Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-09-28
For the Waterman 4 Journal.
The Burlington Platform.
10. 3.


No. 5.
Ma. EpIToR In this number am pledged
to show how slavery may be consttutionally
abolished by the Federal Government. But
| must first try to counteract the influence of
your remarks. You think the justice of the
Burlington Platform is simply a recognition
Of the settlement, Of the slavery question.
made when the Federal Union was formed
Slavery" you say, in The States was then
left to the management Of the Satesn-
Why did you not show. what no other man
can do, where in the Constitution this agree
ment is found, and how ii is expressed or
implied net only deny the existence Of
any such agreement. but am ready to show
one Of an opposite kind.
Suppose the preamble Of the Constitution
had read thus We the people Of the u
nlted States. in order TO establish injustice.
hinder the general welfare, and secure the
evils Of slavery to ourselves, &c. Suppose
further that all the provisions Of this nstru-
ment had corresponded with such pream-
bic, thusl Congress shall guaranty to each
State despite form Of governnent-lhe
privilege of habeas corpus shall not be al
lowed-any person may be deprived of lib
eriy without due process Of law, and 30 Of
the rest Now, suppose all the States had
agreed to such a Constitution, would It not
have been a very explicit agreement th1t the
general government should have power To
establish slavery in each State and would
not Congress be bound by the very terms OF
the agreement TO do so You will not wound
yonr reputation fer candor and good sense by
saying, no. Well the actual agreement is
tN..... -. ,..ftl ..... !
When South Carolina came into the Union.
she told all the world, in written published
agreement, that she expected 20 have the
Federal Government establish Justice within
her limits and secure TO her people. not the
evils Of slavery, but the blessings Of liberty
In this agreement she bound the General
Government to guard the individual rights Of
her people, without authorizing it to except
one person from the benefits Of governments
al protection.
Now, Mr.. Editor, have shown an agree.
meut that You can put your finger on. You
can take up the Constitution and demonstrate
it. Had the Burlington Platform recognized
the true agreement, 1t would have Demanded
a truer justice. But that platform recognizes
an agreement found in no record under The
sun, an agreement most cruel to defense
less party, evil to all parties, and beneficial
- 'o' '.'e'n "S,iOe WIN
~ -" ''i''3 l'"' 1" t"e way "'
-. 'iau 'ne ','i,eH s"nPy oS'ceu ~
$500 ''''''oi' "i'"pu' Pu' pre-
ment would have been authorized and obi
gated 10 abolish slavery because it belongs
to the very idea Of government to administer
Jus',.e , ''u p.uNe'' "iong' D", as H. Tue
te.e'ol s1Ee'nneNt nts 'ns u'noie ana con
o",il"H "pl.I''.'is VI ha'ur'I justice ana
p'l'l'o"' Soi'I"0' ylng upon IT. ! ms neither
nn'g'cl n9r CONS ,lu''"eui r'eh' TO denver
Wy "i"o"" VI 'he peop'e l" 'ile
clUc',ie9 o' we save system. ! nose people
from the very design of the Constitution MS
the remedy of Injustice. have sDpcial claims
upon It's protection Just as the sick of an
army are best entitled TO a medicine design
ed for the army's use
hope and trust, Mr.. Editor, that no flaw
in my reasoning so far will escape your
sharp eye and that every lurking sophism
will be detected and exposed. If however,
my reasoning is conclusive and my position
established, there secms little necessity of
showing how slavery may be abolished CO.,
When the constitutional difficulty IS remov-
cd everybody can sec at once how the work
may be done. One of the modes PROMISED
of abolishlng slavery is by the action of the
Federal Courts. Since the Constitution
guards individual rights with the same care
that II shows for state rights, and contains
not word To authorize slavery, why should
not the Federal Cours pronounce It uncon-
stitutional Slavery WIS abolished i'm this
manner in Massachusetts. II was So abolish
ed in England by the decision of Lord
Chief Justice Mansfield, in the case of So.
mersct And the English Constitution can
not be more favorable to liberty and riaht
than ours. Further, why should not iudges
of Federal Courts issue the writ of habeas
corpus to any slave that may demand it,and
ue1'. "''I os' w" sun 49, -.----
ny 10 '.R"t' ne CONSTITUTION KNOWS DO
T'u" us P'upc''F, 'ut every man as person
py "na' au'no.''y tneh de JUDGES recognize
Tue s''Ne"p.ueIs claliu o! properly IN ms
le'o" ,''h'
announcer proposed mone oil aooilsh'ng
s'aN,Iy' Is oy leglsla'lVe 9cuon Congress
n'gnl repeal Tue fugitive law ana pass 9TH
er ,a"s iaVor'ng ihe escape OF the slaves
ana ''e'' enlistment lhto the army ana pro-
weu"e as persons al'Ne III 'he enjoyment oil
VI. 'En's' ne strong arm OF the ha'lon
g.. u; ~. l.. 49,. 49,.
"'tn-e ~ nu''ah uelleS'
~ s1oI'' 'ue'e ure 10 ulilicu'.es ~ lhe way
y, "u"'si''ng slavery Whloh northern poo
PIC "ou'u NOT regafu as 'nsisninc!ah'' II 'he
Iu1s,'c" ., uoo'l,.pn ilNoVeu Ihelr own per-
aota, ',teuuui, ne power o' ,ie SCUM a,
i."s' Tue s'.@ui ul'u uetel'ulneu purpose Of
we ,,J 9b S uoveIiieh' 20 aOplsh slavery
"1 1 se o'a'eno'ueis 'n'l