Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-12-27

urgent, yet the notification was seasonablc.
lIthe South did not choose to prosecute the
war tor the sake of Free SOIL she had
through the President, the ellectual control
ot the Government, and might stop it at any
time. Indeed her President need but re.
call our troops within our own boundaries,
and 1t would be stopped at once. The
South choose to have the war go on.
The Nation had in Former years acqur-
ed Louisiana, Florida, Texas--all uphold
ing Slavery We heard nothing about dri-
wing Mcm-nothing but double-and-twst-
ed cheat in the pretended compromise with
regard to Slavery in Texas. The South
had uniformly assumed that territory where
of slavery was the law when acquired must
remain slavebolding after its acquisition
not part of it bur the whole. 1t is poor
rule that does not work at least as well for
freedom as for Slavery. When they were
asked to divide Texas in lS45, they secuted
the proposition. With what face, then, do
they ask to divide New MetIco aud Cal
ifurnia
Bat, argument falling, and strength pro-
wing inadequate, we arc now to be over
borne by threats. The dissolution of tie
Union is openly, hourly threatened in Con-
gress if the WImot Proviso be applied to
the New Observation-Disclosures by men
who are eager for fight il any one calls them
Disunionists. Ther-londness for the thing
seems to run parallel with their hatred of
the name
What is this execrated Wimot Provi-
so? Simply provision that slavery shall
not be extended to and established in terri
tory where it has now no legal existence
Ii does not touch Slavery where it nov is,
or has any right to be. 1t simply provides
that it shall not dfluse itself elsewhere
shall not subject new realms to its sway.
Thomas Jefferson, a stakeholder and the
representative ofslavehulders, originated this
provlso III 81, which was subsequently adop-
ted, by Congress representing slave states
almost exclusively. II was then applied not
to legally free but to slave terrliory-tu the
territory Northwest Of the Ohio, coded BY
Virginia TO the Confederation, aud now for
ming the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
&c. Shareholders voted that this magnili-
cent domain should be freed from slavery
forever, without suspecting that they were
betrryiug the South or doing wrong to any
one They lived too near the days of the
Revolution to imagine or assert that slave
ny is the corner stone of our political edi-
flee, or regard its pcrpetuaton as one OF
the cardinal duties OF our Government. -
What shareholders did without murmur
with respect to slave territory, we propose
nov to do with respect to free territory. Is
that aggression?
Bat they say they will dissolve the I'm
ion. Who will ? The slIvchulders ? They
are but one-inurth of the Free " hite voters
Of the Slave states. Admit that these would
desire 10 d. II, Will the other thrce-lourlhs
let then Why should hc eight hundred
thousand oddli lreemen in the slaycl states
wh" u~n ~ sIdt IS onTsent u hrna.. b. The
UaiIn because tie Two hundred thousand
shareholders are not authorized TO sell or
work iAeir Iiunan chatteIs III California and
New Mexico! What interest have these
Observation-Disclosures in the extension of slave
~ ! What good would it do them Even
if they wait TO become Shareholders, will
such extension reduce the price ofncgrues (!
Is 1t not urged as measure calculated to
increase that price! And if they wish to
remain as they are, why should they wish
slavery extended How is any man not a
slareowner or uverseer pruhted by SlUery
that he should pour out his blood for II -
See southern Illinois aud Iowa filed with
poor white men who have fled from cheaper
land and more genial cline in slave states
to settle where they can TILL the earth and
follow the mechanic arts without being de-
graded by the competition of chatteis.-
Mark in how large measure the Military
Bounty Lands won by the service of south
ern men { but rarely slaveholders) in the
Mexican war have been located in free
IL Al.
desire the extension Of slavery! Rely on
1t, they do not. They may be inhamed and
cxasperated by cries that the North is strug-
cling to degrade them, deprive them other
rights, &c. but when you como to ask them
to dissolve the Union because slavery is not
allowed to enter the new territories, they
will think twice before they do it. Iii ca
sy to be deceived in this matter The
southern press is the mouth-pece of the
slavsholding arlstocracy southern meetings
are got up, oilicered and managed by them.
Men who fancy their means of living de-
pend on rich mems favor may seem to oin
III the hurrah for Disunion, but they can
never mean it. They will show you SO when
the time comes for action.
We think some northern members
made mistake when they suffered them
selves to be builled into recnnsidering Colts
resolution last winter. They doubtless act
cd as they though for the BEST but their
course was an InvItatlon toInore buster and
new threats OF dIssulvng the Union. We
Know 1t is best TO avoid or allay excitement
when nothing vital is put in jeopardy by a.
concIliatory course but the truth must be
spoken, even when it has an edge That
resolution was true, and the judgment of
the country SO affirmed. Beng true, aud
not irrelevant, IT should have been stood by
Giving 1t up invites farther dlcialion.
We would not pass such "a resolution
nor enact the Wilmot proviso except to
some practical end. Show us that either is
needless and we waive It's abstract sound.
ness. Show us how freedom is to gain aud
not lose by waving the Provlso, aud we are
ready to waive II, as we offered to last win
Ter u we might thereby wrest New Mexico
iro II the grasp OF Texas. But the slavery
prnplgandisIs do not make all tins upruar
Tor an abstraction. They mean to force
compromise which will surrender portion
oil the New Territories 10 slavery That
a II