Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-02-05
Slavery in Vermont.
+ From the Rutland Herald.

The Burlington Free Press says ''Ver-
mont has the distinction of being the
first state to abolish slavery within her
borders" Nowas slavery never existed
in the state, the state could not have
abolished it. The first constitution
adopted July s, 1777, prohibited it. 1t is
true that the census of 1870 gives few
slaves in Vermont but, as the Banner
has often pointed out, Col. George Har-
rington, when he was an officer of the
census bureau at Washington, discov-
cred this to be clerical error. The fact
was widely published at the time and
has been separately alluded to since. In
view of this fact and of the fact that the
constitution Of the state prohibited
slavery - begin wiofi, it seems iI.c11uusss
BILE for Vermont editors, as they often
do, to speak of slavery ever having an
existence in the state-Benningto Ban
ner.
For many years it was continually
| being said, in and out of the state, that
Then census report for 1871 was found
showing II slaves in Bennington county
and antiquarians were puzzled, and again
somebody found that the report was
wrong and then statements like that
of the Banner were started and have been
going around again and again ever since.
Concerning the census the Windsor
Journal for October IL, 1871, had an item
as follows:
''The return of the marshars assistants for
the county of Bennington, states, that there
| are in the county 2503 white male over 16
| years of age and 2617 under that age, 5559
white females, II black males over and four
under 49, 10 black females; total of in
habtants, 12,354; TO the honor of humanity,
no Slaves"
| This shows that Alden Spooner of the
Journal, the father of Vermont editors,
was pretty stiffabolitionist, and it also
suggests tie presence of question as to
whether slaves really were in Benning-
| ton county. Abolition sentiment was in
fact strong here from the first, and
| slavery never had any legal existence
here after the state was organized. 1t
did have real existence, however, and
that after the state was admitted to the
union. The census report is of little con-
sequence, one way or the other. 1t may
be that the enumerators reported no
slaves then just as they would report no
saloon keepers now, because none could
exist under the law, but slavery
was here in fact as saloon keepers
are now. There are many well
authenticated instances of negroes
held as slaves, perhaps the most interest
ing being that of the woman Dinah, who
was bought and brought into the state in
1873 by Stephen Jacob, a lawyer by pro-
fession and one of the most prominent
men in Windsor. She was kept as
slave until the year 1900, and, finally be-
coming old and helpless, came upon the
town for support and thestown brought
suit against Mr.. Jacob to compel him
to take charge of her upon the ground
that she was his slave and that he was
therefore bound to care for her through
life. The suit was dismissed by the
supreme court.
In the Windsor Journal for February
II, 1874, appeared an advertisement as
follows:
Eight Dollars Reward.
Ran away from the subscriber, on Monday
| the third day of February, 1894, a MULATTo
Fellow named Dick; had on when he went
| away, a short brown or bordering upon the
gray sailor Coat, Trousers of the same col
our, a checked wooden shirt, his jacket a
cross-bared neheet, somewhat faded wears
CaDadian Moccasons, black felt Hat, he is
about 50 years of age, about five feet six
4 said Fellow and return him TO the OlCHer
shall receive the above REWARD and all nee
essary charges paid by me.
William Z. Plat.
Burlington. February, 1874.
| This is a tolerably singular item to
| find in a Vermont newspaper. but it inGi
| Gates the facts in the case. Vermont was
settled when slaveholding extended all
over lower and older New England, and
the settlers brought their slaves with
them, although never in any considerable
number. The slave came from Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut with religious
persecution, the use of the branding iron
TO punish criminals and many other