The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-03-13

/ vi OldNCTy III lle IOOut0crn states mat leu
them into that fatal error, living at the found
alton of the Articles of Confederation, of
leach State retaining its sovereignty" Those
Articles looked to the power of the States as
sovereign, overlooking and disregarding the
paramount truth, that sovereignty resided in
| the People.
| From the experience which they had de-
rived during the time intervening between
| the years 7S3 and 1887, it was found that the
National Government could not be administer
ed under the Articles of Confederation-a
Constitution for the United States was req1i-
site. And he would ask the special attention
of the Committee, while be proposed to 90 We
ry briefly into the history of this matter, which
would show what was the state Of things upon
this question when the Constitution was form
ed
First, there was not in the whole country
anywhere, at that time, any man who Claimed
to be perpetualist upon Il subject OF Slave
ry. Every man was ardently looking forward
to the time when this was 10 become a great
Countrywide great home of freemen and al
so to a time when there would be an end Of
Slavery in the country. There was not man
amongst all those who met in the Convention
to form the National Constitution, to whom
there could Justly be attributed the character
of a erpetualist upon the subject Of Slavery.
To sustain his view of this point Of history, he
referred to the first published opinions upon
| this subject by Thomas jefferson. As early
as 1775, that distinguished patriot, in drawing
up the Declaration of Independence-(he had
been specially careful in making his reference,
for he did not wish to do injustice to ANY,
in the original draught of that Declaration
Mr.. Jefferson, among other reasons for dis
solving the political connection of the Colonies
with Great Britain, held this language. The
charge against King George Ill. is set forth in
the following words:
He has waged cruel war against human
nature itself, violating its most sacred right Of
life and liberty in the persons of distant PEG.
pie who mover offended him, captivating and
carrying them into Slavery in another hemis
phere, or to incur miserable death in theil
transportation thither. This piratieal warfare
the OF probrium of infdel Powers, is the war
fare OF the Christian King of Great Britain
Determined to keep market where mer
should be bought and sold, he has prosrituted
his negative for suppressing every Legislative
attempt to prohibit or 10 restrain this execra
bic commerce"
Which charge he, at that time, considered
worthy TO be given to the world as a reason
for the separation between these colonies anC
the mother country. Again, few days al
forwards, the draft of the famous Ordinance
adopted in 1897, came from the same hand
These facts were sufficient to show conclusive
" that Alr. Jefferson was not perpetualls
upon this subject. The same sentiment NIGH
also be found in JcfIerson'S Notes on Virginia
and if he were to write history of American
! l. tbof fTbop,ac IaffareCr
was entitled to the credit of first publicly ex
pressing Anti-Slavery sentiment in this coun
try, and thereby the originator Of the Anti
Slavery movement in this country. He (Mr
w was aware that in after life, Mr.. .Jeffer
sons opinions upon this subject underwear
some change and this was not at all suTpris
ing, for II could not escape the far-seeing mint
of such a man as Mr.. jefferson, that the insti
of Slavery was capable of being made a kint
of galvanic chain, connecting the heart-strlng
and purse-strings Of every stakeholder in th'
country that this political telegraph was Il
become an engine of immense power, and re
quiring only the skill of an operator to set 1t IL
motion. But the great seminal principle o
truth having fallen upon the earth from IN
hand, even Mr. Jefferson himself chad he de
sired IT'D could not make successful effort tC
destroy it. 1t had taken deep root, and wa:
growing and filling the whole country; and i
would continue to grow and flourish, in spite
of all opposition and although inen might
seattle its foliage with fire-might cut, and
hack, and mar. and lop off its branches: al
though the axe might be laid at its trunk, ami
oirdled around its entire iIcumfercnce-yea
although men might strike at its roots with
plow and spade, and attempt to root it from
the earth, still it could not be destroyed; for
the truth was there, its roots we're firmly fixed
and it would sprout again, strong, vigorous,
and fresh in spite of every assault that might
be made upon it it was destined to remain as
indestructble as the great truths that lay at
the foundation of the throne Of the Deity
But TO return to the point Of history TO which
he had referred. Seeing the necessity Of an
organized National Government, the Conven
ton came together for the purpose of forming
a Constitution for the United States. The ne
cessitv was imperative. The public safety re-
duircd it and it was required as well, IN or
der to provide the means of paving the public
debt, as to provide for the common defence
and general welfare Well, when The people
of the colonies thus went back, through the
| Convention. upon their latent. original sover-
eighty, they were to form Constitution, Tor
what specific object? From what had been
said. it was manifest that the Convention was
clothed with the supreme power of the eoun-
try; but, what we're they to form ConstItu-
ton for? lie put a case to the Chairman OF
the Committee, Mr.. Cabell-l and said if he
CMr. Wy were to 20 into the State Of Flori-
da. and. on account of the beaut. of the coun-
try, or the salubrity of its climate, he should
determine to settle there, and should thereuP-
on talk about buying a farm, and after ascer-
tanning the boundaries, &C., would talk about
The farm. would it not be readily understood
what was meant by the conversation about the
fum So, when the country came together
in Convention, for the specified object ofform-
inc Constitution, for the United States, was
not It the meaning plain that they were to frame
a Constitution for country of certain geo
graphical extent, marked and defined by 9TH the
fredtv of 1888, as the boundaries of the Unit
ed States? In that treaty we were bounded
eastward on the Passamaquoddy bay, the
Schoodic or St. Croix river, and straight
line running north from a certain point on n the
Scboodic to the northwest corner OF Nova
G 80 ~, tho hiohlands that divide the waters