Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-11-07
SPEECH OF
HON. JOHN GREGORY,

Senate, on the bill prohibiting the use of
our Jais 10 the U s. Government
Ma President The subject before Ms
is one Of great Importance, and should re-
ceive fair and candid consideration Twice
Legislature. Last year il passed tho House
and was defeated in the Senate. During the
present session It again passed the House,
by an almost unanimous vote, notwithstand-
ing the attempts made to strangle 1t in its
first stages. say, Mr.. President, il Is a mat
ter Of great moment, else the most numer-
ous body Of this Legislature would not so
cordially, 10 almost unanimously, have passed
IT, | believe the members of that branch
are as capable of Judging Of the merits Of
this question as our own honorable body,
though il is composed chiefly of Farmers
and Mechanics, men who arc the backbone
Of this gOody State, and who ! believe rep
resent the interests Of the people Of Vermont,
knowing their wishes and feelings on this
subject | am not therefore disposed to treat
this matter lightly, or pass 1t by in haste.
Mr.. President, is il true that in Anti-Sla-
very Vermont, and m a Republican Senate,
we cannot pass a Bill forbidding the uso Of
Jails for the imprsonug of Fugitive Slaves q?
men created IN the image Of God, guilty OF
no crime under Heaven but that of wearin 2
a skin not co'ored like our own? Is Il true
that we will allow the Southern kidnappers
to come into our State and seize the painting
fugitive, and lock him up in our prisons for
safe keeping Then will we allow him to
pass through our valleys, with his chattelsn
unmolestcd, and call his roll Of negroes, II
he plcases, in the capital Of our State; aud
the sticklers Of the constitutlonality of the
Slave act may take the ground also of Judge
Kane Of Pennsylvania. that a stakeholder can
Of right convey and hold his slaves in any
State Of the Union Yes, and that cry that
sounded the death knell to Kansas, "We
will subdue YOU" will also be heard in our
land, IN our own Green Mountain State. Are
our Legislators prepared for this Z make a
hunting gtouu ot Vermont, for the slave
holding South ard allow them to catch their
runaways and couhne them in our priso
Then, Senators, are we partakers of their
guilt Then DO we shake hands with the
oppressors Of our nation, and invite them tc
come and use our jails for their diabolical
work. When that time comes, Mr.. Presi-
dent, should be willing that the Southern
genteman's threat should be put in execu-
ton, that is, dig a trench around our little
State, and loit IL out iuto the ocean
Mr. President am not disposed to ac.
knowledge for ono moment, that any power
on earth has the right to demand Of Us the
use OF our lalIs for any purpose save that foI
criminal offences. Are those who are held
as slaves guilty Of breaking any law, human
or divine, that we should allow them TO be
restrained of heir liberty by the Fedora
Government; If Judge Harrington was
alive and among us, he would say TO the traf-
f Ger IN human flesh, when called upon tc
surrender "chattel personal" as in older
tlme,---" show nc bill Of sale Of him from
Almighty Golm take it he would not be
afraid Of shadows, and refuse TO hold the slav,
power Of this nation off, at arms length
He would do as our own Charles Sumner
did when asked # he would not obey the slave
act, give an emphatic no ~ and when asked
if he had not sworn to obey the Constitution
of the United States, declared he had, and
would interpret ana obey it, as he understood
1t, and not as the slave oligarchy demanded
Would that noble champion Of human free
dom, were be in the Senate Of Vermont, vote
against this bill, think your Would Sew
ard, Hale, and Wilson vote against bill
that refuses to lend the use of our jails K
Southern Shareholders Who can believe
1t for a moment? Such conservatism might
do fifteen or twenty years ago, when we were
all welded TO hunkerism when doughfaces
were MS plenty as blackberries, and when we
were all airald to speak above a whisper, for
fear Of stirring up the feelings of despots
We thank Col, that the time has como when
as Republicans, as lovers of this country, We
must speak out fearessly aud boldly on this
great question that is conyulsing the nation
Aye,
" Speak in "a lu nbering nations car,
A. Truth -huud oier be spoken,
uutil the do.d n sin shall bsar--
Ihs ieite - lpk be broson."
But Senators fear conflict with the Federa
Government. Should the "powers thnt be-
attempt to force the Slave Act in our State
what would be our duty in the premises ? A
distinguished statesman has declared "1'here
is nothing IN the universe that can deserve
the name, or 80 he work of valid LAW, but
the commandment and the ordinance of the
living God. All human enactments, adiudl-
cations, and usages not founded on these, ar,
of no legal force, and should be tramplet
under foot. The practice of shareholders
for this reason can never be legalized, and
all Legislation or judicial attempts to sustain
II are rebellion against God, and treason
against civil society. To teach otherwise
would be to set up other gods above Jeho-
yah, to promulgate the fundamental princi
pies of Atheism, and proclaim war aguins
the liberties Of mankind"
Now, Mr.. President, venture the asser
ton that all eminent juusts, as well as al
moral writers, have affirmed this position
Valtel, and all writers on international Law
declare that even the solemn sanctions of a
treaty are void, if the principles arc opposed
to natural Justice. Blackstone says--and h,
will be good authority with gentlemen o
legal attainments on this floor" If any hu-
man law shal! allow or require us to commit a
crime, we are bound to trans gress that law.
Forescue says, "The law of nature being
coeyal with mankind, and dictated by Goo
himself, is of course superior to any other
No human laws have any validity ifcortrary
TO this.n Coke says that when an act o
Parliament Is against common right, th'
common law will control It and adludge suci
an act to be void" Noyes says, a. The in,
ferior must give place to the superior, mans
laws to Gods laws. If therefore any stat,
utes be enacted contrary to them, 1t ought tC
be considered of no authority" Hoben
says - an dIN VI Ihlliulltul may Oc NOlu
from lis first creation, as an act against nat.
ural equity for the laws Of nature are i'm
mutable they are the idIos Of iat1s !" and
Judge Mclean declares that'statutes agains
fundamental morality are void"
These principles, enuneia,ed by our pro
foundest jurists, take AZ my counsel in my
opposition TO the Fugitive Slave Act, ant
their correctness will not think be contro
yerted. When then an called upon to as
sist in the execution Of that law, fall bacI
upon the opinions Of the wisest statesmen
aud most brilliant jurists that have lived il
ancient or modern time, and though ! bow
in reverence TO the distinguished abilities
and legal attainments of Senators on thi'
floor, must still cling to Sumner and Black
stone as commentators on moral aud lcga
science. Until proved TO be unsound il
their philosophy, | shall look to them as my
guide in matters Of political faith and prac
tice.