The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-10-15

TO secure to their wrongful and ruinous
control n territory which desired and
was entitled to the blessings of Liberty;
aud all this accomplished, either through
the direct action, or the permissive aud
encouraging non-interference Of the Gen
eral Government.
The charge in the relation of Slavcfy
to the National Government has been to.
tai and complete. At first it was mere
ly local institn,ion. admitted to be an
evil, its existence deeply dcpored. and
only tolerated on account Of the supposed
difficulty and danger of it's audden abo.
lition. while on the other hand its exten.
sion was universally deprecated and pos
itively prohibited. Now. it has become
an aggressive aud powerful principle,
which has taken possession of evry dc
partmcnt of the Federal Government, ex.
cept tho popular branch of the Lcgisla.
,ure it opens the avenues to public aud
official position only to those who bow
before its ,nonstrous claims it demands
the revival of the horrors of tho African
Slave Trade it insists upon the right re
passing ,hrorrh tho frcc c'-'Ae with j..
>.a'"- il ui'ah uovn ihe ,oag eStab-
lishcd secrtiics of Freedom it block.
aides the national highways ; it closes the
common territory of the country to the
free citizons IF tho North aud by the
strong arm of power, with the bayonet
and the sword. it brushes people, whose
only otleuce is that they claim the right
to regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way, aud will not submit to its
insolent and oppressive demands
The rapid extension Of Slavery and
the aggressive nature of its demands. ex.
cite the most anxious soliciiudc in our
minds for the success aud pcrpetuity of
the Union aud the imminent danger to
our free institutions has stimulated all
lovers of Liberty to cndcavor to restore
the action OF our Government to the prin-
ciples of its patriotic founders from which
it has so widely deviated. Tho people
of Vermont have ever aud with increas.
ing force and uuanimity, spoken in nm
mlsiakable terms in opposition to the ex
tension Of Slavery, ard doubt not your
action in regard to this subject win b. in
sentiments Of our constituents.
Oar country has hot only lavishcd her
blood aud treasure to secure her own lib
erty Int whcr distant nations, cncourag-
cd 10y her example. have sought to be
free, her :, mpa'ly and her contributions
have rolled in ii is cfmighty impulse to
their assistance The imprisonment of
a Foreigner, who had simply declared his
Intention Of becoming 4 citizen Of tho
United States, was recently considered.
by our Government, an insult to the mai
esty of the nation. and on a remote sea
our ships Of war opened their frowniug
port holes and siernly demanded the
immediate release of the prisoner.
But citizons of this and other States
Of our confcdoracy. who have emigrantod
to Kansas, a portion Of our own country
under the direct authority Of the Fedora,
Government, with the intention of ma
king that Territory their home, relying
on the assurances Of that Government
that they should be left in perfect FREQ
dom to form an regulate their domestic
Institutions in their own way. have BY
lawless AID repeated invasions Of the PEG.
pie Of another State been deprived of tho
dearest rights Of freemcn their lives and
property have been threatened and dcs-
troycd, and they have been sui jccted 'y
these invaders to the most cruel and ".
rannical cnactmrnts which have charac-
terized modern legislation ; and yet not
outstanding their frequent appeals to
the President for relief none has been
afforded them their robbers and muir
derers remain unpublished. some oveu in
official positions under the Federal Gov
crnmert and obedience to the protein
ded laws of the Territory ia enforced by
the armed sollcry Of the United States.
The recollection Of our own early his
tory a Commonwealth should awaken
in our breasts the livelicst sympathcs
for our brethren who are struggling for
Freedom in Kansas. Vermont was once
the scene of similar dcprcdations hard
ships and cruetes. Her early settlers
wero elected from their possessions. and
were denied all law and justice. by the
emissaries of a Government which wrong
fully claimed dominion over them.
| earnestly suggest to your careful de-
liberation the question whether in view
of the great wrongs 10 which our citizens
in Kansas are subjected. and the utter
neglect Of the General Government to
protect them, some action is not required
Of you, equal to the Importance aud emer-
gency Of their cause
trust the legislature will prove it.
self generous patron to the noble char
tiles that distinguish this age aud its
acts boar the impress Of humanity and
bentvolence
Relying with confidence on the wis.
dom of your deliberations and action |
tender you, Gentlemen my hearty coop
Grafton in all your laudable efforts for
the public welfare.
RyLAND FLErcHER'
Montpelier, Oct 10 1896
SLAVERY EXTENSION is THE IssrR.-
The New York Dag Bo0k, a radical ma
tional democratic organ, which frowns