Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-05-16

sioual District that might have sent friend to
| Freedom, should say, with Cain, "My punish
ment is greater than can bear"
On the subject of the present alienation and
discord between the North and the South, wish
to say that have as strong desire for recon-
citation and amity as any one can have. There
is no pecuniarg sacrifice within the limits of the
Constitution, which would not willingly make
for SO desirable an object. Public revenues
would ppropriate-private taxation would sub
mit too relieve this otherwise thrice glorious
Republic. from the calamity and the wrong of
slavery. I would not only resist the devil, but
if he will fec from me, will build bridge of
gold to facilitate his escape. mention this to
prove that it is not the value, in money! of terri
tora freedom, for which contend, but its val
ue in character, in justice, in human happiness.-
While utterly deny the claim set up by the
South, yet | would gladly consent that my South
ern fellow citizens should 60 to the territories
and carry there every kind Of property which l
can carry. would then give to the Southern
States their full share of all the income ever to
be derived from the sales of the public lands, or
the leasing of the public mines; and whatever,
after this deduction, was left in the public treas
ury, should be appropriated for the whole nation,
has has been the practice heretofore. That is,
in consideration of excluding slavery from the
territories, would give the South a doubld
share, or even three fold share, Of all the in.
come that may ever be derived from them. Pc.
cuniary surrenders would gladly make for the
sake of peace, but not for peace itself would |
surrender liberty.
1t would be to suppose that our merchants and
manufacturers were void of common foresight,
could they believe that concession now, will
bring security hereafter. By yielding the moral
question they leopard their pecuniary interests.
Should the South succeed in their present at
tempt on the territories they will impatiently
await the retirement of Gen. Taylor from the
Executive chain, to add the state of Cuba, with
its 100000 slaves its ignorance and its demoral-
ization, to their roll of triumph. California will
be free trade State, by the most certain of all
bases. They will have nothing to sell but gold
they will have everything 10 buy from craples
to collins, and all between
If New Mexico is slave it Hwl also be free
rade--and Cuba as certainly as EITHER But in
that island facilities for smuggling will reduce
the difference between tariff and free trade 10
almost nothing. A surrender therefore, by our
Northern business men. would be most disast-
rous to the very business which tempts them to
surrender Will they take no warning from
the fact that their apathy in regard to Texas re.
pealed the Tariff of 1872? This is low mo-
tive | admit, but it may be set as back fire to
the motive by which some of them appear to be
influenced. There was no need, not shadow
of need, of perling any principles or any inter-
est. Had the North stood firm, had they been
true to the great principle they have so often
and so solemnly proclaimed, the waves of sonhr
ern violence would have struck harmless at their
feet He is not learned in the weather who
does not know that South storms, though vio-
lent ale short. We are assaied now because
we have yielded before.
The compromise of 1920 begat the nullifca-
ton of 1882 the compromise of 1882 inspired
the mad exploit of comprising Texas, which
our greater madness made sane. The moral
paralysis which failed to oppose the Mexican
war, has given as the territories. If the terrific
ries are now surrendered we shall have Cuba
and an indefinite career of conquest and of sla.
very will be opened on our Southwestern bor-
der,
Every new concession transfers strength from
our sideto the side of our opponents; and if we
cannot arrest our own course when we are Just
entering the rapids, how can we arrest 1t when
we come near the verge of the cataract? The
South may rule the Union but they cannot d.
vide it. Their whole Atlantic seaboard is open
TO attack and powerless for defence; and the
Mississippi river may as easily be divided phys
ically as politically into independent portions.
I With these immense advantages let US never
aggress upon their rights but let us maintain
our own.
Fellow citizens would be glad to receive
the darkness of this picture by some CLEANS of
light There are two hopes, which, as yet,
are not wholly extlnguished in my mind. Be-
yond all question compromise bill will be re-
ported by the committee of thirteen, and will al
so pass the senate, and free California will be
made to bear as great burden of slavery as
she can bear.
1t is still possible thet the House will treat
the bill as it deserves A single vote may turn
the scale, and the state of Massachusetts may
give that vote. Not improbably, too, the fate of
the bill may depend upon the earnestnes and
decision with which Northern constituencies
make their sentiments known to their represent
tatives, whether by petitions, by private letters,
or by public resolution. Let every lover of
freedom do his best and most.
Should the North fail, have still one more
hope. tits that New Mexico will do for herself
what we have basey failed to do for her. If
both these hopes fail, our country is doomed to
run its unobstructed career of conquest, of des-
potism, and of infamy.
| have now, my fellow citizens, given you my
views and opinions on the present crisis in our
public affairs. Had Regarded my wn feelings
should have spoken less at length; but the
subject has commanded me. | trust have spo-
ken respectfully towards those from whoml dis
sent, while speaking my own sentiments justly
and truly. | have used no asperity, for all my
emotions have been Of grief and not of anger
My words have been cool as the telegrap hic
wires, while my feelings have been like the
lightning that runs through them. The idea
that Massachusetts should contribute or consent
to the extension of Human Slavery lis it not
enough, not merely to arouse the living from
their torpor, but the dead from their graves =
Were to help it nay, did not oppose it with
all the powers and faculties which God has Civ
en- me, should see myriads of agonized faces
glarlng out upon me from the future, more terri
BILE than Duncan's Mt Macbeth and | would
rather feel an assassins poignard in my breast
than forever hereafter to see the air-drawn dag
ger of guilty imagination. In Massachusetts,
the great drama of the revolution begun. Some
of its heroes yet survive amongst us. At Lex
lngton, at Concord, and on Bunker Hill, the grass
still gIows greener where the soil was fattened
with the blood of our fathers If, in the provi-
dence of God, we must be vanquished in this
contest let it be by folce of the overmastering
and inscrutable powers above us, and not by our
own base desertion,
am, gentlemen, your much honored, obliged
and nhpdinnt