Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1864-04-22

crate ground. The man who spoke for the
slave at all was at once obliged to take rank
with extreme abolitionists, because no position
was left for him in the public estimation.
Only the year before, the city had been for
more than a week covering before the ravages
of mob, led on by Kentucky bues, which
sacked Birney's ant-savery office, broke up his
printing press and threw the types into the riv-
er, and then proceeded to burn negro houses,
and beat and maltreat deenseless women and
children, after the manner of such evil beasts
generally. The upper ten of Cincinnati were
agreed that all these doings we're the fault Of
the abolitonsis. What was the use of discus
sions which made our brethren across the river
act SOP If nobody would defend the rights Of
negroes there would be no more negro mobs
and it began to be law in good society that
any one speaking in any way or shape for the
slave was ipSo fdcto, an abolitionist, a disorgan-
izer, and maker of riots
Under these circumstances the decision Of
Chase to defend n fugitive slave woman was
serious thing for him. 1t was in fact deciding
TO put in risk all that rising young man holds
dear in future.
The decision of Chase in this matter was not
merely from the temporary impulse Of kindly
feelings, but from deep political insight into
the tendencies and workings of the great slave
power. His large sound, logical brain saw in
the future history of that power all that ii has
since brought to light. He saw that the exor-
bitant spirit of its exactions directed against
the liberties of the free States and the princ-
pies on which free government is founded.
The plea of Chase in this case. was the first
legal breakwater in Ohio TO the flood of usur-
patton and dctaton which has characterized
the slaveocracy from its commencement. In
this plea he took ground then unheard Of, to
wit: That the phrase in the Constitution which
demanded the giving up of fugitves TO service
on demand of masters did not impose on the
magistrates of the free States the responsibility
of catching and returning slaves. He denied
, that Congress had any right 10 impose any such
/, duties on State magistrates, or to employ State
resources in any way for this purpose. This
principle was afterwards recognized by the
, United States in the slave law of 1850, by APP
pointing special United States Commissioners
for the conducting of such cases.
From the time of this plea, many Of the for
, mer patrons and friends of this rising young
; lawyer walked no more with him but he had
taken his ground like strong man armed, and
felt well able to keep his fortress single handed
till recruits should gather round him. He was
b soon called on to defend James G. Birney for
the crime Of sheltering a fugitive slaye. In
"a this plea he asserted the great principle after
wards affirmed by Charles Sumner in Congress,
$ that slavery is sectional and freedom national.
AS slavery WIS Out q local INSTITUTION, ne Cldiul-
ed that it ceased when the slave was brought by
4 his master to free State. This principle caus-
ed great excitement in community separated
n from a slave State only by the Ohio, where
a slave masters were constantly finding it conven-
lent to cross with, or send their slaves across o
/. the neighboring city. OF course the decision
# went against him. What judge, who had any
= hopes of the Presidency, or the Supreme BENCH,
e would dare Offend his masters by any such de-
cision?
= In 1916 came on the great Van Zandt case.
S Van Vandt was originally thriving Kentucky
4 farmer and slave owner. He figured in I'm
L Gle Toms Cabin" under the name OF Van rromp.
e lie was a man who, under shaggy exterior,
n had great, kind, honest heart; and in that
: day, when ministers and elders were studying
:, the Bible to find apologies for slavery, Van
l. Iandt needed no other light than that of this
e same heart to teach him that it was vile and
O devsh; and so, setting his slaves free, be came
O over and bought farm in the neighborhood ol
i Cincinnati. And it was well known that no
/ hungry, wandering fugitive was ever turned
e from Van Xandl's door. The writer has still
v memory of the wild night-ride of husband and
brother, through woods and over swelled creeks,
e dangerous enough to cross, which carried a
o poor hunted slave girl to this safe retreat. But
e Van Zandt was at last found out, and the slave
: ocrats brought suit against him. Chase and
/ Seward defended him, aud made noble pleas
/, pleas as much for the rights of the whites as
l. Inc blacks. OF course, like all cases Of the
a kind at that date. ,he Judgment had been pre-
Is ordained before the court sat. Chase's einbo-
e rate and unanswerable argument was afterwards
j. printed in pamphlet Of some 800 octave pages.
;. The Judge, in his adverse decision, never un-
z dertook even the form Of answering it; never
:. even ad,erted to it but decided directly over
n il, with a composure worthy of despopism.-
Y 1t was decision only eQuallcl by that OF the
IS most corrupt Judges OF the corrupt age OF
It Charles II.
Il Honest Van Vandt was ruined, "scot and
;. lot by fine so heavy that all he had in the
c world would not pay it, and he died broken
|. hearted-a solemn warning to all how they nj
e low themselves to practice Christian charity in
, way disagreeable 10 plantation despots.
T. AS for Chase he wns undscouraged by ILL.,
success and shortly reaffirmed his argument
N and principles in the case of Driskoll IS. Par
i ish. He was at least educating the community
l. he was laying foundations of resistance OF
is which walls and towers should by and by arise
N Humanity and religion had already made lh
6 abolitonists numerically large and active bod
in Ohio. They needed only leader like Chase
ID of large, organizing brain, and solid force o
n. combination, TO shape them into political par
lt ty of great efficiency. To this his efforts wer
of hencelorth directed.
IN In lSil he united in call for an anti-slave
Of ry convention in Columbus and in this conven
Iy ton was organized the Liberty party of Ohio
Y In lS45 he projected South Western anti
v slavery convention. The ground taken wa
a substantially that to which bloody, weary ex
rs perenCe has brought the whole nation now-t'
st wit, " that whatever is worth preserving in re
r pubcanism, can be maintained only by uncom
ID promising war against an usurping slave power
n, and that all who wish to save the nation, mus
s. unite in using all Constitutional measures fol
A. the extinction Of slavery in their own States
s. and the reduction of it to Constitutional limits
m in the United States. This convention met il
le Cincinnati in lS45, and Chase prepared the ad
l. dress, giving the history OF slavery thus far
lie and showing the condition of the Wing ane
ie Democratic parties respecting it, and urging
the importance of political combination une
Re quiyocay committed to the denationalizing o
r slavery and the slave power. So vigorous wer'
OF the tactics OF this party, so strongly moving
OF with the great central currents of Gods for
Or ward providences, that, in lS47, Chase wa
Or male Governor Of Ohio, by the triumph o
those very principles which in the outset threat
ty ened utter loss to their advocate.
r In lS47 he attended a second liberty conven
tion. Afterwards he took part in the Bufal,
Up convention, the celebrated Buffalo platform be
a. Inn n,ainl, hic ,uorl