Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-04-23

save states lntlmatlng that no alarm need he
felt there from anything which had been done
by the Society, or would be done by it's of.
hclals under the resolutions adopted by it.
The knowledge of that strange proceeding
aroused II just suspicion in the minds 81
many, which was not quoted by a second cir
cular, directed, this time, to the people Of
the Free States to justify the previous crcu-
lar sent to the Slave States. Other circulars
followed, all having for their purpose to jus
THY the officials for having determined to con-
tinuc on in their old course just as if the So
cicty had passed no resolutions whatever
10 thousands Of members and patrons of the
society this seemed to be palpable, 1--WE dc
not say a dishonesty breach of official trust
by thos, officers. Last Of all, and for the
same purpose, there comes another circular,
one of more elaborate chaructcr-a PAM
phlct of twenty octave pages, dated March
30, signed by the whole executive committee
of the Society, sixteen in number.
Much of this pamphlet is occupied with
commonplace remarks about the diverse du-
tics of men, according as they are acting UNI
der the responsibilities Of different positions,
as heads of families, as members of different
denominations, as officers of one society or of
another, as judges or as iury-mcn. \ great
deal is said about what they call the "nGtion-
at character of the Society, and there are
repeated references to the sentiments of Rev
DIR. Knox, their late chairman now deceased
These topics, with other minor ones, mixed
up as they are from beginning to end of the
pamphlet with those which are of real i'm
| portance, can have no other effect on many
minds, but to confuse them and to draw them
away from the real points of the case. We
do not impute such an intention, and incline
to the belief that the committee were them
selves confused by what is 50 well adapted to
confuse others.
a great deal is said, also, about the non-is-
sue by the Committee of certain tract on
1.-The duties of Masters, &c." made up of
dlscourscs and parts of discourscs delivered
not long since by eminent divines in the
Southern States, who, it seems, did not doubt
the propriety fprcachng on duties vices, and
immoralitics connected with slavery. OF
this treatise, cat the request of one of
the members of the Special Committee of
Fifteen Gas the circular tells us) proof i'm
pressions were supplied them but that Com
mlttcc took no action on this treatise and OK
pressed no opinion as to the propriety of the
Society's issuing it," Of course it did not.
for it did not fall within its province to do
so. The public learn from members Of that
committee (the circular docs not even hint
at the iacD that individually the members
Expressed themselves much pleased with it.
The circular also informs us that prcrio,s to
that time, the Publishing committee had
- directed proofs to be taken for deliberate,
confidential consideration, by themselves and
by officers and friends Of the Society whom
they wished to consult During the summer
and autumn of that year, (lS56) IA season of
high political excitement, they learned dis
tinctly, (say they) that the issuing of that
treatise would be gravely objected to. for very
diverse reasons, by many both north and
south" Considering their settled policy, and
consequently the kind of persons they would
he likely to consult, no one can wonder ut
the opinions they received.
From the amount and kind of remark in
the circular about that treatise, an unscruti-
nizing reader not previously familiar with
the case might easily conclude that, in the
view of the committee. the non-ssuc Of that
particular tract constitutes the whole uues-
ton. Their entire talk about it is wide of
the mark. That treatise was never submit
ted to the Society. and no action about it was
taken by the Society, Whether the Pub
fishing committee acted wisely or not in not
issuing it, is not the point II for any reasons
that tract touching duties, vices and immo
ralities connected with slavery was not SUI
table to be published, the committee re,rc nj
hberfy 10 proride one that 'cos, Tthey had am
desire TO do so. 1t is plain that they had no
such desire, and were determined to do moth
ing of the sort.
The drift of the circular is to justify the
Committee for going counter to the directions
of the Society expressed in the I'd, Sd and 18th
resolutions particularly the last of thcm)
quoted above. They do not pretend to find
any Justification in the language of the reso-
lutlons thus nullilicd by them, The purport
OF those resolutions could not be- msta-
ken " The political aspects of slavery, "
[such as repeating the Missouri Compromise
the question of admitting new Slave States
to the Cnion-of allowing the whites in the
Slave States to have vote on account of their
slaves, and many others say the resolu-
tions, "lie entirely without the proper sphere
ofthis Society, and can not be discussed in it's
publications.; but ''those moral duties which
grow out of the existence of slavery" and
"those moral evils and vices which it is known
to promote must no longer 60 scrupulously
untouched in the Society publications but
must come in for fair share Of trea tmcnt like |
other duties, evils and vices, and be discussed
like those others, evenhandedly, impartallv,
and in tratcrnal and christian spirit.
The disobedience of this plain prccept by |
the Committee is placed in the circular, sub
stantially, on four grounds.
l. They say the 9th resolution was meant
to be sort of countorpoise to the ID, Sd and
18th resolutions, (they even speak of it as
being in oonf'ct with them,) md il st.
allow the Executive Committee, Especially us
they were commended for wisdom, J not onlva
discretion in the mode of " carrying out the
principles contained in the previous resolu-