The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-07-19

yer, the same rights 10 maintain, and. the
same honor to protect. All these must re,
ceive our attention, or be left 10 those who.
as party, have uniformly lent themselves
10 the slave-holding influence. five forget
those rights, and spend our efforts in un-
meaning contentious and useless quarrels
with each other will not our country hold
US responsible, Our interests have been
sacrificed /; our rights have been trampled
npon; our State has been disgraced, as |
have heretofore shown. Yet we have divi
ded our efforts, and separated from our po-
litical associates, and delivered the honor Of
our State 10 the keeping of party who, for
getful Of the dignity of freemen, have shown
themselves willing 10 become the catchers
of slaves, and 10 degrade themselves and
their State by legislating for the purpose Of
robbing their fellow men of that liberty with
which the God Of nature has endowed them.
But ] desire 10 examine n little further the
cause Of our separation at fhe late election.
The Wings supported our tariff; our har-
Dor improvements the distribution Of the
proceeds of the public lands, with zeal and
constnncy. But our commerce with Hayii.
The right of petition, the slave trade in the
District OF Columbia, received from them,
generally, much less attention, although
they were not neglected By portion Of that
party. These latter subjects were deemed
of paramount importance by portion Of our
political friends: on these they bestowed
their principal thoughts, and treated the 9th.
ers with comparatively little attention. In
this manner each party felt that they were
exerting their efforts upon subjects of vital
interest 10 our country, and each consider
ed the other as liboring in behalf of interests
that were not worthy of the attention paid
TO them.
Ia this way each party became dissaiis-
fled with the other. Here. then, is the pre-
else point Of division among our friends
not because either did wrong, but because
each felt that the other was not sufficiently
jealous in supporting all their interests
The division did not arise from any politi-
cal sin of commission, but for emitting some
part of our duties. The Democratic party
has Violently opposed those rights which
Liberty men deem sacred. The Wings
were lukewarm in supporting them and,
on this account, our Liberty friends with
drew from Us, and thereby delivered over
our interests TO the disposal of those whose
bitterness against the rights Of man caG
scarcely find uiterance in our language
Having thus ascertained the cause, and The
precise point OF our separation, the remedy
is PLAIN. 1t consists simply in dung our
dufy-in maintaining our rights and inter
esis. and firmly resisting all abuses ; in pla-
cling ourselves upon the exact line of the
Constitution, and temporarily, but resolute-
", opposing all encrouchme MIS- upon our in
terests, our honor, or our constitutional
privileges. ! am aware that many of our
editors and public men fear that the asser-
ton and maintenance of our rights IN re-
gard TO slavery, would drive from us our
Wing friends in the slave States. If these
fears were well grounded. they would form
no good reason why we should surrender
our constitutional rights, in order TO pur-
chase their adherence. This is the policy
Of the opposite party. They appear anx
ious to surrender up our rights, our interests,
and our honor, for the purchase OF southern
votes. II the Wigs atiemp, TO rival that
party in servility, they must fail. The IN
dependent spirit, the high sense of honor,
the patriotic sentiment Of our Wings. will
not permit them TO become subservient 10
the slavehoding interest. But the argu-
ment is not well founded. Our southern
Wings are generally men of liberal and pat
riotic sentiments. They will not ask of us
the sacrifice of our constitutional rights
On the contrary, they will be as willing 10
grant US the enjoyment Of all our rights. as
TO demand the enjoyment of all their own.
If they are not such men, they are unit 10
be the associates of northern Wings. Ii is,
however, true. that they, as well as north
ern men, have not, heretofore, fully UNDER
stood our rights. for the reason that we, our
selves, dare not assert them and they, as
well as northern men, have unconsciously
voted and acted in opposition 10 the rights
of the free States, under the impression that
they were sustaining the Constitution. But
when the attention Of the southern and nor
ihern Wings shall be directed 10 this SUBJ
iect when they shall have fully investiga-
ted il, and shall understand the constitution
al limits of slavery, apprehend there will
be no difference between them. 1t is, there-
fore. all important that public attention
should be directed to this matter. Indeed.
intelligence in regard 10 northern rights
cannot be longer suppressed. A spirit of
inquiry is abroad among the people, and 1t
is increasing daily, and becoming stronger
and stronger. A marked and PalPable
change has taken place in the public mind
within The past year. 10 February last, al
most the entire press united in the opinion
that VIC were bound to support the coast
wise slave trade Of the south. At this time,
who is willing 10 hazard his reputation by
advocating such doctrine Yet, asserting
and maintaining our constitutional rights.
So long have the people Of tho north been
accustomed TO silent submission, when our
rights have been invaded, that many Of our
editors, our statesmen and politicians, still
appear TO doubt the safety of an open, frank
and manly defence of our interests and our