Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-03-11
VOL. ", NO, 10.

are its constituents, and not the people. The
twenty-elght states, (the twenty-nne states, In
GLIDING Iowa. stand under this Government as
twenty-nine individuals would stand to CONSOLE
dated power. It was not made for the mere in
dividual prosperity of the state as Individuals
No. sir. 1t was made for higher ends. 1t was
formed, that every State constituting aporton of
this great Union of ours should enjoy all its adj
yantages, natural and acquired, with greater Sc
curity, and enjoy them more perfectly. The
whole system is based ON justice and equality,
perfect equality between the members of this
republic. Nor can that be consistent with equal
ity which will make this public domain monop-
oily on one side-whch, in its consequences,
would place the whole power in one section of
the Union, to be welded against the other Sec
tons Of the Union. Is that equality!
How do we stand in reference to this terrific
rial question-this public domain of oursl Why,
sir, what Is it? 1t is the common property of the
States of this Union. They are called "the ter
ritores of the United States" And what are
the Omitted States" but the States united! Sir,
these territories are the property of the States
united; held Jointly for their common use
And is it consistent with justice, is it consistent
with equality, that any portion OF the partners,
outnumberlng another portion, shall Dust them IN
this common prosperity of theirs--shall pass any
law which shall prescribe the citizens OF other
portions Of the Union from emlgratlng with
their property to the territories Of the United
States! Would that be consistent can II be
consistent, with the idea Of common property,
held Jointly, for the common benefit of all!-
Would it be so considered in private llte!--
Would it not be considered the greatest outrage
i'll the world, and which any court on the face of
the globe would oyerrule!
Mr.. President, not only is that proposition
grossly inconsistent with the Constitution, but
the other, which undertakes to say that no State
shall be admitted into this Union which shall
not prohibit, by its Constitution the existence of
slavery is equally a great outrage against the
Constitution Of the United States Sir, hold
it to be fundamental principle of our political
system, that the people have right to establish
what Government they may think proper for
themselves; that every State about to become
member of this Union has right to form its
own Government as it pleases and that in order
to be admitted there is but one qualification
and that is, that the Government shall be repub-
lican. 1t is not so expressly prescribed by the
instrument itself, but by that great section which
guarantees to every State in this Union repub-
lican form of Government Now, sir, what IS
proposed! 1t is proposed, from vague, lndet-
mite erroneous, and most dangerous conception
of private individual liberty, to overdue Inc
great common liberty which people have of
framing their own Constitution! Sir, the ind-
vdual right of men is not nearly so easily to BE-
established by any course of reasoning, as his
common liberty, And yet sir, there are men of
such delicate feeling on the subject of liberty
there are men who cannot possibly bear what
they call slavery in one section OF the country,
(and it is not so much slavery as an institution
indispensable for the good of both races,) men
so squeamish on this point that they are ready
to strike down the higher right of a community
to govern themselves i'll order to maintain the
absolute right of individuals, in all circumstan-
ccs to govern themselves
Mr.. President, the resolutions tn It | have pro-
posed present, in exact terms, these great truths.
propose to present them to the Senate; | pro-
pose to have vote upon them; and trust there
is no gentleman here who will refuse direct
vote upon these propositions, 1t is manly that
we shall know the state of things. 1t is due to
our constituents that we should insist upon 1t;
and |, as one, will insist upon it that the sense
of this body shall be takcn-the body which rep
resents the States in their capacity as commune
ties, and the members of which are to be their
special guardians. 1t is due to them, sir, that
there should be fair expression of what is the
sense Of this body. Upon that expression much
depends 1t is the only stand which we can
have. 1t is the only position which we can take,
which will uphold us with anything like indie
! pendence which will give us any chance at all
to maintain an equality in this Union, on those
great principles to which | have had reference.
/ Override these principles, and we are nothing
Preserve them, and we will ever be respectable
portion of the community.
Sir, here let me say word as to the compro'
mise line. have always considered 1t as
great error-highly injurious to the South-be-
cause it surrendered, for mere temporary purpo-
ses, those high principles of the Constitution
upon which | think we ought to stand. | am
against any compromise line Yet would have
been willing to have continued the compromise
/ line One Of the resolutions in the House, to
that effect was offered at my suggestion. l said
to friend there, (Mr Burt,) "Let us not be
disturbers of this Union. AS abhorent to my
feelings as is that compromise line, let 1t be adj
hered to in good faith; and if the other portions
of the Union are willing to stand by it, let US
not refuse to stand by it, 1t has kept peace for
some time, and, in the circumstances, perhaps 1t
would be better to keep peace as it it" But,
sir, it was voted down by an Overwhelming ma
ioriy 1t was renewed by "a gentleman from
non-slaveholding state, ard ogai voted down BY
an overwhelming majority.
Well, l see my way in the Constitution, |
cannot in the compromise compromise is
but an act of Congress. 1t may be overruled at
any time, 1t gives us no security But the
Constitution is stable. 1t is a rock. On it
can stand 1t is principle on which we can
meet our friends from the non-slaveholdng states
1t is on firm ground, on which they can better
stand in opposition to fanaticism, than on the
/, shifting sands of compromise
Let US be done with compromise Let us 60
back and stand upon the Constitution.
We'll, sir, what if the decision of this body
shall denv to us this high constitutional right,
which in my opinion is as clear as any in the in
strument tself--the more defined and stable, in
deed, because deduced from the entire body OF
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