Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-07-13
SLAVERY IN CALIFORNIA,


Two years ago law was passed by che Cali
fornia Legislature, granting one secr to the
owners of slaves carried into the Territory pre-
vious to the adoption of the Constitution, to re-
move them beyond the limits of the State. Last
year the provision .of this law tCds extended
t,celpe months longer. We learn by the late
California papers that bill has Just passed the
Assembly, by a vote of SO to 81, continuing
The same lao IN force unhi 1855. The provisions
of this bill embrace sarcs tcho hare been carried
to California Mace the adoption Of her Constitu-
ton, as well as these who were there previously.
The large majority by which it passed, and the
opinions advanced during the discussion, md
cate more faporablc state Of sentiment in regard
to the rights Of slareholders in California than
zoe Supposed sriSted,-Mississ'ppidn.
Leok, too, ut the character Of the delegation
in Congress from that State, just as thoroughly
pro-slavery as if representing Mississippi itself.
And then, its legislature has the bad distinction
of being the only free State Legislature that
has instructed its Senator's and representative to
vote for the Nebraska, bill. illinois we consider
no exception, as the rcsola tons Gifts Legislature
were adopted by minority of its members.)
1t is easy to see that the political power of
California has been monopolized by schcming
pro-slavery politicians. They have tried re-
peatedly for amendments of the Constitution,
designed either to expungc its anti-slavery pro-
vision, or to divide the State, so that the south
ern portion might be converted to slaveholdlng
uses but failing in this, they adopted the more
insiduous policy disclosed in that paragraph
above quoted. At first, the act authorizing to
carry from the State slaves conveyed into it before
the adoption of the Constitution was advocated
on the ground Of equity. and as means oil nd
ding the State Of a colorcd population. One
year, however, was certainly enough for the OPP
Grafton of the act. What STAKEHOLDER could
need more than that for the removal of his slaves
But at the expiration Of the time the act was
renewed, and now again it is to be in force till
1855, applying, as it is said, to slaves brought
into the STATE since the Constitution was formed
as well as before it If this be true, the anti
slavery clause in the Constitution of the State
is, in fact, dead letter, and slavery is now II
domestic institution in California. If slaves
brought into the State at any tima may be car
ried out of it within twelve months, the slavery
propgAndists have gained their point, and need
seek no longer for the removal Of Il clause which
they have practically nullifcd.
The lore Of money hero, as in other cas- s, is
the root of all evil. The great majority Of the
people Of California, from the concurrent tes'l-
mony of all intelligent witnesses, are unlrienlly
to slavery, have uniformly baflcd every undis-
guiSed pttcmpt to introduce it, and, to-day, ii
the question were Submitted to them, wolld re-
turn decided negative. But their passion for
gain seems to have subordinated every other
sentiment. They bctako to traffic, specnla-
ton, or gold-dissins, with single eye to mon
ey making and leave legislation and politics to
the mere politicians, WHO are nearly all slavery
propagln'ists.
1t is to the Generalization of the mass Of re-
spectacle citizens in California, by the insane
appetite for wealth, and the consequent ascend
ency ofcorrupt intriguing, scheming politicians
that we are to attribute the yilanous legislation
which has dissraccd the new State, II, in con
sequence of their devotion to Mammom, slavery
should at last domicliate itself in the empire o
the Pacific, they would deserve to be accursot
by God and man, as traitors to both,-Erq.