Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-08-24

Wilmot provlso, their instincts told them that Human
Liberty was in DANGER and the answer that they have
given TO it is that they are here. [Applause.l Ihave
been told, fellow citizens by those who do not sympa-
thlze In this glorious movement that the Wilmot pro-
ylso is, alter all, nothing but an abstraction laugh
teg.4 Well, to certain extent, | am willing to admit
thatsit is an abstraction. | willing to say what it
is MOI 1t is not bread and butter. 1t is not roast
beef and two dollars day. Laughterl It is not
nice provision under government as reward for party
services Mo- the WiImot proyso rises above all these
considerations 1t Is an abstraction to be sure and so
was Magma Charta an abstraction. And so was the
Declaration of independence abstraction So is the
idea Of right and justice, and the truth of God, an alb
stracton. And it these distractions that raise man
kind above the brutes that perish II is these abstrac-
tons that raise people and carry themon TO glory
forever. And, fellow citizens, it is around these alb
stractlons that we now rally order to place uur gov
eminent On proper basis, which it has deserted.
Fellow citizens, for my own part, regard the viii.
mot provlso as covering great deal more ground pro-
badly, than you may at first imagine | regard the
! Wllmot prOvlsO as in substance, struggle between
right and wrong,as a contest between truth and
Decentralization the principles of Liberty and the
rule of slavery. Good, good. Hurrah1 Now, fell
low citizens is the accepted time when we will come
together to note what our position u.s. and how far the
government has drifted from its ancient landmarks
which our fathers set up. Now is the accepted time
! N0en we are ldkeu IL new observation OF the national
ship, and if we have found that she has drifted from
her course we are to try to put her back again fan
1 plause. The question now before US is one which
involves the proposition whether we shall adhere TO the
solemn principles Of the Declaration of Indeppndencn
whether shall deduce government from the consont
Of the governed and whether we shall make this GOV
eminent system which promotes Justice or which
sanctions slavery in the new territories of the west :
Why fellow citizens, the question rises above ,ba
r1nr cnnaidnratipn ri Lao, d..
by the law of God people are authorized to sow the
seeds OF slavery IN rising community anywhere and
the constitution Of the United States never contain,
plated that wo as people should allow the creating of
"a system Of injustice in any country which yo nav
ever populate. Yet, it is fact fellow citizpns that
| these solemn principles which we have sunnosed f.,
have been established tor seventy years. are now call
ed III question IN The nigh places of the Union They
have not only been called distractions but bev bova
been declared to be actually false 1t il higbv
bent upon US, therefore, if we really mean 70 Stand bv
what our fathers told us if we mean to svnnnahize
with the principles OF Locke and stand bv the n,qrvr
dom OF tampden aud Sydney, it is necessary 70 with
stand the efforts Of those who would carry ne bach two
hundred years ana pace us under the tyranny of the
P[nC'e a4Yoca'eu oy tne Ola English philosophers,
Hobbies, and other writer's of the time
Fellow citizens, firmly believe the world is about
to know whether we the devoted sons of Gbertv mr.
whether we are going to give up the whole Of This
great western continent to the rule of those who do
not acknowledge our principles bat denounce them.
Fellow citizens, we are obliged under necessity
which we cannot resist to denoun,e the orCani2a
tons OF the old parties as longer worthy the con-
tldence OF a free people (Appauso
They have met and they have shown by their &C.
tioh uia' they nave no system of policy excepting
that which consists in fighting with each other IN the
endeaVor to get place as the prize of the struggle
They are united, however in one tbnr and that is to
put down The prlncldle Of liberty which is rising in
this continent Fellow citizens we know the result
OF these bodies, and now that we have seen and I'M
der5and what 1t Is that they contendng for let us
go rwardand show our fellow citizens what differ
ent spectacle Is exhibited by those who looking first
upon solemn principle, are agreed upon that and
then turning then shoulders to the wheel see how it
shall be carried out (Cheers.) And fellow citizens
we calmto be of those who, although they may desire
to command success, yet, do not mean to forget that
IN the event of success they mean to carry their prn
ciPles with them Great applause.)
But, fellow citizens, the eyes of the whole country
are upon our action this day, and there are MANY i'll
disposed persons who are greedily looking for some
manifestation OF distraction and discussion and diyis-
ion, which shall succeed in defeating, as far as any hui
man power can defeat it, the success flour movement
Looking at the results Of their own conventions ir
which they have presented the morifyng spectacle o.
nothing but DIVISION they do really suppose that We
u, who come here, are IN Just the position They
do not understand the difference between them and u,
d yet. They do not understand that they are fighting
s only Tor eXpediency, and expecting nothing bu
place But here we have come together with an anx
ious and earnest desire to mark out the way in which
we shall arrive at truth, and when once it shall hav
been presented to us, not to quarrel but to unite to
u gehsr in its support Great appause They do no
understand that we come here and say, "Set up you
l. STANDARD of Freedom and Truth-everythng for thu
i Ioot1 ,plp htrprf
st long continued appause Let your deliberations then
proceed aud may the divine blessing rest upon the
rult so that we may take one step forward to reaiz
II that great idea ofou foefathers the model of Chris
G tian commonwealth.
/ Mr.. Adams took his seat amidst the most EN-
, thusiastic and long continued applause.
!. The Committee on Organization &c. sub
ID mitted the following further report, which wa
is unanimously adopted.
o This Convention assembled in pursuance of
IS recommendation of State Of the Ohio held Oh
: the 2Sh day Of June last That Convention
"a recommended the appointment of six delegate
% at large for each State that should choose to b
Il represented, and three delegates from each Con
IF gressional District
Is Several States have followed that recommen
s, dation as to the number of delegates while il
=
VI appointed a much larger number than that pro
n. posed and IN some a smaller number.
The committee appointed by the delegation
of the several States 10 confer upon the sub 9ct
y of organization and representation, have had tn
III subject under consideration, and beg leave t,
ID submit to the Convention the following rules t
- - remedy, as far as practicable, the inequat
y which would arise from voting in mass, per capita
e, or by States
ii l. Each State shall be entitled to six conferee
to be composed of its delegates at large, if
have them in sufficient numbers, if not they shall
Is be appointed by the delegates in attendance
he from said States
9 Each Congressional district of State rep
resented shall be entitled to three conlerees-
ID The regular delegates of the districts shall b.
y such conferees, if enough are in attendance. |
y not, the number may be supplied by the dele
Of gates from said States, from any persons attend
t. ing from said States.
ii B. The said conferees shall constitute Com
mttee of Conference, and shall have full powe
y to sit during the sittings of the Convention, ant