Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-03-29
Signs Of the Times,

1t has been repeatedly asserted that General
sTavlor's administration would be favorable to
he restriction of slavery within its present lin
Its. And this declaration, at the North, had the
desired effect of bringing to the support of Gen,
Taylor thousands Of ant"slavery Wings who
had sworn never to vote for another STAKEHOLDER
for the Presidency. Gen. Taylor, contrary TO
all former precedent, refused to commit him
self to any principle or policy, to be pursued in
the administration of the Government. The cry
was raised, that he was to be the peoples Pres
ident and we are now told "that we must wait
till we know what lie will recommend, and what
he will do. II is unjust and premature to judge
of the present administration before any post-
i've declaration has been made"
We hold that the course pursued by General
Taylor in maintaining this logged silence upon
the great question which now ogitates the coun-
try, to say the least, is suspicious That tSlth
full saying, by their fruits ye shall know them,"
should be the rule which should govern the
friends of freedom, in the absence of any dec
larations made by Gen. Taylor and his friends
We believe that the formation of the Cabinet,
IS sure indication of what we may expect at
the hands of our savehoding President.
We ask our readers to examine the following
extract from the speech Of the Attorney Gene
rail- delivered in the Senate on the last week of
the session, and say whether we are not justified
S in coming to the conclusion that freedom has
nothing to expect at the hands of this admins
v tration.
: Mr.. Johnson said
: "The spirit of abolition is like the tabled by.
dra you may cut off one of his heads, but the
s loahsone Shiny serpent still exists, and is eter-
e nally Kissing and throwing out his thousand
+ forked tongues to insult and annoy us. Sir, the
h account between the North and South is long
c and heavy. We have reached that point wher
the harmony of the Union and the safety Of the
II South require " settlement in full" All the
is heads of the hydra must be cut off, and thu
% wounds sealed with a red hot iron, else he vii
yet live, and lnfuse his deadly poison into every
IN vein and artery of the body polite. No mert
IN legislative expedent will settle the question O
j. slavery. 1t can be done only by all parties, il
vi the spirit of patriotism, taking their stand firm
on the constitution. Let the North do nothin!
"a which it forbids, in word Or spirit; and let tn
i South, as one man, resolve to submit to nothin,
T. that violates its sacred guarantees. This vii
give quiet to the country, and bind the Union il
Vi bonds of adamant
The South is sought to be placed in the att
tude of factlous opposition to the organization {
these newly-acquired territories, on the groun
that their climate, soil, and productions are III
suited to the employment Of slave labor. | sha
=, not consider at length the geographical positio
81 and features of our Pacific possessions. 1t
lat certainly true that much the larger portion
e- them is unfit for the cultivation of rice, cotto
sugar and tobacco. Its surface is marred by in
mense ranges of mountains and trackess des
're erts, unfit for the habitahon of man. But wi
ST. will deny that slave labor can be proftably en-
ne, ployed IN working the gold mines of California
of 1t is cheaper, because it costs the owner nothr
but the food and clothing of his operatives al
the negro far exccls the white man in capaci
ng to endure exposure to a scorching sun, drenchn
9es rains, and the hardshps peculiarly incident
he the business Of mining. Besides, thereis q co
er, siderable portion of these territories -enoul
ae for the formation of three States of average {
ensions--whch lies south of the parallel of
les. 80 min, known as the line of the Missol
c6mpromise. The other States of this Uni
which lie south of that line are slave States.
p They are Askansas, Tennessee, and North CT