Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-06-26

VI AhNiBhlAAgAAe - "l E
son who has the negro, Indian, &c. in his pos
session.
This is the only mode IN which, by the laws
Georgia. a question of freedom can be tried
without the intervention of a white man, who
will make a complaint on oath that the person Is
held as a slave. and give security IN double the
value of the slave, and assume other liabilities.
1t is. therefore. doubtless the only mode IN which
the question practically is ever tried Now what
is the law Of Georgia in this case! why 1t
provides 70. 800. sec. 81 " that in such action,
The burthen Of proof shall lie with the plaintiff,
and it shall be presumed that every negro, lndl-
an, mulatto, OR mestlzo IS q slaVe' ui'e'' nc oo"
trary can be made to appear,
Take the case of an Indian transported to
Georgia under this act. He must procure o
guardian and overcome legal presumption by
proof, or he will be defeated the law OF Geor-
ola provides %; s02 sec. p Gin case judgement
Shall be given for the defendant, the SAID court
is hereby emnow1ered to inflct such corporal
punishment. M .extending to life or limb. on
the ward Of fhLr- sintif, the alleged slave as
tho thew fhams pof9 ! n their discretion shall think
ft." Nntu
The result then is, that if the party seized is
unable to transport his witnesses 10 tne p'"oe
where he has transported himself, or if for any
other reason, he fail IN proving MS freedom, ne
is rewarded for his failure oy Imprisonment Ut
lashes, or any other corporeal punishment shor'
of manning and killing nay more II d person
without his consent assumes 10 INSTITUTE PIoceeu'
ings, the hazards of which he Wouid De uhWi-
ling to encounter, the failure draws down tile
same punishment upon his head. Ihls, IL seems
to me, is not the jury trial OF the constitution ;
nor am | one of those who believe 1t necessary
to overturn all our settled notions as to law ana
legal proceeding to secure the re-capture OF u
few unhappy fuglives flom bondage. 80,
But | pass fon this fugitive slave act with
the simple remark, that, in my judgement, 1t
should be absolutely and Internationally repeal
ed. Congress hbs no power TO leglslate on the
subject, and theStates would and should pass
all laws that may be necessary to carry the pro-
visions of the constitution OF the United States,
respecting fugltEes from slavery, into full and
fair effect.
MR.. wEBsTER's MARTYRDoM.
1t pleases Mr.. Webster to represent himself
as a martyr to lbs devotion to fleedoom. lie
speaks of the calamny and persecution which
he endures, of the ~prlvation to which he is sub
jected, the flames that might be cracking to
some stake to which he might be tied, and OF
the penalties which he is undergoing. Such is
not my observation of the treatment he receives.
Feted, fattered and caressed by the wealthy,
public entertainments continually extended to
him, the patronage of the government at his
command, official and professional %emoluments
surrounding him, the earth black with liewspa-
pers describing his virtues, and the air vocal
with the shouts of interested p%artizans sounding
his praises, all this seems as little like martyr
dom as he is like my idea of a monk. (Laugh-
ter
But | agree, if his ambition is to be President
of the United States, there is below or above
all this superficial demonstration, a deep settled
public sentiment which places him at a hopeless
distance from that object of general pursuit.
Even the Southern politicians, who are so In
d~ustrious and sosuccessful in warping the opin-
ions and the actions of the northern men. would
catechise him unpleasantly if he solicited their
sutilages. To be strong at the south, a north
ern politician must be strong at home. They
would ask him" Sir, can you carry Massachu-
sets? If a whig member of Congress from
that State assails you, and the convention throw
him overheard, dare the people elect him ?" Il
a defeated wing candidate for Congress in the
in the strongest whig district of Massachusett
prefers charges of corruption against you, car
he return to his constituents, and be elected oil
a second trial? Will they let you speak in Fan
euil Hall? Does the State of Massachusett
send to the Senate of the United States Charles
Sumner, Uice Daniel Webster" (Cheers.) Ant
if he answer these interrogatories in conformlt.
to the truth, they will notify him that his furthe
services will not be needed. Immense Cheer
ing0
THE DEMOCRATS OF NEw-YoRK-AND THE COM
raAzktsEs.
The soo1I~-s of the UBaaocr1tic7 parry Win us
as | have stated, have re.united. The first fruit
of that union are the election of seventeen dem
ocrats to Congress, instead of two, and whilst
have no authority 10 speak their sentiments up
on any subject, | think | may safely affirm tina
sixteen of them would o-mmorrow vote for tn,
repeal of the fugitive slave act. (Cheers.) W.
have lost it is true, a democratic senator in place
of Mr.. Dickinson, whose term expired, and VIII,
declined a denomination perhaps there may b,
no harm in my saying, that it does not add tt
the poignancy of our sorrow that Mr.. Dickinson
should have been the Senator whose term ex
pired. ~Laughter.)
1t does not become me to say what the unitet
democracy of New York, will hereafter d.
| have no commission to speak for them, no
sufficient opportunity for ascertajnlng their view
in the changed aspect of the slavery question, tt
be able to indicate their probable course, but
do not believe they will ever intorse the system
of measures upon this subject styled a com
promise, or approve of the fugitive slave act
(Cheers.)
When the proper time arrives they will speal
for themselves. As for myself, | am free to sa,
that | look, with detestation upon the p%ractic,
of buying and selling live bodies in the yea
1851. (Cheers.) Within the limits of the Con
s%titution, hostility to human slavery is the pre-
dominant sentiment of my heart. 1t is as natu
70. 10 me as the air breathe and will perisl
only with my life. tremendous cheering.