Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-09-15
What is Southern Slavery?

A system OF robbery and oppression such
as never before was tolerated beneath the
sun. Let US look at few facts:
|. 1t enters the sanctuary Of home, dis
solves the conIngal relation, and sewers ev
cry domestic tie
2 1t denies the colored man the right OF
trial by jury, aud condemns him to imprls
| onment or death, without due process of
| law.
3 1t denies to its subjects the light of
knowledge; and, by the sew rest penalties
| shuts away even the al phabet from them, by
he aid of which they might be enabled TO
spell ont the way of life and salvation
The same despotic power it exercises ov-
er free coIored persons
In the city of Savannah, for teaching
| free negro to read or write, the fine is $50
II free negro teaches an lher, he is fined
and whipped.
In Louisiana, the penalty of instruclng
free black in Sunday School is, for the
first offense, $500; for the second, death
Slavery constitutes white PERSONS of
every age, character and description, abso-
lute despots over its poor, robbed and down.
,rodden victims
If slave is found beyond the limits OF
the town in which he lives, or Of the plan
talon where he is usually employed, with
ont the company OF a white person, or with
out ii written PERMISSION ct ms master or
employer, an person may apprehend HIM
aud punish him with whipping on the bare
back
5, The bloody code of slavery further
declares, that any person may lawfully Kill
a slave who has been oulawed for running
away, and lurking IN swamps. &c And 1t
further enacts, that, II slave be out OF the
house, or off the plantation of his master, ,
without some white person in company, aud
shall refuse to submit to an examination by
any white person, such white person may
apprehend and whip hun; and If he shall
assault and strike said white person, he mag
be tawfuly kitrd!
! 8 Another Of It's inhuman and barbar-
Gus enaclmenls Is that If slave run away,
or set off in attempt 10 steal himseH from
bondage, upon the master making affidavit
of The fact before a Justice, the SAID Justice
shall issue proclamatlon ordering The iu-
gitlve- who cannot read, and whom it is a
crime to teach 10 read-to return to his
master; and if-wilhont knowing how to
read, never been taught single letter OF
the alphabet--he does not read such pro
clamatlon, and deliver himself up forth.
with any person mag kill him /!
But the dreadful inqui,y of slavery goes
step beyond this When the master has
nade affidavit. and the proclamation of the
Justice has been issued, the master may of.
fer public reward for his runaway slave,
saying" DEAD OR ALIVE So THAT CAN
SEE HIM F"
Ii these facts are disputed, we are pre-
pared to back Them up by any amount oI
proof
And yet we have men in our midst who
say tina, slavery is right, and is sanctioned
by the Blble-who take sides with the slave.
holder and save-catcher, aud denounce us
as fanatics aud fools when we speak our
honest words for Freedom Yes, there are
men in our own city, who, only little
while ago ahhorred Slavery, and acknowl.
edged the principles OF the Free Democrat
ic Party to be right and true; but now
they are the apooglsts of slavery and claim
tor 1t divine warrant any defense. They
would assist in hunting aud capturing the
fugitive. and they are filled with anger be.
cause the execution Of this national, demo.
cratic wark is resisted. Wctrust they may
be led TO see the error Of their ways. and
to retrace their steps to the fold from whence
they have strayed, -Rdciae Advocate.