Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-03-06

A'il' 4 ! CoIuCIlt, W say, THAT Wulle L IeCO5-
nlze in the Justly wounded feelings of the
Minister of the United States to the Court
OF St. James much 10 excuse the notice
which he was provoked to take of that ag-
ltator, in my humble opinion, he would
better have consulted the dignity of his
station and his country in treating him
with contemptuous silence. He would
exclude US from European society-he
who himself can only obtain contra
band admission, and is received with
scornful repugnance into it Nhe be no
more DESTROYS Of our society than we are
OF his, he may rest assured that state Of
eternal non-intercourse will exist between
US, Yes, sir, think the American min
lister would have best pursued the dictates
of true dignity, by regarding the lam
guaee of the member of the British House
q Commons as the malignant rawlings Of
the plunderer of his own country. and the
libeler of a foreign and kindred people
But the means to which have already
adverted are not the only ones which this
third class Of a-abotitionists are en-
pioving to effect their ultimate end. They
began their operations by PROCESSING TO
employ only persuasive means in appeal
| ing to the humanity, and enlightening
the understandings, Of the slaveholding
portion of the Union. If there were some
kindness in this avowed motive, it must
be acknowledged that there was a rather
presumptuous display also ofan' assumed
superiority in intelligence and knowledge.
For some time they continued to make
these appeals to our duty and our interest !;
but impatient with the slow influence of
their logic upon our stupid minds, they
recently resolved to change their system
of action. 70 the agency of their pow
ers of persuasion, they now propose to
substitute the powers of the ballot box =
and he must be blind TO what is passing
before US, who does not perceive that the
inevitable tendency of their proceedings
is, if these should be found insufficient, to
invoke, finally, the more potent powers of
the bayonet.
Mr.. President, it is at, this alarming
stage of the proceedings of the ultra-abc-
lltionists that [ would seriously invite ev-
cry conslderate man in the country SOL
! emily to pause, and deliberately to reflect,
not merely on our existing posture, but
upon that dreadful precipice down which
they would hurry US. 1t is because these
pltra-abolitionists have ceased 10 ennloy
reason and persuasion, have made their
cause political, and have appealed to the
ballot box, that am induced, upon this
occasion, to address you.
There have been three epochs in the
history Of our country at which the spirit
Of abolition displayed itself The first was
/ lmmediatel v after the formation of the
present Federal Government. When the
constitution was about going into opera
tlon, It's powers were not we'll understood
oy the community at large, and remained
70 De accurately Interpreted and defined.
Al mat period numerous abolition socie.
ties We're formed, comprising not merely
the Society of Friends, but many other
, good men. Petitions were presented to
Congress, praying for the abolition oil
slavery They were received without Sc
rlous opposition, referred, and reported
upon by committee. The report stated
that the General Government had nc
: power to abolish slavery as it existed in
the several states, and that these states
' themselves had exclusive jurisdiction over
: the subject. The report was generally
} acqulesced in, and satisfaction and tran
: guilty ensued; the abolition societie:
t thereafter limiting their exerlions, in re
: lation to the black population, to offices O
humanity within the scope Of existing
It laws.
{ The next perios when the subject o
!, slavery, and abolition incidentally, wa
: brought into notice and discussion, wa
y that on the memorable occasion of the ad
j. mission of the State of Missouri into III
l. Union. The struggle was long, strenu
D Gus, and fearful, 1t is too recent to max
e it necessary to do more than merely ad
n vert to it, and to say, that it was fnall
IT composed by one of those compromise
b. characteristic of our institutions, and {
a, which the constitution itself is the mo;
ID signal instance.
h, The third is that in which we now fin
VI ourselves. Various causes Mr.. Presi1en
e have contributed to produce the existin
er excitement on the subject of abolition
y The principal one, perhaps, is the exam
Ii pie OF British emancipation of the slave
n IN the islands adjacent to our country
ld Such is the similarity in laws, in lar
~ guage, in institutions, and in common o
n igin, between Great Britain and the Tn
ey ted States, that no great measure Of n
nd tional policy can be adopted in the cou
ch try without producing considerable d
lr- gree ofinAueEce in the other Confoun
Or ing the totally different cases together,
the powers of the British Parliament al
ng those of the Congress of the U. States, al
or the totally differeat situations of the Bf
ost lsh West India islands, and the slaves