Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-02-24
5udge RedncId's letter.


We left Judge Redfeld last week, wher
he was describing the superior comforts
aid Intelligence" Of those Leings owned a
property and driven by the lordly lash 0
their owners, as compared with the sam
class of persons in state of freedom
We had thought of following this poin
further, but the Judges statement is St
monstrous, and palpably wrong, that it doe
not seem necessary, and we give his mex
plank
There reflection which fail to strike Al
minds alike the immense folly aud wickenCs of all at
tenpts to vndicate what is pompousy dcnonnated til
right Of private judgment in all things, sometimes tn
law which Is but the plea Of the murderer and assassin tn
rebel aud the traitor in all AID countreSthe RICH
to live as list, to be law, and our judge
Thus, in respect to the inhuman system
of slavery, the Chief Justice scouts all Law
higher than that made by Shareholders
The laws of God are nothing The law
of shareholders, everything! The right o
private judgment to be trampled and trod-
den under foot, as piece of "pompous'
"folly and wickedness"! We are not sur,
prisee that any man who undertakes the
task of unfolding slavery, should deny the
right of private Judgment The defence
of sin and wickedness sin all ages and
countries" always begins with this denial
There is a monitor within all that plainly
distinguishes between right and wrong, and
it is when this element is set aside, that we
see men engaged in the defence Of some
gigantic wrong Christ and his Apostles
preached the whole gospel to both Jews
and Gentiles but had they denied the right
of conscience and private judgment, they
would have written some such epistle as
Judge Redfeld's John Brown letter. This
would have satisfied the Jews, and the mar
tyrs to the Christian Religion would have
been few indeed. Does the honorable Judge
ignore the fact that our Puritan fathers
came to this country almost on purpose to
enjoy the very right of private judgment
which he now so "pompously" denies
And has he forgotten the guarantee of the
first article of amendments to the constitu-
ton Are we to understand that in this
present age of the world, there is a Chief
Justice Of Vermont, who if called upon,
would engage in a chase after human be-
ings, guilty of no crime whatever, and re-
turn them back to the land of whips and
signs? Let US bring this matter a little
nearer. Here is man among US who
lives, moves and has his being precisely as
Judge Redfeld does. He has the same
feelings, affections and emotions and yet,
our Judge would deny the fright of pri-
waite jlgment,' and send this man back to
unpaid toll in the rice swamps of Georgia.
Judge Redfcld can do so if he chooses, for
our part, we would as soon engage in sink
ing the thong in the quivcring flesh of vic
tins under the Spanish inquisiticn.
Here are tie next two lines after the last
quotation given above:
What but another for def ing all law, which con
sistent Churchmen never dare do?
This appeal in political matter, TO the
particular members of the church 10 which
he belongs, is the smallest thing in the arti-
Gle, and ought to have been too small for a
man of his reputation. We make no re-
ply. Let it stand as a monument TO his
greatness in the defence of the cause he
has espoused. .....
When hear John Brown who deserves the llovs and
fon grave if any ever did attempted to he exslt
cd into hero and martyr trvmbc for the Of the
Republic when we remember that God is just. need
not rel surprised that when the wind in due
time reap the whirwind!
So you "tremble" for the safety of the
Republic, because some have expressed
sympathy for Brown, and called him mar
tyr. Jefferson trembled for the Republic
because Of the existence of the very system
which Brown attacked, and yet you fear
Gods wrath and ''whirlwind" Now we
do not approve of Browns raid into Viz
ginia, but he was taught this lesson by
modern democracy in their slaveholding
raids upon Kansas. II was slavery that
sowcd the wind, and at Harper's Ferry they
gathered Judge Redfeld's whirlwind. Most
honorable Judge Did the raids of slave
holders into Kansas, the murders Of peace
able and unofIending citizens, the sacking
Of villages and the rcbberies committed. Of
which you can hardly be ignorant, ever
make YOU "iremble for the future of the
Republic" All, indeed Ii seems almost
impossible tha, the Chief justice Of Yer
mont should have such fears only when
slavery Is ia danger At this point It is
truly T, tresl,ing 10 bringtc mind that siaunch
old democrat, Judge IlARRINGTsx. uho so
far as this question goes. has left US glo-
rious and imPerishable record. Wien a
fugitive slave was brought befare him. he
bad no fears .or the Union. had never din,d
with the executive ct Virginia, nor OBJ