The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-05
Where Would the Negroes go if Freed?

There is, on the part of those who are hostile
80 the emancipation policy Of the President, and
indeed, hostile TO any scheme looking toward
ending the hideous system Of slavery as it exists
on this continent, an attempt being made to
arouse prejudice against the negroe on account
OF hls color and TO brighten the voters aud la
aoEers Of The free States with The bugbcar of
Hood OF free negroes. The figures which we
give elsewhere ought to settle this question,
showing as they do most conclusvely that, not
wthsandng the disabilities under which the
free negroe jabors in the slave States, and his
liability to be kidnapped and sold into slavery,
the number OF the free negroes in the slave
States is now much greater than in the free
States The disproportion would unquestiona-
bly, be much greater were it not for the causes
operating to drive negroes North Were it just
as safe for a free coored person to remain in
South Carolina, or to go from another State to
South Carolina, as TO come to Vermont, the
small figures which indicate the number which
have found Il refuge here would be less than now
ton and the laws, eolored persons are placed un.
der less disabilities than in this State. In fact,
no distinction Of color is known to our laws. or
constitution. Colored persons can testify can sue
in our courts, can vote, can hold Office, if they
Can get votes enough to elect them. Yet there is
scarcely State which has fewer free negroes
than Vermont. Rhode Island, a smaller State,
has nearly seven times as many. North Caro-
lima, with only about twice the white popula.
ton of Vermont, has fifty times as many free
aegroes. Maryland, with a white population
of less than twice that of Vermont, has more
than one hundred and forty times as many free
negroes. Delaware, with white population of
less than one-third of ours, has more than thirty
times as mapy free negroes. There are as many
free negroes in Maryland as in New York and
Ohio put together. These facts are worth more
chan reams of argument Coored persons will
not come North unless they are driven there to
seek their freedom, or their lights. Let eman-
eipation be once fairly inaugurated and the
Government give its guaranty that the rights of
eolored persons, citizens of the United States,
shall be respected as we'll as the rights of
white persons, and the colorei race would be no
disturbing element in our population Or politics.
They would remain in the warm ATTITUDES, and
would be Just as much needed there then as now.
Those OF them coming North would be as peaceful
and Iaw-abiding as the 900, 900 that inhabit the
free States now. Neither Mr.. Wright of Ind-
ana, nor any other Senator, need be concerned,
lest his children will be spoiled by assocating
with the blacks The North is no worse for the
freed persons of color that are now scattered all
through it, and would be no worse if five times as
many were added to the number. Yet we do
not believe, II gradual emancipation were nau.
gurated IN every slave State to-day, that what
are now the free States would ever have a popu-
lation Of free negroes of ono million. And they
could get along with that, or twice that number,
without the least danger to anything but the
exquistely delicate sensblities that can be
shaved by colored barber, be driven by col.
ored coachman, be waited upon at table by a
colored servant, cat food prepared by colorcd
cook, but can't endure a free niger.
One thousand citizens OF the District of Co.
lumba, including Judges and Mayors and Tx
Mayors, and Aldermen and Ex Aldermen, have
re itioned Congress to abolish Slavery in the
District Of Columbia. Their prayer will I'M
question4h'y be granted.