Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-07-04

and unless all this were tamely permitted, 10 make
this fair city n scene Of universal carnage. This
is surely bad enough, but this is not all. The
principles which have been nvowed, seem TO me
as utterly subversve Of all other governments as
lhey are of our own. If all established govern
ment may be overturned on the principles which
have been advocated, and in the manner which
we have seen attempted, no constitution in the
land is worth the parchment on which II is writ To-
ten The only law that would 10 known, would
soon be the law of force The only principle of
action would come to be the love OF plumber All
that would be necessary, in order to establish un-
limited power over us, would be- without the forms
of law, 20 lay claim TO a majority, and assemble Il
sufficient plumber of armed men to carry its decs-
ions into effect. The same means by which The
first usnrpation was accomplished, would be n
good reason for perpetratlng a second and third,
each one more bloody and tyrannica than its pre-
decessor, until the horrors ofrevolntonary France
were re-enncted here, and then until they ermit-
ated in as fearful and ilf1exihle despotism
I" ] regret to say, that il these principles could
have obtained ioothold here, they would | fear
have spread, know not how rapidly, to the ad
joining States. Meetings of men, sytnpnthZing.
it is called, with this movement, have been held
in Boston, in New York, in Philadelphia, aud 9th
er places They have been fostered aud abelled
in some cases by the civil Magistrates and yet
more, in some instances by men who have been
been warmed at our fresides. 1 hope that such
men have been deceived or misled, but can hard
ly believe it, as much as wish could. So dire
is the lust of office, SO blind the a.. of political
ambition, that fear there are niaXhnong Us who
look ut nothing as n crime, which will put them
at the head of the strongest Such men will en-.
silly find multitude 10 follow wherever they will
lead. Thus the flame which was almost klndled
here, might have spread over all New England.
That such principles would have ultimately tri-
umphed, do not believe for the Lord God ON
nipotent reigneth and with all our sins, cannot
believe that we have yet deserved so awful IA visi.
tnlion. | believe that throughout our country, ms
He has done here, lie would have aroused the in
tensest love of right, and hatred of oppressun-
| believe thpt rather than submit to such despo
tism the despotism OF lawless force, every good
cIlizen would have conended unto death | be
lieve that such an attempt would have ended, as
it has here, in utter confusion.
But who can tell what such contest would
have cost? Who can tell what blood would have
been shed, ere we should have been again restor.
ed to tranquility? And who can estip1nte the eff
feet upon the civilized world OF such spectacle
Who can tell bow the friends of liberty would
have been contounded, and how their best hopes
would have been dashed, for centuries The We
ry notion OF a free government, if it must he liza
bic TO commissions such as this, would be scoffing
and hye-word. Nay, | already feel hufubled
more than can express when reflect that the
news of this wicked design, borne on the wings
of the wind, is already on its way to every dwell
ling in the civilized world AS citizen of this
State how can look stranger in the face and
be obliged 10 confess that this soil has been degra.
ded by men who were assembled with arms IN
their hands, for the purpose of overlhfowing a
government under which every man has ever been
most perfectly protected under which, every
man has enjoyed The most perlec; liberty, and TO
overthrow it ut the sacrifice not only OF the best
blood OF this STATE, but of the blood of relaves
of brethren, nay of a tender and oo,indugent pa
rent But the subject is too painful; I can pur-
sue it no farther. May God in his infinite mercy
pardon the guilt of this transaction"