Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-03-17
The Past and Present Of Americs on the
slavery Question.

Theuotice ofan address by Hon Geo Thomp-
con. NJ. p. Of England, late as it was.
brought large and intelligent audience to
the CITY Hall Monday evening The lecturer,
after apologizing for his previous failure TO
visit Burlington as advertised, and begging
indulgence for tins occasion on account of
physical indisposiuon, which was indeed
obvious. proceeded TO contrast the state of
things in this country as he found 1t thirty
wears ago, on his first visit to our shores,
with the present. Then he found US very
plous people but peryaded by the fell sTir-
it Of slavery, which was visible in our hab-
its. literature, politics, and religion The
pulpit was consecrated 10 the defence and
protection of the crime. Sunday School
Unions and Tract Societies, were purposely
silent upon it, The Press was muzzled.
The people willingly closed their eyes and
ears to this wrong and disgrace. 1t was no
wonder that when he first came to denounce
the crime, he was unpopular, threatened
with mobbmg. Outlawed. banishcd from the
country. America then vomited hm out Of
her mouth How great the contrast now
Now nothing 30 common, as to have per-
sons tell him ''we were always anti slavery
to which he was sometimes tempted to re-
ply. "How well you kept the secret" He
spoke with no special reference TO his pres
ent audience lie did not forget that he
stood in the most beautiful town Of the ban
ner anti-slayery State Of the Union. But
he spoke Of America at large and he as
serted of it that from its earliest history
down to the election of Mr.. Lincoln, slave
~ was the rital and controlling principle of
the Government.
The speaker said he loved tins country =
be had often declared at home, that he
would have England almost and altogether
such as we, except these bonds of slavery
he rcvered the fathers Of the republic; but
they erred in allowing an immortality to be
incorporated into their national system.
Slavery. introduced at the first settlement
Of the land, had marred everything since
1t marred even the Declaration OF lndepen-
dence, tor if the copy of that immortal in
strument among our archives Is examined,
it will be found that the clause, written by
jefferson, charging truly upon England,
among her other wrongs towards these colo
MES, the introduction and support Of a sys-
TEN OF human bondage here, was stricken
out, in concession TO the shareholders. 1t
marred the first articles of confederation. 1t
marred the Constitution, which confined Its
benefits only to white men, and gave to the
slaveholding States in their three-ffths rep
resentation, power in Congress which de-
cided every great question in their favor 1t
holding 400, 900 slaves, to Is, holding 1000
900. With the exception Of the elder and
younger Adams. every President of the
country, down to Mr.. Lincoln, was slave
holder or something meaner-a northern
dough-faee Opinions changed till 1t was
held that slavery was constitutional, there
fore lawful, therefore universal, therefore
perpetual. Ii WIS the distinct doctrine of
the dominant party, FIVE years ago, that
slavery was as lawful in Burlington as in
Charleston. But no nation ever lasted
founded on oppression. The Union protect
ed slavery, and where is YOUR Union now?
Mr.. Thompson went on to speak OF the
present state Of the country and OF public
sentiment he praised President Lincoln
highly, and ssid his great Proclamation
would send his name down to pOsterity with
a iustre possessed by few On the pages Of
history.
Referring 10 England, he owned that there
was cause for Indignation On our part. Eng
land had made undue haste TO recognize the
rebels as belligerents; her ports had sent out