fugitive Slave Saw the only issue between the
administration and its opponents. But we will
be as liberal and mild as truth will permit. Tile
mid call it the compromise administration
Then we ask how can you give vote support
ing the compromise administration without sup
porting by that vote, the Fugitive Slave Law
which is the only measure in the compromise, Of
any moment, Or about which any question can be
raised involving your faith or conduct? Impos
sible. Nor can loose talk about voting for pro
tectief for lay and order-for the Union, ant
the aks--qnisslly you IN this subject II is Flu
gltve slave law, or the converse of that law thai
You must support, and vote for the Wings is q
vote for the law, and not against it.
But don't think, brethren, that | am about to
argue this law IN the manner of politicians. No
such thing. | speak to you as christians. am
not in the province of the Judge or the lawyer
have nothing to say TO you in general terms Of
the law, as does the last N. Y. Tibune-e. g.,
"what madness to talk Of respecting such an act!
Not even kidnapper or slave-trader, can really
respectit; humanity and the innate sense Of
Justice in every heart forbid it. The most that
a conscientious man can do is not to resist it,
| 1t is the most internal libel OH the name of law
which any legislature has enacted within life
time. 1t is an act from which chrisendom re-
coils with abhorrence-the shame and grief Of
republicans, the exultation of aristocrats through
out theciviIized world, The champions of free
dom and progress throughout Europe hide their
faces when it is named" Nor shall discuss
the question of its Constituonalty, -assailing
the usnrped right of Congress to legisate at all
on the rendition of fugltiv es-the denial Of the
jury trial--the right of appeal-the Habeas Cor
pus,-neither comment on the illegal constitu-
tion of the courts to try the Fugitive--the "a
parte nature of that trial-the vitating character
of brbe--nor the retroactive nature of the ACT
itself | call your attention to it as not only an
an unchristian, but an anti christian law. And
ask seriously whether it does not strike out ouI
allegiance to Jehovah, thus making way for ma
tional infdelity, and sweeping the barriers Of
public morality. But | ask most especially
whether any support, direct Or indirect, of this
law, does not necessarily involve practical re-
nunciaon Of christianity and contempt of its
sanctions, dashing he deepest stakes of eternity
Look at this question fairly. You take the las
part of Matthew, 25th chap, as disclosing tht
finai jpdgpent, And what is the test of tina
judgment? Not your head orthodoxy, or hear
emotions.
When the sound, Come We blessed" or " de-
part We cursed" shall have passed the lips oftht
Judge, it will not be said inasmuch as ye tho
it, or thought it motor teh or felt it not, to one
OF lhese poor rugllNe ohuuIdCIs, my uIctlIeH-
but 81 was athirst, an hungered-and ye gave
me or gave me not drink and meat ?"-" a Stran
ger" and we took me or took me not m-INAs
MUCH size DID it or DID it NOT unto one o
THESE Nv Fugitive brethren, ye DID it or DIl
NOT UNTo me-" Now what does the fugitive
lalO say 1t says if we see Christ in the person
of Shadrach "athlrst and hungered," and give
him drink or meat, or stranger" and take
him n" we shall be subjecttoa 1000 fine ant
Imprisonment. Nay, the law goes farther.
says that seeing Christ in the case and person 0
the fugitive, if we do not hunt him down, seizc
and drag him to bondage at the beck of the U
s. officers, we shall be subject to fine and i'm
prisonment Now how can you support, approve
countenance or tolerate such a law withou
Drawing the final Judge and defying his sentence
In so doing, do you not efectually cast aside
your religion A.? Yes, brethren, have voted will
! a. Al a.,