The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-08-02

War and every hour Ii was expected 10 blaze ou',
great Tammany meeting was ne'a ~ me 10y "
New York headed by the leading men OF me par
w. The Cqnbre lings, The Vanderpools, the Ailens'
Sc. with perfect knowledge thot me mlltar!
power of tho Union was TO be- employed, " heceS
sary 10 suppros IS the insnrrecon and ,notwhDstand
ing thew passed resolutions tending to awe lhe
President, and to countenanoe and cheer the Troa'
son.
Fortunately numbers of thoDoT party abandoned
their Chief; he fed, and Rhode Island, unaided
by aDy actual force OF The Federal authority proved
herself alono able TO maintain law, order and gov
ernment within her borders;
Did NOT The Rebellion in Rhode Island IND Tor
lie sunnort a precedent established by the majority
in Congress in the Irregular admission OF The Ter
ritories, as States, into the Union, 10 whlch
have heretofore alluded? IL there not reason 10
fear that the example which Congress had pfevi'
| ousIy presented encouraged the Rhode Island 70
/, hns boon attempted TO defend that Rebellion
upon The doctrines of The American Declaration OF
| lndepcndence; hut no countenance TO II can be
fairly derived from them That Declaration asserts,
| il ls true, that whenever Government becomes
,estrucve of The ends Of life, and the pursuit OF
ho,nincss for Tho security of which il was institu.
ted i, ia the right OF the People TO alter or abolish
! IT, and institute new government; aud so undoubt
edly it TO- But this is right only to be exercised
in grave and extreme cases. prudence indeed
will dictate, says that venerated instrument, that
! Governments long established should not be chan
| ged for light and TRANSIENT causes "But when Il
long train of abuses and usurpaions, pursuing invar
IDLY the same object, evioces u design to reduce
Them undcr absolute despolsm, IL is their right,
their duty, to throw off such Government.
will il be pretended that the actual Government
of Rhode lsaud is destructive Of lie, liberty and
pursuit Of happiness? Ihat 1t has perpeirated
long train Of abuses and usurpa,ions, puesning the
same imvariabe object 10 reduce the people under
absolute despotsm Or that any other cause Of
complaint existed but such as might be peacefully
! remedied without violence and without blood p
Such, as in point of fact, the legitimate Govern
meut had regularly summoned Convention 10 rG>
dress but for the resuli Of whose deliberations the
restless spirit Of disorder aud rebellion had not The
patience To wall ? Why fellow cilizens, li;e Rhody
| (Gud bless and preserve her.)is one Of the most
prospe ruus, ontetprisng and enlightened States in
The whole Union. No where is life, liberty and
property more perfectly secure.
How is this right of the People 10 abolish an ex
| listing Government, and 10 set up n new one TO he
practically exercised? Our Revolutionary
tors did not tell us by words, but they proclaimed
| il BY gallant and noble deeds. Who arc The PEG
pte that TO tear up the whole fabric of human
society whenever and as often caprico or pas
sion may promprthcm. When all the arrange.
mems and ordinances OF existing and organized
society are prostrdted and subverted, as must be
supposed in such ia ~ less and irregular movement
that in Rhode Island, The established privileges
and distinctions between The sexes, between ages,
between natives aud foreigners, between the sane
and insane aud between the innocent and the gull>
~ convict all the offspring Tf positive Institutions,
are cast down and abolished and society is thrown
into one heterogeneous and unIegula,cd mass. And
is il contended that the major part Of This Babel con
grcgatiun is invested with the right 20 build up al
Its pleasure IA new Government? That as often
aud whenever society can be drummed up and
tn, own into such a ehapeless mass, the maj part
of il may establish another and another
! Government in endless succession? Why this
would overturn all social organization, make Revo
la, ions-the extreme and last resort OF an oppres
sad poople-,he conimonest occurrences of human
| life, aud tho standing order OF the day. No com
| munty could endure such an Noticeable state Of
| things any where, and all would, aier
! take refuge from such ceaseess agitation, in the
! calm repose of absolute despolisn.
| know of no mode by which existing Gov.
eminent can be overthrown and put aside, and Il
new one erected in its place but by the
authority Of that Government. express or implied,
or by lorcble resistance that is Revolution
| Fellow Citizens,-I have enumerated these
| ampes of dangerous spirit Of Reorganization and
disregard of las with no purpose of giving offence,
or exciting bitter and unkInd feelings, here else
whore; but TO illustrate The principles, character
and tendency Of the TWO great parties into which
| this country is divided. In all of these examples,
the Democratic party, as II calls iisei', q den"m'
ination to which respectfully think il has not the
least Just precnton)or large portions Of that party
extending TO whole States, united with apparent
cordially. To all Of them the Wing party was
| constantly and firmly opposed And now lei me
asks yuu,in all candor and sincerity, to say truly
| and imparially TO which Of these two parties can
the Interests, the happiness, and the destines OF
| this great people be most safely conhded! sp-
peal especially and with perfect confidence, to the
candor of the real, the ancient and loDg-tred De-
| mocracy-that old Republican party with whom
stood, side by side during some OF the darkest days
of the Republic, seasons Of both war and peace.
I Fellow>citzens OF all parties! The present sit
uation of our country is one of unexampled distress
and difficulty but there is occasion for any de-
spondency. A kind and eouniiiul Providence
has never destroyed us-punished US, he, perhaps,
has, for negec, of his blessings and our mis-.
deeds. We have varied and fertile soil, gent
al climate aud free insttu tons, Our whole land
| is covered, in profusion, with the means Of sub
sis,ence and the comforts OF life. Our gallant
Ship it is unfortunately true, lies helpless, tossed
on a tempesluous soa, amidst conflicting bill
lows If contendng parties, without arudder and
iwithout n failhful pilot. But that ship is coun
Try, omhodyed all our past glory, all our future
hopes It's is our whole people, by whatever
political denomination they are known. 1t she goes
down, we all go down together, Let US remember
renee Don't give up the Ship. Tho glorious
Banner of our Country, with lis unstained Stars
and Stripes, still proudly floats at its masthead
| With stout hearts and strong arms we can sur
1 mount all our difficulties Let US all-al-rally
around that Banner and firmly resolve to perpetu
ate our liberties and regain our lost prosperity.
Wings! Arouse from the ignobe supineness
| fran tha LOT