County Meeting--Liberty Principles

Pursuant to a cali signed by eixty cili- zens of Washtenaw county, a Convention of citizens of that county was held at the Court House in Ann Arbor, Murch 30th, 1842, to expresa their views of the Right of Petition, the national proceedings in reference tothe Creóle affair, and the ag. gressiona continually raaking on the rights and interests of Northern freemen by the Slave Power of ihe South. Zenas ISíaph was called to the Cha ir, and T. Fostkr appointed Secretary. Dr. J. B. Barnes, Justus Norris, Rev. Hiram Hamilton, Dr. M. H. Cowles, nnd Hon. Munnis Kenny were appointed a committee to report resoultions. The meeting adjourned. AFTERNOON 6ESSIOJÍ. Delwgations were present from the towns of Ann Arbor, Salem, Saline, Scio, Webster, Sharon, Pittsfield, Ypsilanli, Lima and Sylvan. The committee on resolutions reported the following, which were severally taken up, and unaniraously adopted, afier discus sion by Rev. G. Beckley, Dr. Barnes, S. Dutton, Dr. Cowles, Mr. Ray, Mr.Kenny, J. P. Weeks, Rev. II. Hamilton, T.Foster and others.1. Resolved, That ihu right of petition is not conferred by any legislative or constitutional provisions, bul belongs to each individual by naturo, independent oí' all politica! organizations or forms of government. 2. That Congress is bound to receive and lake into consideraliun every petition frora inhabitants of these United Staies, 'hat is couched ín respectful terms; and when the members ofUongress assume the riglu of refusing to receive and consider them, they assume ati authorily never delegated to ihem by their constituents, and which we rdedge ourselves firmly to resist. 3. That the Standing Rule, adopted in the Senate of the United States, by which the motion to receive petitions on certain subjectsi8 laid on the table, without any cuDsideration, reference or other action respecting them, is equivalent to refusing their reception, and is a piece of pettifogging chicanery, disgraceful to that digniried body, and evincing the meanness of that disposition which seeks to deprive us of our right of being heard, and the cowardice that is afraid to meet, with manly firmness, the direct and. natural consequenres of such an act. '1 That ho prcfent Senators froin ihe Siate of Michigan, by their taoieness and servility in submitting to this Rule, withuut once remonsirating against it, and permitting the petitions of their constifuents, continually to pass under its operation, without utiering one word in defence oí their rights, have shown themselves unfaíthful to their duty, and unfilted for the 3tation they occupy.5. That the conduct of those persons on board the Creóle, who were held asslaveB and achieved their liberty, is characierized by noble horoism, united with leignanl humanity; and if bloody resistance totyranny is ever justifiable, theirs was a case deserving of our ccmmendation and sympalhy. 6. Tbat all laws which suslain slavery are local; and that slavery snot sustained on the high seas, by international law; and consequenily the colored persons on board the Creóle, when at sea, were free from the power of all laws which had held them in slavery, and were absolutelyfree; and that the conflict on board that vessel, was not a conflict between masters and slaves, but belween free men and their unlawful oppressors. 7. That while we do not wish to justify Great Britain in any other matter ofcontroversy belween her Government and ours, we believe her refusal to deliver up the persons who won the victory of the Creólo is in accordance wilh law and justice - an act in which she ought to be, and will be sustained by all true philanthropists throughout Christendom. 8. That the conduct óf the National Government in demanding the surrender of the persons on board the Creóle most unjustly stigniatized in its official despatch es, as mutineers and murderers, and threat ening the Brilish nation wilh war in case theyshallnot be delivered up or paid for, is unjust and unwise, and is calculated to bringus intocontcmpt with all nations, by causing us either to embark in war in defenceofour naiional Slave Trade, or ignominiously to recede from positions we have once taken. 9. That the nianner in which John Q. Adams defended himself and the libertieB of the non-slaveholding States during his recent sham triol for ireason and subordination of perjury, as vvell as on former occasions, cntitle him to our highest esteem and regard, as the able and fearless advocate of our rights and iiberties. 10. That the altempt which there is reason to believe is now making to secure the annexation of Texas to this Union, and out of it to make several slaveholding State?, to counferbalance the influence of the free States of Iowa and Witkonsan, wbich must soon beadmitled, and thereby extend and perpetúate the Sjlavb' Power, is a biise and dangerous attempt upon the Iiberties of the Norlh. and deserving of their united execration. 10. That Slavery and Liberty arotagonist principies, and cannot exist to gether, withoat one becoming master of tho oiher, and that Slavery now predomínale! ín the Uuiled States. 12 That we seek for "Liberty and Un ton- butshould it be made certain tha slavery witl continue a national institutior fur a long penod to come, controlling tht national Government- lo be defended b natiooal armies and treasures; and ifneed be, by waging foreign and domestic wan for lis support- thus transforming the States jnto u great slaveholding confeder acy, increased by the addition of Texas with a territory large enough to make fiftv slave States of the size of Connecticut--. should we becomo convinced that these things will take place, we chalí be compelled to seek for Liberty í,and Union afterwards. 13. That although we recognize the natuial nght of every human being to iho enjoyment of personal liberjy, and all the means necessary to obtain and dcfeud it even by ihe forcé of arma- yet we vvill' not encourage the slaves to assert their íreedom by íorce,beeause we believe Iheir permanent interests can be bettcr secured by other means; butshould they, notwithstanding, use violence as their lastresort, we could not conscientiously assist in reenslaving them,because their reduciionawain toservitude would be contrary tothe faws of God, and an outrage on the rights of mea nobly contending for freedom, involving no less guijt and injustice than the prosecution of tlíe A frican Slave Trade. 14. That we regard with indignationthe fact that while the entire North has been used, for a whole generation, by the slave loklers, as a hunling ground for their human property, the entire South is now converted by ihem into a hunting ground for Northern Abolitionists. 15. That the proceedings of this meelng be signed by the officers, and published, nnd transmitied to the President of the United States, the Governors of the several States, and the members of Conarcss.