Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-02-24

the gentleman quoted as having been "Collate'
by Mr.. Nathan Appleton" / regret that the gen
tleman should have thus brought forward hi
friend here | cannot anticipate any occasion
that will lead me to introduce in this place, TO
any animadyersion, the name of private ctl
zen, But the remarks of the gentleman make
some remarks from me proper perhaps necessary
| will not proceed to it without promising thai
he shall not say any thing of his friends worth ii
private life that | will not cordially echo anC
confirm, perhaps with no less knowledge than his
own. cannot mistake the gentleman's alluson
when he said that "because he Mr. Appleton
expressed sentiments Of regard for the Constitu-
ton and the Union, and determination to abide
by the laws as made, torrent Of obloquy was
directed against him, so as to oblige him to pub
fish pamphlet in his defence" The gentleman
read some of "the extracts which he ( Mr.. Apple
ton) thought proper to make, to show the opinions
of his assailants;" and then, in allusion to part
of what he had quoted, he went on to say, "this
last sentiment he shows has been adopted as a
motto by many who do not profess to belong to
the sect of Abolitionists" The gentleman must
pardon me- think his friend has not shown
this | think he has not asserted it. If the
gentlemen understands that his friend has insin-
uated it, in relation to the writer of the pamphlet
that drew out his own, on the gentleman be the
responsibility of that Interpretation, | entertain
no such question here
And if the gentleman can further show that
that insinuation is in fact made, then be the re-
sponsbity of such an nsinuation upon its author,
Certnnly it would be groundless one, The
writer of the pamphlet which occasioned the
publication by the gentleman's friend, recorded
distinctly his dissent from the doctrine of disun-
ion. 1t was no Obiter dictum, but explicitly set
down, and somewhat fully reasoned out. In an
swer to the inquiry, What course Of action the
usurpatons of slavery demanded from the free
states he said, "Thcy should not mediate a
severance Of the union of the states, Dsunion
would be as evil thing as it is painted by any
of those who, by dwelling exclusively on its evils,
put their conscences to sleep Ill respect to that
SldUrey, which, as long as it exists, will threaten
more than all other causes together, to bring it
about" He then proceeded to some considerations
in confirmation ofthis sentiment, and concluded
his remark upon the topic by saying, "Consttu-
tional proceedings, them alone are to be thought
of for the abatement Of this monstrous nuisance
A disunion Of the states, on all other accounts a
calamity, does not change its character, when
viewed in relation to this,"*
Another portion of those interested in the
movement against slavery, is embraced in the
Liberty Party, so called 1t has regular party
organization contemplating action under the
constitution, holding its conventions, and sup
porting its own candidates for Office as much as
either of the two parties parties that mainly d.
vide the country In some states, its numbers
arc large. In my own state, its vote has nearly
reached ten thousand, In New York, in l844
it came up, believe, to fifteen thousand.
Among the opponents Of slavery are next to be
reckoned great numbers in the two principal
parties in the free states. A very large number
Il suppose the dominant portion--of the De-
mocracy of New York has lately taken strong
ground upon the subject; and the same, though
to less extent, has been the current of Demo
cratic opinion in New Hampshire while the
Wings of New Hampshire have made themselves
very distinctly heard and combination, on the
ground Of hostility to slavery, has pIucked the
government of that state out of the hands Of a
dynasty which had seemed destined to be perpet-
ual. In Massachusetts, we have fourteen coun-
ties. Two of them are small, their population
not equaIing that of several of our single towns
The Wings of majority, believe, Of the rest
nj the county conventions last autumn, declared
the opposition of Massachusetts to any candidate
for the Presidency or Vice Presidency, who was
not known to be opposed to the further extern
sion of slavery; while no county, as far as
know, assumed the opposite ground, But the
people of that sober Commonwealth have widel,
taken the alarm, and they do not limit then
views to the mere confinement Of slavery within
its present limits, Let me read, Mr.. Chairman
a resolve of the Legislature of the pattern Wing
state Of Massachusetts, passed, as appears by the
certified copy which | hold in my hands, on the
9th day of February last, five days berfore the
dissolution of the last Congress. 1t reads thus
Resolved, unanimously, That the Legislature o
Massachusetts views the existence Of human slavery
within the limits of the United States, as a great ca
lamity, an immense moral and political evil, whicI
ought to be abolished as that end can be prop
erly and constuhonally attained, and that its eXten
sion should be uniformly and earnestly opposed, by al
good and patriotic men throughout the Union.
Sir, that is plain language. That is, of-hand
downright, point-blank utterance, if / know
what such utterance is. Without being an
friend to the doctrine Of Instructions | take tina
for the sentiment and counsel of my vcnerate,
mother, and may God prosper me as will ac
accordingly | stand on just that platform.
consult that solemn record Of the sense of m
native state, and find that my sentiments com
exactly upto it, With that record of the vii
of Wing Massachusetts in my hand, shall no
go to Mr.. A, B, or c, in State street, or Wal
street, to learn whether l am Wing, whe
measured by some sccond-rate standard in thei
minds. Still less shall wait to have my VIII
character passed upon by some inspecting edito
here in Washington. | had not been many day
in this place before one of that profession amin
adverted on me and two of my friends, as "pr
trid excresences" upon the Wing party. In pei
haps not quite so direct language, he passed tn
same sentence on three other Wing members
and recommended, think, that we should b
"lopped off" The calculation at the time wa
that the party in this House had five majority, a
told. 1t was a brilliant idea that clipping off,
which would have left minus quantity behinc
Sir, it would not have left good working major
ity; it would not have been good partisan ecor
omy. 1t would have been inanciering to
much like that of the honest soldier in the Ell
gsh song
How happy's the soldier that lives on his pay,
And dc half