Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-01-21

the senate2 sWitheut notice, snhsard
and untried, fnd myself charged. On the
records Of the Senate, and in Q form un-
known IN our country, with the high
crime ofyiolating the laws and Constitu-
ton Of my country. No notice Of the
charge was glyea to the accused, and no
opportunity afforded him to respond to
the accusation-to meet his accusers face
to face-to cross-examine the Witnesses
to procure counteracting testimony, or to-
be heard in his defence"
n, Had YOU, sir, done to others, as it thus
seems you would that others should do 10
you, no occasion would have been given
for this protest. You most truly assert,
in relation to the conduct of the Senate,
1t is the policy of our benign system Of
Jurisprudence, to secure in all criminal
proceedings, and even in the most trivial
litigations, a fair, unprejudiced, and i'm
partial trial" And by what authority,
sir, do you expect such Of your fellow-cit-
liens as are known as abolnionists, from
the benefit of this benign system2 When
has fair unprejudiced and impartial tri-
al been accorded to those who dare to
maintain that all men are equally entitled
to life. liberty, and the pursuit of harpi-
ness7 What was tie trial, sir, which
preceded the judgment you have rendered
against them!
Fourthly We protest against the
uagpeness Of your charges.
We cannot more forcibly describe the
injustice you have done US, than by adopt
ing your own indignant remopstrsnce
against what you deemed similar injustice
on the part of the Senate. "Some Of the
first principles Of natural right and en-.
lightened jurisprudence, have been violat
ed in the very form of the resolution. Il
carefully abstains from averring in 1ohich
of the late proceedings the President has
assumed upon himself authority and pow
er not conferred BY the Constitution and
laws. Why was not the Certainty Of the
Offence, the nature and cause Of the accu
sation, set out in the manner required II
the Constitution. before even the humbles
individual, for the smallest crime can b.
exposed to condemnation Such speci
6cation was due to the accused, that b.
might direct his defence to the real points
ofattack. A more striking illustration o
the soundness and necessity of the rule;
which forbid oGgue and Indefinite gener
Glities, and require reasonable certainty
in all judicial allegations. and a NOR,
glazing instance of the violation of thes
rules, has seldom been exhibited
It has been reserved for you, sir, to ex
hibit still more striking illustration c
! the importance Of these rules, and still
more giaring instance Of their violation
J. You have accused an indefinite numbe
of your fellow citizens, without designa
j. ton Of name or residence, of making ur
e constitutional and wicked efforts, and {
r EhaTboring intentions which could be 81
s IteEtained only by the most deprayed an
abandoned Of mankind; and yet you care
|. fully abstain from averring 1chich aricl
1 tof the Constitution they have transgres.
o ed |; you omit stating when, where, and
= whom these wicked attempts were made
e you give no specification of the infamm.
J. tory appeals, which you assert have bee
I. addressed TO the passions of the slaves
?, You well know that the g moral inf
n sncel" of your charges will affect tho,
v sands and tens Of thousands of your coul
j. trvInen, many of them your polite
id tfriends--some of them heretofore honort
:" with your confdence-most, if not all
ID them, Of irreproachable characters; ar
ut vet, by tie vely vagueness Of your cha
s. ges, you incapacitate each one of this mt
p titude from proving his innocence.
OF Fifth r. Weprotest against your cha
ges. because they are untrue. Surel
IN sir, the bur, hen of proof rests upon you.-
j. If you possess evidence against US, we ar
l. by your own showing. entitled IAN o
s. portunity to cross-examine witnesses
II, procure counteracting testimony, and
n. be heard in 10. n defence" You complain
o. ed that you had been denied such an O
he portunity. 1t was not to have been e
n Peeted, then, that you would make Il
A. conduct Of the Senate the model of 70,
q. own. Conscious of the wrong done
70 you. and protesting against it, you four
r. yourself compelled to enter on your d
,u fence You have placed US in similar ci
ly cum>tances, and we proceed to folio
ID your example:
IL The substance Of your various alleg
tons may be embodied in the charg
T. that zoe hare ATTEMPTED to circulate tn
TIE NAH appeals addressed to the pa
be sions of the slares, calculated to stinaulo
IN them to insnrTeetion, and soith the int
be tion of producing serviLs toar =
Ut 1t is deserving Of notice. that the q
in temptto circulate our papers is alone cha
Mt ged upon u.s. 1t is not pretended that v
L. have put our appeals into the hands of
ut single slave, or that in any instance o.
C. endeavors to excite a serVile war ha
at been crowned with success. And
g. what way was our most execrable attem
Ie- made, By secret agents, traversing Il