Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-07-22

FhtUA1 huhN lNt, JDD1 ". 1893.
FIRE STARTS The TORTOISE.
There is a lock-tortoise sort of concerr
called ''The Wing general committee il
the city of New York, with Hiram Ketchun
for its head, which has opened its shell onct
or twice within year or two, and pokeC
out its head long enough to tell the world
tha it need not STIR till it, the tortoise, was
ready to have it,-and above all, that the
world Especially the Free State part of it,
was to sag nothing on the subject of Ameri-
can Slavery, because all such talk was in its
very nature, sectional, and to be avoided by
every Union loving patriot. To these orac-
ular sayings corresponding responses have
been made by Hunt, Bates, Winthrop, Rives,
&c, and the world has been left again to
take the responsibility Of moving and talk
ing-if it dared
| Every boy knows that when nothing else
will make tortoise stir, fire on its back
will The heat Of some tall Southern speech
es, in favor of slavery, and its spread and
encouragement, as the be-all & end-all of our
national policy, seems to have penetrated the
shell of the "Whig General Committee. 3"
As late as last week on Tuesday evening, it
moved again. Here is its movement at full
length. 1t is worth studying
NATIONAL wHIG COMMITTEE.
A regular meeting of the above committee
held last evening when the Chairman called up for
consideration the following resolution, introduced
by him some months ago, and laid upon the table
for the consideration and advice Of " hig friends
The Chairman moved the passage of said resolu-
ton, accompanied by the following, to be passed
at the same time -
Resolved, That in the Judgment of this Commit
tee it is not expedient this time further TO dis
agitate the question of the African race in
this country. That 1t Is respectfully recommend
ed every citizen TO vote and according his
conviction of right and duty; but those who, with
us, believe that sufficient has been said and written
for the purpose of explanation and calculation,
will forbear further discussion of the subject Of
slavery and turn their attention 10 other topics Of
general importance; such our foreign relations,
including the question of the extension nF '---!'~
ry the building of ra;-->fs tOr national purposes,
| The s-P.0'ement Of our harbors, and the naviga-
ton OF 10 Iacliltate
the subjects of currency and a tariff of duties
other means for developing our own internal re-
sources and home wealth. and binding together by
the ties of interest and fraterna feelings the
rious parts and sections Of wiiely extended
Republic"
Whsreas, The above resolution introduced
for the consideration of the committee in the
early part of the present year, and had relation to
the discussions relative 10 slavery which agitated
the country at that time, and which had brought
iIto existence parties Of sectional character; but
since the Introduction oc the resolution question
has most unex pectedly arisen in some parts of the
country of a novel character-a question whether
the African slave trade ought to be revived; this
question the committee does not regard as one OF
a sectional character, for there is geographical
section of the United States in favor Of the revival
Of trade which long since became the adherence
of most of the civilized countries of the world.
The Committee does not believe that there is one
State in this Union which would approve OF such
a revival and they entertain not a doubt that
very large majority of the slave holding States
themselves would, if called upon, be found
utterly and Indignantly opposed 10 the repeal OF
the law Of the United States, sbolishing the Afri
can slave trade; therefore, be it
Resolved, That in passing the above resolution
the National Whig General Committee Of New
Y York wonid not be understood recommending
suggesting that any citizen of the United States
or any human being residing IN this Republic,
who may not be citizen should be restrained by
any consideration whatever from expressing open
y, decidedly and if it please him. Indignantly, on
all proper occasions, his opposition to, and his ab
horrence of the African slave trade.
Resolued, Also, that the Committee regret to say
that they think 1t not inappropriate or uncalled
for, at this time, to declare their firm adherence
to the great fundamental principle of Republican
liberty TO LAWS ooysTITUTIoSALLY
ENAcTED. Submission to the will of majority Of
the people, lawfully expressed, undcrlies the foun-
dations of every republic. We have as little re-
spect for the citizens of Syracuse in New York,
or 0berlin in Ohio, as for those of Charleston In
South Carolina, or Savannah in Georgia, who
openly violate this principle. They are alike, in
our Judgment, TRAITORS who conspire against the
welfare and very existence of the State, and and
should be held up to the scorn Of mankind
Fhs resolutions were passed UNANIMOUSLY.
HIRAM KETCHUM, Chairman.
ROBERT c. GwYER, and JOHN P. DODGE, Secre-
taries.
Surely the condescension of the second
resolution above must be deeply appreciat-
ed by all The committee does "not recon-
mend or suggest" that "any citizen of the
United States may more, ''that any human
being residing in this Republic, who may
not be citizen, should be restrained by any
consideration whatever, from expressing
openly, decidedly, and if it plsases him, in
dignantly, on all proper occasions, his op-
position to. and his adherence of the African
Slave Trade'.l So then, we-up here in
Vermont even-nady say something, it seems,
on the African Stare Trade, Well that is
something Who knows but in time we
shall have like privilege granted to us to
talk little about the Domestic Slave trade,
and in the end about slavery in the Terri
tories.
After all, we apprehend when the tor
toise's back gets cold again, it will find out
that it acted too hastily-especially in its
concession to any human being &c. What if
a few persons of African blood either pure or
diluted blood from white stock, in South Car
olina for instance, either singly or in little
public meeting got up for the purpose,
should openly express their decided and in
dignant sentiments on the subject of the Af-
rican slave trade? We wonder how it would
be received there, and whether I" the Whig
Central Committee" would justify them,
and exert its influence to protect them from
the unpleasant consequences of their temer-
ity?
1 II =,