Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-01-04
RUTLAND HERALD,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER %, 1855.
Kentucky.

pa[t VI IItsiuSub hihSOAa
ton, sundry negotiations were carrieo
on setwean the President snd oeiega-
tions from Kentucky. As the war pro-
crossed, or rather dragged, and the real
situation began 10 open more clearly 10
the mental vision of the good President
he urged upon the people OF that State
the Importance Of abolishing slavery,
in consideration of the sum Of three
hundred dollars for each one Of their
100000 chattels Well would 1t have
been If they could have had eyes to see
what was for their pecuniary advan-
tage. At a moderate calculation the
people of that State might have received
forty or fifty millions Of dollars for
their human property. But they were
too wise IN their own conceit. What
the President in the kindness Of his
heart intended as great boon to the
people of that State, they spurned with
naughty disdain. They, forsooth, I'M
derstood their interests much better,
and even affected TO commisergte the
simpie-minded Lincoln for not knowing
any better than TO hint at such a thing.
Meantime the tide was rolling on. The
proclamation of emancipation came,
making an exception Of " loyal Ken
lucky the war for the Union was
fought out successfully; the cOnstitu-
tional amendment forever prohibiting
slavery in the United States was adopt
ed; and thus it is that the people OF
Kentucky walked up the other morning
and found themselves to be all eX-slave-
holders.
The legislature Of that State have
been cutting up few capers lately, At
least few individuals, the worthy sue
cessors of Tom Marshall, have been try
ing to make themselves notorious by
introducing resolutions with regard to
rights above the Constitution" which
they are prepared to defend at all haz-
ards" But this is only a contemplate
Imitation Of the last ditch" phraseolO-
gy, which has now gone out Of fashion.
The great body of the people cannot but
understand their true situation. Instead
of having slavery on three sides as for
merly, they are now entirely surrounded
by free states. They cannot enforce
their state laws, for they are all set aside
by the supreme law Of the land" II
they resort to force they will at once en-
counter the military.
The Louisville Journal Of the 23d
inst, in an able article which doubtless
speaks the sentiments of majority OF
the people Of that State, discourses as
follows:
The adoption Of the constitutional
amendment lifts great burden from
the shoulders Of the people of Kentucky
The period of uncertainty, which has
forever closed, weighed like mountain
upon them. The State laws protected
the master, and the military authorities
to large extent and the laws Of Con.
gress to some extent protected the slave
There were constant collisions, theoret-
ically and practically, and nobody knew
what course to take, for every one seem
ed about equally blocked up. This was
as bad for the blacks as whites. The
latter were deferred from hiring the for.
mer, for fear of the penalties impending
over them for so doing, without the con
sent of masters, by virtue Of the power
of State laws. Slaves could not find
employment consequently as free per
sons, and were not secure either as freed
people or as slaves. They were literally
outcasts. They were deferred from hir.
ing themselves out, lest their masters
should claim and get their wages, and
citizens and others were afraid to EN-.
ploy them lest they should have to pay
twice, to the master and then to the
slave, su peradded to which was the risk
the employer ran OF prosecution in the
State courts for violation of the laws
Thus, between the dangerous Scylla or
the one side and the fatal Oharybdis or
the other, master and slave, employer
and employed, were in danger of being
swamped and going to the bottom. Al
this is now at an end The great loaC
OF oppression and the doubt has beer
rolled away. The negroes are free, anC
white men are free too, and both may
enter into contracts without the fear o
pains and penalties. They may snaI
their fingers at the Sheriff cor any oth
er man provided they fulfill the en-
gagements they may make with eacl
other-and go on their way rejoicing
We repeat that the incubus which ha
paralyzed Kentucky for several year,
has relaxed its grasp, and her noble anC
stalwart limbs are at length disenthrall
cd. She is at last free from her tor
ments and her tormentors. The law
which in other times aud under differ
emit circumstances were destined to b,
blessings became, through the mora
earthquake that rocked her from cente
70 circumference, so many letters tina
bound her to dead carcass. The who'll
slave code Of Kentucky has ceased t.
exist. 1t falls at once and completed,
through the effect Of the amended or
ganic law Of the republic, which is tn
supreme law Of the land, anything IL
the constitution or laws OF any State t,
the contrary Notwithstanding"
YANKEE EsTBRPRTsRy IN JAPAN
San Francisco paper states that MI