Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-10-16

the acton OF the Legislature, ana that
stood ready to extend the aid contemplate
by said t,upon properproot Of the existenc
ul cases Of necessity. The letter OF tn
Secretary, and Gov. GEtRY's reply, ar
transmitted to you with this document.
also made inquiries Of numerous privlt
gentlemen, well acquainted with the condi
ton of the people Of Kansas, and use
every means could command to ascer
tain whether such necessity ex
listed as would Justify the expenditure o
the appropriation | learned from variou
sources, to my complete satisfaction, tina
the private aid, which last autumn was s.
bountifuly extended to the oppressed anC
exhausted people of Kansls,by the charitl
BILE and liberty-loving citizeus Of the North
| bad been amply sufficient to satisfy The
/ immediate wants Of the poor of that Terri
tory and that there was therefore no occa
sion for the food and clothing provided for
by said act. Though no portion Of the mo-
ney thus appropriated has been expended
am still proud Of this act Of benevolence
on the part Of the Representatives of the
people Of Vermont, and | shall always re-
member with grateful exultation that they
have placed thus publicly upon our Statute
Book the evidence Of their sympathy Tor
the oppressed and destitute victims OF the
aggressive spirit of Slavery.
Nothing has occurred during the past
year to diminish the indignation and IA
larm which the great majority OF the peO-
pie Of Vermont have felt ut the rapid in
crease Of the Slave power and the extrava-
CANT nature Of its demands. On the con-
trary, by the recent decision of the Supreme
Court of the I nited States, in the case
Of Dred Scott, If the OF inons of the aj1ri-
ty of the Judge as expressed by them are
to b1 rec iyci As law, there Is little hope
left t,pt tn spread of Slavery will ever be
stopped unIer our present iurn OF govern
m'nt.
BY that decision Slavery is no longer
sectional,it is made national and declaredto
be recognized by the Federal Constitution.
The Const. tuition is said by its own force
to carry Slavery into every Territory of the
country, and any act Of Congress or Terri
tory, prohibiting property in slaves, Is
pronounced unconstitutional and void
This decision conflicts with the legislation
Of Congress from the foundation OF the gov
ernment down to the year 1854, when the
fruitful source of all our woes, the Kansas
and Nebraska Bill, by northern treachery
and the insltiate demands of the South for
an enlarged Slave market, and an increas 'd
political power, was sprung upon our n-
suspecting people. 1t declares unconstltu-
tional the numerous organic acts OF Con
grcss, establishing the territorial govern
me1ts of the North West Territory. Of the
Territories Of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Iowa and Oregon, the ComPrOm
ise OF lS2O and the act for the admission o'
Texas. II contradcts the opinions OF our
most eminent statesmen AMI llrlstS, ex-
pressed for long series Of years, both In
Congress apl from the bench Of the Sd
preme Court, by Clay, by Marshall. and all
the loading men Of the country both from
the North and the South, with tho single
exception OF Mr. Calhoun. deemed in HI.
life time, even by his fellow slayehllder9
as extreme and tanaticll in his support o
/ Slavery. In that portion Of the
/ decision touching the citizenship
/ Of the African race. it perverts and mis-
represents the plain and obvious truths O
history. Under the ruling Of the majority
/ Of the Court the acquisition Of new terrific
ry will result in the certain extension o
Slavery. Not even the people Of the Terri
tories themselves are allowed to exclud,
Slavery from their midst they are doomed
to its wlthering curse, and notwithstanding
the sounding promise in the Kansas ant
Nebraska Bill, that they should be lei'
perfectly free tJ form and regulate theil
dom site institutions in their own way,
they cannot, while in the TV'rito.i-h "9r
? ',;.,p m shake it off Tu- -.--" r-oH'
biii.yy' tflilt,,' when Slavery has once pllnteC
its foot upon Territory, it will ever be
abolished, is proved by the impOtent efprt
of .he best citiz ms of the older Slave States
to rid themselves of the system Of Slavery
which is degrading AMI running them.
| The Logical results Of this decision ar
/ alarming in the extreme, and may wei
arouse the Free States from their dlngerou
apathy. If, as declared by a majority q
the Court. the Constitution guarantee
property in Slaves, and prohibits any la'
interfering with the right of the master t
his slave. it is fair inference, II not
necessary conclusion, that the s!avehoIde
may, for the purpose OF pleasure OF prout
trke his slaves with him IN his .)urney
through the Free States, and hold then
there. notwithstanding the absolute prom
bition OF slavery by their laws. But iortu
natcly, most Of the abhorrent doctrine
enunciatcd by the mliority OF the JudG
were unnecessary to the determlnlton q
the case before Them and are therefore no
clotbe with the authority of law. The
hove been well and boldly characterized b
Ot the ulHNtublllE tN'SSo' WV ''N'N9
member of the Colrt and the only surviyin
nss,cinte of the vcnerated MARSHALL, a
extra. iudicial and of no binding force a
authority. am sure. when one Of tn
JuIras themselves uses this indignant an
unnnalitei language, that the people {
Vermont will not quietly acquiesce IN n
unnecessary and unauthorized decllratlo
of doctrines they have always loathed, an
which they consider hostile to the geniu
and snirit of the Republic to which the
belong,
When, if the alarming prostitution
+ every department Of the general COVER
ment tn the neflrious behests OF slavel
shall continue, the supreme Cou
shall declare authoritatively, what theyhl'
already foreshadowed, that the slavehOld'
NAV bring to the Free States his train
slaves. and hold them there as his propa
, ty. Notwithstanding the absolute prom'
tion of Slavery by their constitution ~
, laws it will then, in that day OF the door
Of the Republic, be time for Vt and her
ter Free States to consider what cour
, they shall take to maintain and enforce
rlrRt she has never yielded and will nsy
surrender. the absolute and total PROM
tion of slavery within her borders.
Nv grateful Acknowledgements are due
, the people of Vermont for the honor coni'
: ed bv my reelection. The best return
can make Tor the generous confidence
posed in me, is the solemn pledge here up
the threshold of my duties, that my eve
! effort shallbe to promote the highest inter
of our cherished Commonwealth,
>, RYLAND FLETCHER.
y Mo>rrEuER, Oct, 9th lN1l.