Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-09-27

bling Of this Convention. But the insertion Of
slave catching clause IN the Constitution would
undoubtedly be regarded with favor by the slave
holding interest, and would strongly lend to rem
DIR tie new frame. work Of government more ac-
ceplabe to he extreme South. So, after one or
two unsuccessful attempts, Mr.. Butler fl ally gave
70 bis proposition shape in which il proved ac-
cep'ab.e to majority and II was adopted with
slight apparent resistance or consideration.
In these latter days, since the radical injustice
ind iniquity Of save-hoding have been more pro-
'ouady reaizrd and generally appreciated, meny
subtle and sone abie attempts have been made to
explain away thl3 most unfortunate provision, for
the reason thst the Convention wisely sud decor
1usIy excluded g terms SldUe and Slapey from
the Constitution "becalse," as Mr. Madison
,aya, they did not choose to admit ihe right Of
property man" II has been argued that this
provision does nor contemplate The rendition OF
iugityes from SayeD, 0u. rather Of runaway ap-
ptentIces persons wbo h,ylng entered into con-
tracts for tueir ova Iabor, have repudiated their
engagement, end cher lueh Jonahs. The re-
cords aud "reminiscences Of the Convention, how
ever utterly reil.e and dissipate these vain and
idle pr4tenseg. /, is sheer absutditY to contend
that South Carolina in the Convention was ab-
.ofbingy intent 90 engrafiing upon the Federal
Lousl'ut provision Tor the recapture Of run
a"a3 apprentices, OF any thing Of the sort. What
she meant sas, 20 fX0r from the spprehensobs
Of q majority, anxious Tor more perfect Union,
a concession Of authority TO hunt fugitive slaves
iu qu} part Of our broad national ar a. and egally
to arsg hem hence back into porpetull bondage
If t4e Convention did not mean to grant exactly
,ts, II 1iaed with a very grave sutjec, aud
stopped TO sn WORTHY deception. How much
better TO meet lhe asue broadly and mAnfuily,
saying frankly tu the Shareholders thi. pforis-
.o4 0. contrary 10 equity and god conscience +;
Agace we cannot 0by IT, 70 seize our fellow
man and thrust tiu Iu.o 81 abhotred bondage
may 90 your eyes be innocent, in ours il would be
crme. lii then, You are aggrieyed in any ease,
By our refusal og neglect reuurn your fugifiyes,
make oug your bill tor tAeir fair market value aud
call uloD Us Tor rs payment. II We refuse il, sou
VII. then have real grievance to alege--this,
namely that We nave deprived you Of what The
Constitution recognizes as our property, and
baSe lalled TO make rec0mpense therefor. But
Yea surely eau not blame Us, that hayrg been
enlightened Ut 10 The immoral nature OF acli COR
seused TO-, Or stipulated iOr by our fathers, we 4re
unable .nger To commit Them. Take our prop
efY if you think yourselves entitled TO il but
allow us to lie ial .Hlul 10 our convictions Of duty
and the pfompuugs Of humanity.
General Charles @. Pinckney, in laying the
Federal Constitution before the Convention #
South Carolina, wl'ca assembled January 10, l7So,
10 pass upon %, made speech in which he dWelt
v..a re..1 able and juslha1.a compacency ou
lne advantages secured 10 slavery by te Cons,i.
luIon aud these, oubtess, we're among the
considerations which secLred It's ratification, by
that body by vote cf l49 TO 49, Other South
eru States may have been thus affected.
a @ specimen Of the author S descriptive sty
VT may select portion from the sketch Of John
Browns attack on Harpers Ferry.
HARPER's FERRY was then village Of some
five thousand i1h40auis lying on the Virginia
ride OF the Potomac, and on either side Of It's
pr1eIpl. tributary, The Shenandoah, which here
enters 10 irom ths South It's site is a mere nest
OR cup among high, steep mouniains The passage
OF the united rivers through the Blue Ridge at
th.s point having beea pronounced by Jefferson
spectacle which one might well cross the Atlantic
10 Wituess and erJoy HeIe the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad cr1sses the Potomaci aud the rich
valley Of TIE Shenandoah is ,rayeped, lor a con
siderable distance hence 10y tue Winchester and
Hafpers Ferry R4.lroad. w ashngion is fft,-
sever miles distant by turnp.kei Baltimore eighty
mies by railroad. Modest as the yilhge then
wa, space bad been with difficulty found ior its
Indications, sore %, which were perched upon
ground four hundred eet above the suffice of the
str. ans. 0Ge Of lis very few streets was occu-
pied entirely by The work shops au offices Of the
Nauousl Armury, aud had an iron railing across
rs entrance. In The old Arsenal building, there
we're usually stored from 100000 to 100000
stand u arms. The knowledge Of this bad doubt.
less determined the point at which the first Blow
OF the h0eralors was to Be struck
The orces with which Brown made his attack
consisted ol seventeen white and five coored
men, though il is said that others who escaped
assisted outside, by culliog the telegraph wires
aud tearing up the railroad track. This entranae
OF this pelty army into llarper's Ferry on Sunday
evening" October l7th, seems 10 heve been Effected
without creating aiarm. They first rapidly tx.
tinguished the lights of the town then took
possession Of he Armory buildings, which we're
only guarded by three watohmen, whom, without
meeting resistance or exciting alarm, they seized
and locked up IN the guard-house. 1t is probable
that they we're aided, or, at least, guided, by
friendly negroes belonging TO the village. At
hait-past ten the Waterman st the Potomac
bridge was seized and secured At midnight,
his successor, arriving, was hailed by Browns
sentines, but rsn, one shot being fred at him
from the bridge. He gave the alarm, but still
nothing suued. AT a quarter past one, the wes-
tern train arrived, and its CONDUCTOR found the
bridge guarded by armed men. He and other.
attempted 10 wax across, but were turned back
by presented niles. One man, negro, was shot
in the blek and died next morning, The passen-
gers took refuge IN the hotel and remained there
several hours the conductor promptly refusing
to pass the train over though permitted, at three
o'clock, to do so.
A little after midnight, the house of Col.
Washington was visited by six OF Browns men
under Capt. Stevens, who captured the Colonel,
seized his arms, horses, etc, and liberated his
slaves. On their return, Stevens and party visited
the house Of MIR. Astadtt and his son, whom
they captured, aud freed their slaves. These,
with each male citizen cs he appeared in the street,
were confined in the Armory uotil they numbered
between forty and ifty Brown informed his
prIsonersthat they could be liberated on condition
Of writing to their fiends to send negro apiece
as ransom. At daylight, the train proceeded,
Brown walking over the bridge with the condu,.
tor. Whenever any one asked the object Of their
captors, the uniform answer was, TO free the
slaves" f" and when one of the workmen, seeing
au armed guard at the Arsenal gate asked by
what authority they had taken possession Of the
public property, he was answered, By the au-
thouty Of God Almighty!"
The passenger train that sped eastward from
narpet's Ferry, by Browns permission, in the
early morning Of oaday, October l7th, left that
place completely in the military possession of the
insurreouonlsts They held, without dispute, the
Arsenal with its oihees, workshops, aud grounds.
Ihnir snniinnla sinnd ON nnarh M ihn hrdnn and