Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-12-02
A Panic in the Green Mountains.


We once read Of Swiss Landamman Who
visited Holland for the purpose Of studying the
laws and customs Of the country. Arriving on
the sea coast and seeing for the first Tine the
mighty waters Of the ocean spread out before him,
and finding that embankments had been thrown M
along the coast as protection against the encrosch
ments Of the sea, he became suddenly alarmed for
the safety Of his native canton and back 10
his mountains TO tell hiscOuntrymen Of their danger
and persuade them to build high walls to keep out
the waters Of that immense ocean he had seen, and
which was ready to engulph them. There has been
similar instance Of sagsoity and foresight until
within the last few months. The wise statesmen of
our sister State Of Verm0at, have lately become
aware Of the imminent peril to which they are ex-
posed from the Entertainments Of slavery, and have
resolved to adopt timely measures to secure them
selves against the impending calamity. A bin has
been introduced into the Legislature Of that State
imposing the sevsrest penalties Of the law upon
such persons as shall endeavOr to establish the in
stitution Of slavery there. No one acquainted with
the SOIL climate and political sentiments of Vermont
can doubt the immediate necessity Of such law
Delay in such case would have been destruction
waited by slave labor on the highest peak of the
Green Mountains, and all the Aminadab Sleeks Of
that pious and puritanical commonwealth would
have deserted their pulpits to become eyerseers on
the plantations. The manufacture Of whiie-oak
cheese and wooden nutmegs would have been
abandoned for the culture Of the sugar crop, and
every sslectman would have become 81 slave dri-
YER" The peril was imminent and prompt meas
ures we're necessary to guard against it. The law.
givers Of the State have exhibited great prudence
in the step they have taken The penalty imposed
on such persons as venture to carry their slaves
thither, might seem at first to be severe But
great public danger like this demands vigorous
legislation. When some score Of Southern slave
owners shall have been sent to the Penitentisrv.
for attempting to introduce the culture of cotton
among the Green Mountains, we feel very sure
that negro slSgery in Vermont will be at an end.
But notwithstanding the prudence and wisdom
which they have exhibited in this matter, we find
that these Yankee Lycurguses can be hot-headed
and chivarOus too. In fact they are very Hotspurs
when aroused They have shown themselves capa-
bic Of deed of dsring from which Don Quixote
would have shrunk. He ran tilt against a single
wind mill, but these modern knights are ready to
encounter q couple Of hundred such. They are
making war upon the Congress Of the United
States They have thrown down their defiance to
both houses of onr national legislature. They have
tramplod the laws of the United States under their
feet. They have nullifed them. They disavow the
authority Of the Federal Government over the indie
pendent commonwealth Of Vermont The United
States writ will not run in the land Of EMOTIONS"
and "woOden nutmegs." No Marshall clothed with
power from the nsighbOring government at Wash
ington viii be allowed to invade their territory for
the purpose Of arresting fugitive and taking him
back TO his master. A free and sovereign nation
like Vermont is capable Of managing such things
itself If the President Of the United States has
any fugitives to capture there let him ask the Gov
ernor and if he thinks that international courtesy
demands such concession, his majesty will take
measures to have the law enforced in his own
way. The fugitive, however is entitled to a trial
by jury according TO this new enactment Of the
legislature of Vermont, and if a runaway slave
can find one man out of twelve to say he is a free
man, the army and navy Of the State are ready to
protect him in the enjoyment of his rights. The
result of all this will be that our Green Mountain
brethren will grab as many Of our negroes IS they
can get their hands and take very particular
to keep them until they become expensive or troubles
some fghen they will drive them over TO Canada.
L will be recoleced that the fugitive slave law bas
been uullifed in Massachusetts some time ago, and
Vermont is determined not to be behind Masssohu-
sets. These States being practically out of the
Union, we would recommend that they send minis
Lers plenipOtentiary instead Of representatives to
end enter into treaties with the United
States as is the custom among civilized nations.