Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-01-13

slavery IN the states we have never intermeds
lied ourselves, nor countenced others in so
doing. Our arguments aud appeals have been
to the white man and not TO bis
slaves. Holding as we do that the destrue-
lion Of one human life would be too great
price to pay for any social or political change.
We regard with horror all attempts to promote
servile ngurrection Nor would we, under
lny circumstances encourage forcible resist
ance even 10 law as unjust and cruel as we
regard the Fugitive Slave Law. Where duty
TO God and man required US to refuse active
obedience to such euactments, we would sub
init, as good citizens, TO the penalty incurred
We are well aware that our sentiments on
the subject of non.resistance are not shared
by the great majority of protesting Christians. %
We know that II is the popular doctrine that
bloodshed is justiiable in defence Of life and
property, or in the assertion Of liberty This
doctrine lies, indeed at the foundation Of our
government. Our Fourth Of July oratons--
our monuments. our literatufe--are all revo-
lutionary. The right Of revolution on the
par, Of an oppressed people is taught in the
schoolroom and the pulpit. Virginia haunts
in the eyes Of her slaves, the incendiary pic
ture on her official seal. of Liberty, armed to
the teeth, trampng on the decapitated body
Of tyrant, with its motto, $50 dit0dys to ty-
rants In this view Of the matter, the won.
der is, not that occasionally an insurrection OF
outbreak like that at Harper's Ferry occurs,
but that revolt in form or another, is not
the normal condition Of States embracing
within themselves the extremes of liberty and
slavery. None saw more clearly than Jeffer-
SON and Madison the dangerous character OF
the institution of domestic slavery. The
hour of emancipation said the former. and
a..
sis advancing in the march Of time. 1t mus
come IL not brought on by the generous en-
ergies of our own minds. il must come by thr
bloody process Of St. Domingo" In all ages
of the world, the deprivation of personal free
dom has been regarded as sufficient excuse for
bloody resistance. All history is monumen
tai as a graveyard with warnings of this iney
table tendency of oppression. The serfs OF
Europe have often signalized their manhood
by rebellions. Ten years ago there occurred
a servile insurrection and massacre in Poland
Every island Of the Antilles has been burne,l
over by the fiery track Of revolt. A violation
of natural law and divine order, slavery COL
tains within itself the elements of perpetual
unrest.
The slaves need no incentive from without
II is noteworthy and very suggestive fac.
that the only really formidable insurrection
at the South-those of South Carolina ami
Virginia-originated among the slaves then
! selves, and took place previous to the preser,
ant-slavery movement. Interference from
without has proved a signal failure and the
folly and madness of the Harper's Ferry OK
pertinent will not be likely to be repeated in
the present century. IL the slaves are ever
to be freed by violence which we do not
believe lit must be done BY themselves. and
not by white sympathzers, however brave or
self-sacsiieing. The prayer Of every friend
of humanity should be that Peace and Free
dom may go hand in hand together; that
patience, forbearance, and kindness. may keep
pace with fidelity to free principles that no
| uDjustifable and illegal act may be permitted
to embarass and retard movement which
looks to the welfare and happiness, not of the
slave alone, but of the master also. Wrong
and violence, fraud and conspiracy, are the
expedents of conscious weakness and error,
not Of truth and justice. The North owes IL
to herself to see to it that the South has no
good reason to complain Of secret and Illegal
conspiracies. What she does should be open
as the day-frank, honest and above board,
without conceament and without compromise.
The lesson of this event should not be lost
upon our Southern neighbors. Ii adds an
other to the many proofs afforded in history
OF the dangerous nature of slayery--of the in
security and peril of every community which
admits it, 1t shows that it is not safe for
shareholders, in behalf of their institution.
to experiment too far upon the forbearance
and patience of those who sbhor it, The ag-
gressions Of the Slave Power upon Northern
rights have tendency to provoke a retalia-
ton upon slavery In fact, the moving cause
of this miserable outbreak may be distinctly
traced TO the attempts to extend slavery,
which have for years agitated the country.
The invasion Of Texas, Cuba and Nicaragua
by armed hordes from the slave States. for
the purpose Of acquiring new slave territory,
furnished the hint and excuse for the flibus-
toring of Brown at Harper's Ferry. Tho
Repeal Of the Missouri Compromise. and the
armed invasion of Kanzas by Missoui slave
holders with the avowed purpose Of introduc-
ing slavery by force of arms into free terri
tory, was dangerous experiment upon North
ern forbearance. The Fugative Slave Law,
wherever its cruel and unconstitutional pro-
visions have been enforced, has awakened in
dignation and pity The Dred Scott decision,
by virtually outlawing the free people of col
or, and declaring that they have ''no rights
which the white man is bound to respect"
has converted half million of men into dead
ly enemies of a government which demands al
legiance while it denies protection The time
is near at hand, we feel safe in predicting,
when the intelligent stakeholder will regard
the Fugative Slave Law, the Dred Scott de-
eision, and the Repeal of the Missouri Com
promise, as measures suicidal to their pro-
iessed object; aud falling back upon the doc
trine Of the Fathers of the Republic. will re-
pudiate the new maxim and measures Of his
party leaders i.