Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-07-01
How it may be Done.
EAST HARDwIck, Jnne %, 1852.

EAST HARDwIcK, Jnne %, 1852.
Mr.. B, whose cattle are those in the road?
They are mine, sir. Well, they are very troub.
Iesome: break down our fences, tread down our
crops, goard our COWS, and injure us in many
ways, and you. must take care Of them. You
know that your pastures are poor, and that there
are weak places in your fences, and you know
also, that such cattle will get out, and roam at
large, whenever they can yet you take no pains
to restrain them from disturbing the peace and
injuring the property Of your neighbors. Ifyu
will keep such cattle, yon must keep them at
home, and take care of then. You have no
right to let your cattle ri o at large and are La
BILE for all damages. AND now tell you, will
be vexed with them no more. Keep your cattle
at home and respect our rights, or we will exc.
cute the law, and you shall pay all damages.
You have no right to keep cattle to starve, to
live upon your neighbors, or to disturb the pub
lie peace and if you will do it on you rests
the blame, and you must meet the consequences.
The owner, not the cattle must pay the bills.
This reason, law and justice require. Keep
your cattle at home then, or pay all damages.
Shareholders claim their servants as property,
chattels subject to the same rules and regula-
lions as other property. They are mere chat
tells in law. Be it so. Then turn their law
upon themselves; require them to take care of
their cattle and keep them at home, and hold
them responsible for all damage, as they would
be for any other cattle. If they will keep such
stock to the annoyance and injury of their neigh
bors, let them suffer the consequences.
Whereas the good people in the Free States
are often sorey annoyed, their feeling injured,
their families incommoded, tuEluIts occasioncd,
and riots produced, and much disturbance in so.
cety occasioned by the conduct and presence of
certain persons from the South, who are chat
tells, properly owhsd by masters, according to
their law.-and whereas said masters have long
known that their chattes were running at large,
and occasionng much lronbe IN society but
have taken no efectual measures to keep them
at home
Therefore, be i enacted, that every master,
or owner, claiming any such cattle, shall pay
forty dollars for every such chatte to the town
or city where claimed; which sum the Justice
of the peace and other town and city officers are
required to collect as debt.
q Said owner, or his agent, shall be holden
for all reasonable debts cnAtracied BY bis sefa
want for. food. raifnAnf lodging hnraar- si,s,-c,
or other Thing necessary FOR his comtOrt.
g. Said owner, or agent, or attorney, shall
be liable for all damage occasioned by his ser.
want while rowing at large, by stealing, living in
idleness, exciting riots, disturbing the peace Of
families and societies, or in any other way. And
he shall not be allowed to take away his servant
from any town, city, or place, until he shall
hive paid all such debts and settled all such
bills.
a. If any person have entered into contract
with any other person, to pay money or service,
and he be claimed as the property Of a master,
then the master shall make good the terms Of
the contract, and pay all reasonable damages
before he take away his servant: and if the
servant have settled in a family state, the master
must make provision for their support, so that
they suffer not, and the public suffer not.
s. Any person may prosecute the master OF
his agent In any specification above alluded TO,
as soon as he claims the man as his slave. And
it shall be the duty of every town and city Off
Ger to see that all the provisions of this act be
fully and faithfully executed.
Doctor Bacon has said, If the South will keen
human chattelr, they must keep them at home.
That is it; turn the law of property, stock, upon
themselves, and make them take care of theil
property.
The law is just and equitable. Ii will inter-
fere with no provision of the Federal Constitu-
ton, or law. 1t can do the slave no hurt; but
help him much. 1t compels no man to make
the claim and incur the responsibilities but il
he does one, no must abide by the other.
1t would take the slave question in a good
degree out of politics, and leave masters to
light their own battles. And let such law be
sanctioned in every State, and their battles
would soon be over.
----raz-------s.--- -
Mr. Thompson, l can only give the outlines
Mend, alter, as you please; bat enter into the
subject heartily, and induce others so TO do
Here is the true ground, and Shareholders under.
stand it. Wccant take their slaves from them
but we can make them liable for all the incon.
venience they occasion u.s. Try the expert
ment How long would the Fugitive Slave La W
live?
can only start the idea. Work it up. MAKE
it law in all the Free States. Let tho thing be
done. Let Vermont begin. Don't gius it up.
Try, sir, try. Yours cordially,
AN ON MAN.