Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-05-15

gives no power leaning towards it, The clause
about the escaping of persons from labor, is
mere undertaking on the part of each State,
with regard to cases named ; but does not place
the subject under the power of Congress at ALL
The Constitution provides particularly how
criminals can be transported from any State to
the place where there is power to try them, and
be carried under process for the trial of the par
ticular offence with which he is charged And
the Constitution describes what officer may act
in the business to wit, the Executive. per-
son escaping from service or labor must be given
up to the person to whom h. owes service or
labor. No power is designated to deliver them
up and the only power to be thought of, is the
State where the man is bound and each State
should pass laws regulating the subject as be-
longing to itself. Their law could direct a
proper jury trial, and have its provisions secure
his being person subject to be carried off, ard
whether the claimant is the person entitled to
the service or labor. Let jury of freeholders
decide all this by their verdict, before the man
is carried from his home and family and business
into perpetual bondage. If any State shall
have neglected to make such provision, their
neglect will not authorize any other person, or
Board, or Court to interfere, and undertake tho
neglected duty of any State. He shall be deliv-
cred up; but no one has, or can have, Or ought
to have, any power or control over citizen of
Vermont except the State of Vermont, under its
own laws and regulations, by its own proper
officers, as agents of the State. A criminal es-
Gaping from another State in case of high
crime must be delivered up on demand of the
Executive of the State from which he escaped.
That demand must be made upon the Executive
of Vermont, who does not deliver him of course,
but investigates the subject, and decides upon
his liability to be thus delivered up, and com
plies or refuses, as he decides to be proper We
have our statute regulations about minor often
ces committed out of this State, by persons
found in this State. A decision is made before
warrant Of removal issues. But we as Il State,
or our own officers, have no voice in the uues-
ton, under the United States Fugitive Slave
Laws. They attempt to auth orize the most I'M
warrantable exercise of unconstitu tonal power
over our citizens under claim that they are in
debt-that they owe service or labor.
The Constitution does not warrant a law just
in that shape from any legislative power what
ever Snppcse the Legislature Of Vermont were
applied to Tor statute to effect the return Of
persons who had escaped from service or labor
They were informed that various persons, under
contract or bonds to work for various persons on
their farms in New Hampshire. had escaped into
Vermont. The Legislature are willing to pass
law regulating their removal to the farms
from which they escaped. But the applicants
want something further. They say, we own
slaves in great numbers, who are daily escaping
into Vermont, and we want an act under which
we can force them back. The Legislature asks,
have you any law in New Hampshire by which
you hold them as slaves, in your service, or la
boring for you The answer is, we have there
no law upon the subject, but VIC own them as
our slaves. Vermont replies, you must show
that you hold them under the laws of New
Hampshire. or you are not entitled to any aid in
carrying them from this State to that You do
not come within the description in the Constitu-
ton. They are not holden to service or labor
under the laws of New Hampshire, when and
where there are no laws, giving you any right
to their service or labor and we will pass nc
law that can have no legitimate object espc.
cially that might be used against right, to re-
move persons from under the banner of Freedom
and place them under the power of brute force
You virtually come in the character of plaintiff
to collect debt, and yet show no valid title fol
u recovery,
For tie reasons here named, the Fugitive
Slave Statutes ought never to have been enacted
and ought 10 be repealed as soon as possible, and
in the meantime treated as a nullity, for the
want of power to enact them.
: The reader will observe that, under my excep.
ton first alluded o, not only think differently
from the Hon. Judge Collamer. in his treating
the Fugitive Slave Act of 1893 contemporaries
GUS construction of the Constitution, rendering
it an instrument in support of Slavery; but
treat it as conclusive evidence of the wish and
power of the shareholders to twist everything
into the support of Slavery, regardless of the
professions and interests of liberty, and of the
seven years tedious, expensive and bloody war tc
obtain it. TITUS HUTCHINSON.
Woodstock, Vt May, 1856.