Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-02-15

hem, have adopted this course Of 4" rule or ruin
| mlicy, in hopes TO embarrsss the incoming al
nnstraiion, aud appear ultra patriots to Their
| constituents, by measuring their devotion 10
| .lavery by a larger standard than that used oy
tie Wings of the South Had General lass
been elected, their grievances, when 'hey now
parade, to their own disgrace, and the contempt
# all rirht thinking men. would never have
,een lisped; they would have remained IN the
political slough IN which, from their own innate
weakness. they had sunk and not have been
plucked up by their locks to be galvanized INTO
counterfeit life.
| What new occasion has arisen for getting up
IN excitement about catching runaway slaves at
this time? There is not State in the Union
| which forbids the owner Of slave to reclaim
| his runaway. All that this and other States have
done in the premises, is to prohibit their officers
rom volunteering To aid in such race, and IN
limiting The use oi then Ialls for such purposes,
md declaring that the slave claimed shall be
considered man until proved to be cha'tel."
| No part Of the Federal Constitution is violated,
and the very decisions quoted by Mr.. Calhoun,
we think bear out this assertion.
As regards the Missouri Compromise, it was
well enough, perhaps, under the circumstances
which then existed Since then, however, a new
slaveholdlng nation has been added TO the I'M
ION, without any Missouri Compromise. II was
urged that slavery existed there, and there II
ught to ard must remain. We now have more
"rritory udied Ia our country, il which slavery
ocs not exist; the local law prohibits II, an !
The free states say so it shall remain. Fn"
measure which We have meled To Others -b, b"
neled to you again" Congress has the rigi t"
uake laws for that territory and as welt might
hr Calhoun get up u manifesto against all the
tree States, because they will not per III ) uih-
ern men to emigrae to them with thor proper
~" in man, and establish slavery in ilIclr nids
" That is property" says Mr. Clay, switch the
lew makes property" meaning the social law
and until the law of Congress shall make men
property in California and New Mexico there
can be no property in man in those places -
These territories are as free 10 the Southern
| nan as 10 the Northern man. lie must not take
slaves there-nei,her must the Northern man.
The other matter about the District of Colum.
bia, we leave for the present. The City Govern
nent OF Washington have already petliione,l
Congress to abolish the slave traffic. and ,'vent,-
ally slavery itself. Upon the principles of the
Nicholson letter." if the people decide for free
dom, their will must settle The question.
| Upon the mere supposed mfr 'ciins of tho
Constitution, we have nothing "a saw. Tn"
theories of Mr. Calhoun upon this -nhirct nee ct
no force, because they never have been. ard
they never will be, practically entertained bv the
!
posed or asserted that Congress lios the right to
interfere with slavery in the slave States
Mr. Calhoun, MS SAID before ls u hvpnrhrn-
drac on this subject. HIS tears unf hln 70
act nationally. he ina gnes he wnks AMID
sprlng-guns and man-raps. while he treadS in
safety the brosd highway. Were the North
disposed To retaliate, and get up counter adj
Dress, facts might e given which would speak
as powerfully rs those he has stated. II accounts
| "a RI IN hn t1.,t ~
we think, could show the heaviest footing IN.
They should ask how the number of slave States
has Increased from six 20 fifteen? How the
territory was obtained out of which they were
made? Whether Mr. Jefferson considered the
acquisition OF Louisiana constitutional or not !?
And whether the joint resolution admitting Tex
as to the Union was not OF doubtful character, to
say The least? The iable would be long one {;
and we have no desire to rake up old scores. at
present. There is one thing. however, which
we cannot pass by We would ask Mr. Calhoun
whether the Imprisonment Of free citizens OF
Massachusetts in South Carolina jais, because
their skin is coored does not conflict with that
part of the Constitution which declares that the
cllzens of one State shall have the same rights
as the citizens Of another? The law OF South
Carolina he's been pronounced unconstitutional
by one, at least, of it's own Judges; and when
Massachusetts sent an agent to try the conslltn-
l'iontll'y OF ue law III d SOUTHERN Coui', anu
bring II hefure the full bench at Washington, he
was driven from Charleston by mob OF Mr.
Calhoun's constituents, and The Stale passed
resolutions that The law should not be repealed,
though the Supreme Court should give judgment
against it. Mr.. Calhoun ard his fellow dlsun'
onsrs have passed by all this We merely
bring 1t up now 10 refresh their memories.
We have written at more length than We IN
tended when we began. The theme, howevrr,
10 tul of interest. We have only to say, IN con
clusion, that the Address will fail tn produce -
lnrn IN the Free States, or unun IA IN" ~ v
Safes. The I.en who have si,ned It wi, ,un
rue the day tney fixed their names tn, tar I" !,
have attempted to ain blow Ill lhr Unr"' .
the Sldtes-u blow which, while it Xhlnl', ihti'
own reasonable weakness, viii shuv 10 the
whole Union and to the world thsi tbs Cos
sTITUTIoN OF AMERICA WILL OUT LAVE til"
LIVES AND EVEN THE MEMORIES or IRIS 49,
SAfLANTS