Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-02-03


know how any one vote to furnish the means to the
administration for carrying this which he knows
to be wrong, and avoid the responsibility Of carrying
on unjust war.
10 my mind it is as clear as if | saw an assassin
ready to strike down man, and should say to him,
my friend, give you this dagger but mind you must
take the responsibility" 1t is principle of law and
good sense, that nmuder there are no accessories be-
lore the fact-they are all principals. Those that
counsel and advise those that furnish the MEANS those
that aid in any way when the crime of murder is COM
mltted-they are all principals.
know shall be accused Of fanaticism. know it
is said to be absurd to attempt to apply Christian NOR
ais to National politics. know it is said that when
the commandment said Thou shalt not do any murder,
1t IS meant Thou shalt not kill one man. but it never
was intended to refer to the destruction of thousands
That when it was said, Thou shalt not steal, it was
meant that Thou shalt not pick single pocket; it
does not robbng nations of their territories or
men OF their manhood Great applause.
This is said to be fanatcism. 1t is narrow view
OF things to undertake to the great objects of
government by such narrow views as these. Well
my friends, am willing to be fanatic on this subject
tremendous cheer And believe that while
God Of justice sits on the throne of eternity it is no
more safe for nations than for individuals to violate his
law 1t is as impossible for national as for individual
character to be built upon any other basis that can
commend Itself TO his, than that which is built up &C
cordng to the great laws of his moral universe. And,
my friends, am willing to go further than that. am
willing to subject myself to all the odium Of saying,
That had rather take my loo with the French atheist
who believed that God was fable and death an eter-
nal slenp than TO admit that there is God in the
Heavens who will permit or nation IN nursue its nres
/ cnt course and prosper.
| NO. my friends, 1t cannot be so, Unless all history
IS le unless the experience Of the past is but de-
usion and nnlass nil nronhncv il Inf the insane idea
Of diseased inninafon the end If onr career is not
doubtful: we must sion. we must rctracc our stems
we must enter nnon a diAarnnt career. or else NV
friends the end that Is hof,rn No cannot he mistaken
# needs mo verv vivid ir,aeinotion IN fancy thai we
can hear the Ghosts of doD9red nations that have rome
before us all cryjno out from the depths in which they
are buried te1g rs To- beware that we sa NOT upon
the course where they have found peril and destruction
And to carry out the smile. wonld call upon Won
who are quietly sleeping in the hold, to wake from
your slumbers and see if Won cannot witness the
wrecks of all the Governments that ever started anon
the tide of lime Vlnr in thick prolson around u.s. and
are we so mad so blind to fine Das SO deaf to the pres
cnt and 50 needless 10 file future as TO think that we
can 90 on where all before MS have fonnd peril and
destruction?
No. nv friends. not 50. And when orr race is mn
and our ale told if will he found that we have only
illustrated the moral illustrated bv the nations that
have rome before us that all the rules Of Gods GOV
eminent remain now AZ in the DAYS that arc mast Ie
mo asl vou INV friends IN rive s matter vour nnr
an ma lDn
terrain NOT fine mad idea Of throwing the responsibility
unon anv body else. The rosponsibiltv beIonrs to
ro, and Won must eyerc so il 0t vonr npril
The boon of Iibertv youchsaled to Ms by Providence
is precious Gem. We are told that eternal vigilance
is the only price by which 1t can be kept Well then
wake up and see to that as an individual YOU are
donr hat YOU NAV to redeem the pledoe and to hand
down to those that come after Won that which YOU have
received. See to it that you do your part towards re-
deemng the nation, and placing it in the attitude it
should occupv before the earth and before the heaven
F For. NV friends. every d,v is bio with events We
are wrtnu our history We are mnrpssino our foot
sors unoT tbgt IitIo snooo ~, limo jL zyo ncc,,n,
, between the past and tbo fnfpre
We are deciding not onlv for ourselves bnt for them
that come after ns tbe treat question whether the
pilorim fathers of New Enrand when thew left the
rn5oar,oents of homo and everything that binds I'm,
human breast 10 lis homes were enro9cd in an enter
mise tat was favorable or unfavor9bio 10 the desnjcs
Of man We are to solve for ourselves the GREAT cues
on. whether nron the Whole liberty he desirable or
whether it shall Degenerate into RIGHTEOUSNESS, or
whether it can check man from, bning the victim o
his lower passons These INV friends ore ouestions
8 which belong o the nresent nav and the present re
The answer is to he written If remains for MS will
4 an fhe mast shnin mann ns Win the friends of free
institutions Tho v,l1 oror ,,,,cLior over, eten of ON,
or,oss yitb ntos nJ oo,nr iaforost 70 1ptorronr
wbethor the institutions That onr Gref,tbors have o.
- ,ohli.bod ,ro f,yor,I nv ,nr,yor,hIo T., ogct- the
= moral intaroets If n,on
- Vixen the niIgrin If y r,turo oco shal visit thf
= naros thai ora nav roc,I With or sounds that or,
how resonant with onr voices when bo visits bosr
scenes on Walls ahead a5,, HASA rscos lich W,
" now occnn s6aI, ho yist with m inor. thar shall h,
rrosb and iyol boc,nso Le there And, rho norenna
snri,rs ~ Froodo, Nv hoca,se ho 10 onT wardern'
oni5st tho iiborty that 10 dad ma fine paIr;oS th
y. is deosrtedl
II T6aso ,I,,s,,ro, oro o,,o.t;o,s .,, hcor,r n II,
p,osont. Tbo answer ,pod Cad is with Ys and viii
i the future. Let me. then. nv friends commend tbi
,, subject to your earnest vour individual attention
= do not speak to parties nv friends have done witt
that (Great appIausel But will speak to men an,
# to women and will ask Won to take this matter t.
YOUR individual hearts. and to take it home to YOU
# individual reflections. Go to your party leaders m,
- iieuds-I know the advice thew viii rive YOU, know
. the lessons thew will leach Ills to ave the nsry
n and let the party save the country That it. Part,
first and country afterwards.
4 tell YOU. let parties t9kc care Of themselves. lie
the dead INST bnrv tho mast and soc o if tbat bo in
6artanco Won have received rs tbs nrcc Of Won "a
o. tbeIs boo be moi vrrncbnj from yonr coward hands
T. lAnnlansaI And let aJ1ssqclnI.atfs bo tno Wbor
II v ~ ~, ~ w. ~ 49, " ~ ~