Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-03-14
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH sLAv.
ERYp
[For The Yermont PhGnir.l

Eh4
tFor The Vernont Phgnir.l
1t is evident that the time has at length ar
rived in the history of African slavery in the
United States, when that institution must be-
come recognised and established, or else meas
ures must be taken to do away with it. 1t is
question that claims and demands fixed de-
termined decision, and can no longer be left to
the spirit of fraternal indulgence OF of political
regeneration. We must either bow to it in
spirit of compromise and Generalization, or
else arouse, exert our great power, and over
rule it to the public good.
Shall we bow to stocks and stones, or be gov
erned by the spiritual light that pervades the
mental world of the present dayP Shall we
open the bosom of this new world to the old
patriarchal system of Asia, or shall we still ad-
here to those Christian principles which are the
education of the Anglo Saxon race?
Not only our education, but our habits, our
instincts, and our circumstances are opposed to
the adoption of the patriarchal system. It's a
system which degrades the lower class of socie-
ty, and consequently weakens the whole social
fabric. Its relative strength, when compared
with the Christian system, may be readily ex-
empliied by the fact of recent date, that
handful of Christians from England and France,
has penetrated the country of the oldest and
best patriarchal government in the world, WELD
ing the scepter over more than three hundred
millions of men, and has dictated terms to the
emperor in his own capital. But, like as the
light of the sun so the light of berty, when
dawning upon China, seems to be setting with
us in the United States, and leaving us to the
slowly enveloping shades of petriarchism and
slavery
The evil which we have to contend against is
that which arises from the growth of an institu-
ton opposed to the genius and tendency OF our
constitution. The institution of slavery is an
exclusive privilege, a monopoly, which is wholly
opposed to the liberal character of our republi-
can form of government. 1t is privilege by
which the inferior order of African labor is
made to prevail over large part of our terri
tory in the face of competition with white labor.
1t is an unnatural, forced monopoly by which
slave labor is kept in Virginia when it would be
driven out in short time if left to a fair COM
petition with free white labor. 1t ties the hands
of free labor in order that slave labor, not hal
| its WORTH may exist, BY this means the ener
gies of the nation are paralyzed, its develop
ment retarded, and its free white aborers lef
} in an inferior condition to the blacks.
= Fortunately this state OF affairs is not with
I out its precedents in history. The church prop
erty, for instance, of France, previous to thu
revolution of 1888, was privileged above othe
property. While il could never be alienated
any more than slavery can be, tit is thought,
, it was exempted from taxation The clergy, be
r, ing thus secured in the possession OF their prop
* erty had no fears of competition, and in conse
IN quence it was far less productive to the revenue
We and the wealth of the country than it woul
r have been if in the possession of laboring an
- tax-payng citizens This exclusive prveg
I was one of the main causes of the revolution
II and it was upon the wealth of the clergy, cor
50 fscated by the state that the revolution foun
to means to continue It's progress and effect il
x hberalizing and benefcent objects. Tn land
of of the clergy, on being sold to small proprietor
were titled with care under the highest an
T. most healthy stimulus of human interest, an
70 while thus adding to the wealth and gener
or produce of the country, were paying those tai
cv es which enabled France to come out of II
a revolution in better and healthier conditc
Se Ioa than she went into it.
nd This course of action, so Just as well as po
tic seems to be followed by Spain of the pre-
l. ent day, in her efforts at regeneration, II
io' lands of her clergy circumstanced precisely
were those Of France, she has purchased at Il
- price of upwards of one hundred millions
dollars, and issued to the clergy governme
the lhe stock therefor, bearing interest BY this NEAR
eat the clergy are not only made jealous suppore
of reform, but their lands being distributed
""' small parcels among the people at their ori
,. nal and advanced price, will increase in val
oN and more than enable the government to p
lor the interest. In other words, the Spanish SO
ocs ernment pursues the wise policy of rendering
tie large amount of comparatively unproducti
property valuable, and converts an evil and
n source of national poverty and weakness into
ile- public good. No violence is thus done to
igion or good morals, any more than tho
,u would be in reclaihing swamp Or an old p
or, ture.
orc, Why then might not the Unlted~States pl
sue a similar course with regard-not to
49,. religious institutions, but to the institution
TSIS, rI%, slavery? Like the privileged wealth of
clergy of France and Spain, it is a source