Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-07-24

Honary days, ana whose nfst lessons were
lessons Of patriotism and courage, Of caution
and jealousy Of power. They have passed a
way from our public councils; most Of them
are buried in the silence Of the grave, and 10
us nothing remains but the remembrance Of
their virtues and the lessons Of their teaching.
As they began the great experiment Of modern
republican government, with trembling fear
and deep dstrust.-so i! behoyCs US 10 mark
every onward step with delberalion aud care
AS they (eH-so must we deeply (eel-the
maxim that "power is stealing from the many
to the few" as naturally, as unerringly, as the
flowing rivers seek the sea, or the planets in
the heavens tend 10 the central sun. AS they
wcre--it is for us 10 BEE jealous nj pOicer--
OrerconfdoHce its the reverse of jealousy Iii
is the key which opens the temple OF Liberty,
and every unclcan thing may enter 10 defe-
TO dcsccralc--to destroy.
II requires no argument 10 prove, that men,
who fear no danger will make no ciiorls TO Sc.
cure safety; nor does it demand the power Of
second sight 10 forsce, that nation, uncon-
scou, Of the inward Tayages OF dangerous
disease, will, al least, run che fearful hazard Of
pcrshing. While the mass Of the people lose
their jealousy Of power--rclax their watch
tulness Of the course Of public men & public
measures, involving in their results, il maybe,
in present prosperity and the prospect Of iu-
ture success, heybecomc intent on eoln, and
careless of the statc-the door is opened for
the entrance Of abuses; power may be as
sumed without even the color Of neces.
sity or Of law, and the sacred charters of our
rights become no better than the paper upon
which they are inscribed. The pre- SIS, the
main sentines on the walls Of freedom, whcn
guided with IN honest and no orablo regard
TO the will, in ssch state Of
'hings, give but an un craih sound, or, by
the false cry OF security, lull to still deeper
sleep. The brides or the Irowns of power
may tempt II to silence or 10 defend the
wrong, aud one after another Of III, lil-
lars Of our safety may be removed until
the fair fabric Of freedom falls TO the ground
Of its own weight.
Growing out of this source Of danger is
another, and the only one, 10 which your at
iention will be called: it is, Tie iotg uaige
p'aced upon the rights unl privileges Of finer
lean citizenship.
The Fundamental Kim has been broleht
TO mind that the people are the source, and
the greatest good OF the people cad, OF all
right government. In ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
this maxim and TO secure its perpctuiiy, all
political power is made TO flow from tie pco-
pie; through the ballot boxes they are 70 cor
fer power upon their servants and through
that medium they are 10 correct all abuses
The American citizen as himscllthe guardian
Of his own righ's-thc protector of his own
liberty. However humble in wealth, or how
ever undistingulshed By taents-he may be
one in n ultitnde, and look abroad over FL
teen millions Of human bcne but there are
none with more rights and rrivileges--none
al IL, L.,
II e may 90 into the halls OF legislation, com
posed Of men most noted for wisdom-into
the courts, and find judges renowned for legal
lorc-into the presence of the President him
sef-ond yet these are all his SERVANTS. This
is American citizenship. But alas how lit
tie do we feel our relation TO the nation and
TO the events OF the time in which we live
How faint is our conception of the heavy
responsibility conferred by the constitution
and confirmed by our own oath, before God,
to be faithful TO cur trnst
Many years ago, one who loved as much,
and feared as much for the Liberty Of Amer
ca, as any man who has lived or died or her
shores--Thomas Aforementioned fear
FIJI prophecy. "The spirit of the times" said
he, ''may alter, will alter. Our rulers will
become corrupt, our people careless. A Sin
gle Zealot may commence prosecutor, and bet
Ter men be his victims. IL can never be too
often repeat ted that the time for fixing every
essential right, is while our rulers are honest
and ourselves united. From the conclusion
OF this war we shall be going down hill. 1t
will not then be necessary 10 resort every mo-
nen TO the people Tor support They will
he forgotten, therefore, and their rights dlsre.
gOrded. They will forget themselves, but in
the sole faculty of money making, and will
l. Il
for their rights"
"Thc people will forget themselves :" This
was the prophecy--and too rapid has been the
course OF fulflIment. Reflection on this sub
jet has led 10 the fear, that neither the reality
nor the extent Of danger from this source is
properly appreciated. BY reference TO the
census Of our own stale in 1880, we shall find
that Vermont contained more than G0,0G0
persons, entitled 10 all the privileges Of free
men-and yet seldom, il ever, in the sevcresl
political contests which the state has witness
ed, have more than 1900 votes been cast
Here then, is fact, which ought TO astound
and alarm us, that ordinarily, more than one
ihird fthe freemcn of Vermont have forgotten
Il at they w,ro ireomen, or neglected 10 per
form the imperative duties and exercise the
hgh privileges of citizenship! We are not al
liberty TO say that the citizens of other states
in the Union are less attached 10 our repub-
lean institutions. To them shall be accorded
patriotism MS mach and us pure as we claim
for ourselves: and yet we shall find the fear
FIJI fact that more than one third o! the clii-
zcns of this naton---a fraction amounting
10 more than one million OF ireemcn-have
"forgottcn themselves" and ether rights."-
The great barrier against inroods Of inno-
vation, aud against the entrance oG corruption
and abuses, is the faithful exercise,by the peo-
pie, Of their privileges butii one third Of the
people hayo already and habiu0lIy abandoned
lhelr trust-whai, and how soon, shall the
end be2
II is clear that tho first and almost inertia
bile consequence Of this state OF things -, in
.l-.tt.. H.. ILLn Cow. !