Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-09-21

functGGaries. whose virtue does not rrou,,,,
thsn 10 fcsiga Office rather than aid in the cy,'
cution of an unigst Jaw. Over all citizens
whether in public of private station. they will
naturally exert, as presidents, commandin,
influence this admit hnt no man. who Z
not lost to self respect, ana ready to nbaudon
that manhood which is shown in tho Heaven.
directed cOuntcaancc, will Voluntarily aid in
embracing Judgment, which, in his conscience
he solclnnly believes 10 be against the funda,
mental law. whether af tbs Constitution or Of
God. (Applausc.) Not lightly nor rashly
will he take the grave responsibility Of open dis,
sent. but, if tho occasion requires, he will not
hesitate. Pains and penalties may be endured;
but wrong must not DO done, (Cheers.) II
cannot obey, but can suffer- MAS the cxcla.
nation Of the author Of the Pilglini Progress
when imprisoned for disobcdiencc to an earthly
statute. Better suffer injustice than do it
Better be even the poor slave, returned to bond,
age, than the unhappy Commissioner Gap.
p!ause and sen&.tion}
Fellow citizens OF MaSsachG setts-~Our own
loca history is not without encouragement. In
carly COLONEL days, the law against wtchcraft.
nov So abhorr n. to reason and conscience. was
regarded as constitutional and binding prtcs,-
y rs the Fugitive Slave Bill, MT less abllorrcnt
to To.s0n and conscience. has been regarded AZ
constitutional and binding. The Supreme Court
Of the Province, with able Judges, whose names
are cntwincd with our history, enforced this law
at Salem, by the exeoutian Of fourteen persons
rs witches I; precisely us petty magistrates, act
ing under the sanction of the supreme Court of
the United States, and also Of the Supreme
Conrt 81 Massachusetts, have enforced the Fu~
gitive Act, by the reduction of two human be-
ings to slavery, Tho clergy Of Massachusetts,.
particularly near Boston, were for the la"
. Witchcrait," shouted Cotton Mathcr t..,,
HE pulpit, " is the most notandous L. =
son IA capital crime even as u ,,s :.
to the Fugitive Act has been i l4o u :, i
- treason. (laughter.)
But the law against witchcIaft was not ri .o.
phAnt long The General Court OF H.. r., H., =.
first lnramc pcnitent, and asked par,o.. q y. i
for "all the errors Of his servants and o.i Il,
the late tragedy Jurymcm limited IN ,,,l,,i,,,
ing and lamanting the dclusion to which they
had yielding. under the decision Of the Judges,
and acknowledged that they had brought the
rcllo.ca of wrongful bIondshed Oh their native
land. Scwell, one Of the judges, whose name
lives freshly in the bcrty.Ioying character Of
his descendant (lIon. ). E. Scwcll) (Arpluusc.)
and who bad presided at the trials. stood up in
his place before the congrea alton. and implored
the prayers Of the people - that tho errors hu
had committed might not be visited by the iudg-
mcntS of an avenging God On his li,untrv. his
family, or himself" And now, in manuscript
diary y. this departed judge, nay he read on
the margin against the description Of these trials
in his own handwriting these words of Latin
interjcctiuns and sorrow Ga, ra re. Wo!
Wo wo. (S.nsltion.)
The parallel between the enforcement of the
laws against witchcriit, and the Fugitive Act
is not yet complete. 1t remains for our I4egiS-
laturc. the succSsor Of chat original General
Court, to lead the penctential march, U.augh-
ter. In the slave eases there luye been no
jnrymcn to recant and it is too much perhaps,
to expect any Magistrate, who has sanctioned
the cruelty. 10 initiate the magnanmitv of other
days by public repentance. But il is not i'm
possible that future generations may be per-
united to read III soine newly cxhuned diary or
letter, by on" of these unhappy functionares
words OF woe unlike these which were wrune
from the soul Of Sewcll. (>ensation)
And NOV. fellow citizens one word in concIu-
sion: BE- Of good cheer {" That's it, know
we the difficulties and ,espons blli,ics of the
contest but not on Tins account do bate a lot
OF heaFt or hope. (ApplaLse At this time in
our country there is lille sc to tempt into pub
lie NE an honest man. who wishes by suneihnr
that he bas done, 10 leave the world better than
he loud ii. There is Iitlc ese which can afford
any Of those saiisaciiuns which an honest man
can cnSet Nor is there any cause which so
surely promises final success There is nothing
! gooI-nol brsat ing Of the common mind-which
Is mo- On our SID Oars too, those great
allies described by the poet