Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-05-17
Letter to Florida.

Letter to Florida.
FRIEND ROBINSON I'm common vii
your numerous friends, relatives and a,
quaintances in this section, and especial
in Windsor County, was greatly aston
ished last week to see in print letter fror
you, specially addressed to your very be
nighted friends here in Vermont, on th
subject of slavery and the present trouble
OF this republic. Your letter had not ap
peared two hours before an old friend an,
schoolmate of yours called at my office t.
express his utter surprise and astonshmen
at the position you assume, and as you seen
to have fully espoused southern treason, ant
not only proclaim il there, but also to preacl
it here in our own midst, take this meth
cd of making public reply, though it i:
certainly most unpleasant task to thu.
combat an old friend and schoolmate, whose
endorsement of such doctrines l never
would have believed but for the fact that it
appears over his own signature, and which
will be found elsewhere in these columns.
In the first place, as this paper will prob
ably be read by many who are not its reg
ular readers, and who know nothing of the
paper which you have SO unqualifedly en-
dorsed, as being "proud to discover" in
your native State, let me explain that the
Aryas is the only newspaper in Vermont,
and the only one in New England, that /
know OF, which openly advocates slavery
as being right, and takes the extreme Of
southern pro-slavery ground, in which it
does not and never has had the support of
its own party, but has often been rebuked
from that source, and to-day its greatest con-
Germ is that slavery will suffer in the war
now upon the country; and this, my dear
friend, is what you have endorsed as having
sense and being blessed with enough
chariiy"l You thus open the whole ques-
ton of slavery and of the preservation Of
the Government.
Now in regard to slavery, what new
light have you obtained, what superior in
telligence do you possess, so different from
the founders of our republic? / am aware
that you have become stakeholder pain
fnl as this is 10 relate, but all shareholders
do not en- that account believe in the divini-
ty of slavery.
You have been in the South about four
years, during which you have acquired, and
now assume to have, information which
others who have been born and spent a
whole life time there, were never able to
find. ! have very serious doubts whether
you are any better qualified TO Judge of
these things than some who have lived
before you. For instance, Washington,
who was himself STAKEHOLDER. and who
saw the workings of slavery whole life
time, wrote TO John f. Mercer, on the 9th
Of September, 1856
never mean unless some particular
circumstances should compel me to il. 10
possess another slave by purchase, it being
smong my first wishes 10 see some plan
adopted by which slavery. in this country,
nay be abolished by law"
Again, in speaking of slavery in the same
'ear, april IL, 1856, he wrote TO Robert 5
Norris I
can only say that there is not man
wing who wishes more sincerely than do. .
see plan adopted for the abolition of it, a
And in the same letter he says - Y
"There is only one proper and eff,ctual v
node by which il can be accomplished, and n
hat Is by legislative authority /; and this. so 9
lr as my suffrage will 90, shall never be
ianted."
Such was the opinion of the man who :"
as been, and still is in the North, revered .
bove all others. But let me show Won
lie harmony of his testimony with Others. {
efferson in his Notes on yirpinia. 3o,b "
age, says that
ne whole commerce between master 2
'a Save Is perpetual exercise OF the VI
ost bois'erous passions-the most unre- "
lifting despotism on the one part. and de o,
fading submissions on the other =,
on the zoth page he says: aIndeed. / n,
emole for my country when reflect tina, a
cd Is just, and that his justice capno, 81
eep forever most ominous words for yc
aveholders to ponder at this Time. On n.
bother occasion he declared tina, one ho.- III
slavery : was fraught with more m;serv q
an ages of that which he rose in rebs,l;on IT
oppose" "
Madison took the same view, and &C.. e,
AIRED IN the Constitutional Convention tina,
: IL Is wrong to admit into the Consti,u- :,
On The idea that there can be property in !;
an Monroe most truly said in the vir. /.
ma convention, This evil has prev.d .,
'on The very viials of the Union. and has =,
'en Preludicial TO all the States in with :
has existed Patrick Henry denounces !.
very and declared his surprise that :,