Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-01-27
Mr.. HaIeYmThc WiImOt PrOyiSO.

Almost every days intelligence from Washington
cheers our heart with The assurance that freedoms
champion, the Hon. John P. Hale, is fearlessly dealing
his gigantic and welI-1irected blows upon the hoary
head of the slave power. Heaven be praised that we
at last have a man in the U. S. Senate who talks, prays
and votes as a consistent representative of a freedom
loving constituency. Let the hopes and the gratitude
of the nation cluster around that noble man, who has so
nobly struck for the Right!
On the 18th inst, Mr.. Hale presented some eight or
ten anti-slavery and anti-war petitions, from various
parts of the Union, one of which was a memorial OF
several hundred ministers and laymeL of the Unitarian
denomination, praying for peace with Mexico, and the
PREPARATION of all injuries we have inflicted upon that
republic. Upon this memorial, Mr.. Hale spoke as fol-
lows, and it was referred to the committee on Foreign
Relations:-
MI. Hale said Mr.. President, have been request
ed by the gentleman from whom | have received this
last memorial, to say a word in explanation of its
character, and in order to obviate an exception which
may arise in some minds from an inspection of the Pc
tition itself, that it is of a sectarian character, coming
Only from a single denomination. The answer to this
is, that it originated with that class who were DESTROYS
of doing what they might for arresting what they con
SlueTeu u great anu alarming eNll. hey nuu SilllC
the time nor the means for associating with themselves
the various other denominations which divide the
Christian world, and they did not feel authorized to
speak in the name or on behalf of the Church univer
sal. This alone accounts for the apparent ~sectarian
character of the petitiln on its face. But. MIR. Presi-
dent, it will be seen, on examining the substance OIL
the petition, that it is far from being obnoxious to such
a reproach, but on the other hand asks for measures
eminently Christian in their character, and in which
n of oxroru naO,o mud cppf D1nv unita who holiouo n
that original test of discipleship laid down by the Au.
thor of our religion, who, when a~rrqigned before the
Roman Governor, said, " if my kingdom were of this
world, then would my servants fight"
Mr.. President, having so recently declared my sen
timents in my place in the Senate concerning the OBJ
jects and character of this war, it seems unnecessary
for me to add a word at this time, and | leave 1t in the
hands Of the Senate, simply remarking, that among
the marks of public favor with which | have been hon
ored, the being selected as the agent to present this
petition to the Senate, is most grateful to my feelings
and that, whether | look to the character of the petit
TONERS or the objects for which they pray.
On the same day, Senator Dickinson of New York
made a speech in favor of his resolutions, declaring tht
constant acquisition of territory, to be our true policy
and that the question of slavery should be left to thu
people of the several territories.
After his speech, Mr.. Yulee, of Florida, proposed
resolutions as follows:
"Resolved, That the territory belonging to, or which
may be acquired by the United States, is the common
property of the Union, and the sovereignty over the
same, vests in the people Of the several States compri
sing the Union.
Resolved, further, That the Federal Government
has no delegated authority, nor the territorial commu
nifty any inherent right, to exercise any Legislative pow
err within the said territories, by which the equal RICH
, of all the citizens of the United States to acquire anC
enjoy any part of the common property, may be i'm
paired or embarrassed"
Mr.. Hale gave notice that he would move the fol
lowing, as an amendment, at the proper times:
Strike outa all after the word "Resolved," and inser
the following;
"Thati it should be one of the fundamental rules ant