Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-04
EXTRA PROVISION FoRsLAvERY.

PUTNAM writes from Washington to the
N. Y. Independent as follows:
DEAR INDEPENDENT The passage of tho Ore
gon bill paved the way for the report of Ter
ritorial Acts, and early in the week batch
of them were thrown upon the House. There
was an earnest desire on the part of the Re-
publicans to provide territorial governments
for all our Western settlements where the
population was sufficient to carry on such a
government successfully, provided unexcep-
tionable bills for that purpose were reported.
OF that, however, they had but little hope,
as the Territorial Committee OF the House is
intensely pro-slavery, with the shrewd, arch
slavery-extender, Stephens of Georgia, at its
head.
The first bill presented was for the region
acquired from Mexico, and which received
the cognomen Of Arizona. AS Mexico has
no chattel- slavery within it's borders, and
consequently is more humane and Christian
than our own country in this particular, it
was hoped that the territory acquired from
it would follow the condition of its original
statutes, and the course of human bondage
would not be fastened upon it at its terrific
rial birth. But such hopes are without ba-
sis. a knowledge of the men and influences
at work in this government banishes all hope
of the triumph of freedom, or even justice
itself, between these contending forces of bar
barism and enlightened Christianity. No
territory can be formed which does not sub
NIT to receive the iron collar of chattcl servi-
tude upon its young limbs.
An examination of the Arizona bill dis
closed the following "niggers in the fence"
In the section upon the powers of the courts
created by the act, it provides that
''Writs Of error and appeals from the final de-
csSns Of the Supreme Court of the territory shall
Pc allowed, and may be taken to the Supreme
Court Of the United States in the same manner
and under the same regulations as from the Circuit
Courts of the United States, when the value OF tho
property, or the amount in controversy, to be as
ccrtaned by the oath or affirmation of either par
ty, or other competent witness, shall exceed one
thousand dollars; erera, only, that IN all cases IN
rolping tne to Slaves the SAID wr'fs Of error or dp-
peal shall be ahoped and dee,ded by the sad Supreme
Court u1thom regard 10 the pdine Of the matter,
property, or htie in controversy"
Now, when it is considered that this pro-
slavery President appoints Judge with the
check of an intense pro-slavcry Senate upon
him, your readers can judge whether freedom
could find judicial peg to hang "a hope
upon in the territory of Arizona. Another
section of the bill quietly places the fugitive
slave law, and thu whole force of the bred
Scott decision, as blanket over every inch
of its soil. And for fear that Northern emf
grafton might control the local legislature,
an exception was made in the little office Of
postmaster, SO that these political tide direc-
tors of acorrupt Administration can be e.
lected to the Legislature, and aid in carrying
out the will of their master. Mr.. GROW
from the minority of the committee reported
an amendment, which in effect was II evil
mot proviso but there was not II sc,nHila
of hope that it could pass such House as
this, so IA motion was made to table the
whole affair, which was carried by II large
majority, and the territory of Arizona fell
dead upon the table of the House.
Next came the act for the creation of Da-
cotah, region of country lying between the
western boundry of Minnesota and the east
ern line of the State of Oregon and the terri
tory of Washington. The same provisions
reiating to slaves IN the courts of Arizona
were in this, f.nd distinct section. made
us u pack-saddle to carry the barbarous IN
gitivc-slave law over the territory, was In
corporated in the bill. 1t is a rich morscl,
and tue position il occupies is suggestive:
''Sec. 10. And be Il tt1tha enacted, That the
provisions Of an act entitled AN act respecting
fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from
the service of their masters approved February
twelfth, seventeen hundred and ninety three, and
the provisions of the act entit tied AN act to amend
and supplementary to the aforesaid act, approved
September eighteenth eighteen hundred and fifty,
be, and the same are hereby declared 70 ertend 10
and be fH force uthis the imiis Of sad territory
Of Dacotah."
Now, if according to all the political phil
osophers of the Democratic school, and the
Supreme Court of TIT United States, slavery
goes into every territory, Il every rood OF land
covered by that instrument, ,chy make this
upernuous and unnecessary legislation Do
they feel, on with prophetic eye see the COM
Ing hour when that villainous decision will
surely be overruled by the SUCCESSORS OF these
nine eminent men | ca not account for
this extra care; hut upon hatground Dacot all
followed Arizona To the table with greater ra-
pidity than funeral procession; and with the
new Pixies Peak country named jefferson
by the committee makes up the trio of terri
torial dead for this Congress.
The last five or six years have witnessed ex-
triordinary fatality among distinguished re-
sidents of Middlebury. In the list are in
cluded lioratio Seymour and Samuel Phelps,
each of whom served II years in the L. ;.
Senate, William Sladc, governor OF the State.
and 10 years member Of Congress, Horace
Eaton and James Meacham, both College
profess rs, the former also governor of the
State, and the latter six years m emher OF
Congress: Rev. Thomas \. Merrill, ID; u
classlnate uf Daniel Webster in Dartmouth
Collcge, and his successful competitor tor
the ,aledictory; also five prominent lawyers
InI nllol vnrinu