Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-03-24
tFoR The FREE PRESS. |

Inc advocates OF the Nebraska bill assume that
tho inhabitants Of the district have right to intro
duce slavery there one Of the institutions Of the
country and that Congress lawfully prohibit
its introduction. This the North with one voice
deny. We insist that slavery is crime, an offence
against God and an Outrage to humanity.
The affirmative Of the proposition is on the part
OF the STAKEHOLDER and how does he attempt to prove
it To this hour proof his ,uc ben offered 10
establish the right TO introduce and one argument
can be urged N ITS fapor If it he let the adyo-
oates advance it.
Let the matter be examined practically The
public domain Of the United States consists, say of
half million of acres lying between Missouri and
Iowa, on the East, and the Rocky Mountains on the
West, tract larger than ten such states n New
York There are few, if any, whites at present in
habiting it, and for the purpose Of the argument,
let it he assumed there 1t is now proposed
to. people this wide region and form States to be
/ admitted into tho Union. \ thousand men from
Vermont form company and take up a township
on the north bank of the Missouri river, above the
Council Bluffs A thousand men from Virginia form
another company and take up another township on
the South side Of the iivcr. When the Nermomtcr,
arrive they find that do,olatng war has ragged
between the Blackfcct and the Cherokccs, and that
the Cherokccs have many prisoners taken in battle,
and they buy ten thousand Indian, SLAVE, and re-
duce them to bondage, The Nir.inian, claiming to
slaves by inheritance bring ten thousand blacks
aud hold them in bondage Are there any princ-
plos applicable To such cases The Nirginian
claim, that Slavery is recognized in his State that
slaves property and that he has right to bring
l. FIJI.
Whether Virginia has right To pass any such laws
and whether any title be gained thereby
IS question that need not be discussed now It
has been decided by the highest courts in the land
that Slavery lie matter Of State regulation and that
the Slave holder can enforce no claim beyond the
limits Of HE state. We arc not now speaking of
fugitives, which rest on distinct ground The con-
sequence is that the moment the Nirginan passes
the line of his state his title to hs Slaves ceases
Indignant at the tyranny that thus robs him of his
inheritance and determined to have Slaves he g,cs
TO Cuba or to Brazil, aud buys of the Slave dealer
therteon thousand slaves aud briug- them to Ne,
braska. We ask now what is hi title. He has
purchased them in oren market, pnid bis money
and grant that in all things he ha,.copforncd to
the law Of tho place where be purchases. But ,he
question returns, has ho any title.
The cases put similar, savius that the Virgil
nians purchase black men, and tho Vermontcrs buy
red men. Are there any principles legalilins such
purchases and is any titlo created thereby ! Not
principle can be stated, nor amy argument
offered to give any color to such a claim Take one
further illustration. The Yankee and the Viz.
sinians become inccoscd i'll blood IL produced aud
deadly foud srises. TIE Yankees got up a barbecue
and invite their ncishb1rs the river and in
the midst OF the feast, while mint iucps flow
freely. the Nirginisns surrounded aud all made
prisonerss'nd the YHnkees reduce them to bondage
Can this create any right Can there be any dis
tinction between the cases of the white men, rcd
men or black men If 80, what /. it There IL no
such right slavery is q matter NJ brute force.
The Yankees hold the Nirsiniaus hy furcc. The
Virginians hold the blacks by force. To talk of
right as applicable to such case is to use term
without meaning,
putsua tho spiis., tttc st.f, furtipr Tho Nir.