The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-02-23

( know not whit meaning tn ntipch 10 HE eK'
prefhiun TIE ueKi step, Dir, whs ihe intro
ducliOu ~ Fl0rldH, where slavery 'wns per
uillrd ~ exist. Was HAT nu eucr0nchmenlY
TrSas followed, II wHs permitted here,ioo,
Oregon followed, and there Il WINS excluded,
with ll'e concurrence Of southern members,
Win the appreciation Of q southern President
aud II WIS excluded from conyiclion that,
saw or 30 law, The institution never could
hnd iis WRy lnin lhHi territory, sir think
no nun viii enteFinin The slightest suspicion
ihnt slavery was ,eiihsr desirable in Oregon,
Or lhAl n Il wne permitted 10 find ils own
way, IL would ever find f'Ohold there
Was this ~ epofoRCbmeni NVHs rliiH tramp
ling 90 The rights Of the South Sir dou't
understand ll,a meaning Of such terms,
Then cane Nav Mexico Rnd California,
What 10 Tie encroaehmeni with respect 10
lhemf They have seen NJ 10 abolish the In
ElluiIuu, HUd they come 80 US with Pruhis
biiion IN their Fundamental laS. Now, s.r,
I've oftho North lot these people alone, HRd
leave Them where their own Legislation has
seen fil 10 place them, wa can hardly he
faxed w,Il' sHcroaeiiing oR the rights Of The
South.
Sir, iflhe reverse prove trei IL the power
Of Nils county, once eNered 10 conquer
Ilie60 I0rrI0rieE II 10 be gTened ngnin for
tho purpose Of planning amongst them m N
slilulion which they ropudiale, that would
be, IN my opinion, calling most eur
phalieally ior tie Application OF the term ett-
croachmeni. Sir, more egregious encrOhcl-
insnt on lhe rights and liberties 0fany peo-
Ile cannot we'll be Imagined than 10 attempt
TO impose upon them an institution offensive
10 Ihem-nn institution which they have
IN their fundamental law rejected
Sir, this 10 species ofenerohchment That
I protest against have listened 10 WHuy
homilies about the i0nle rights, and the IN
/ hlienAble rights OF men, hut have jHsI learn.
ed, for the FIRST iime, if ! understand Alright
some Of the logic We hive listened TO- that
| these territories are independent Of ur, Nc
own tho land, but we have no right t0 con-
troll tho people. lf be so, think we hfe
relieved from all responsibility on ihia sub.
jeci. " We choose TO leave them what They
have made themselves, a free people, and do
not impose upon them institutions which
/ they have rcjeeled--l might perhaps soy, 10.
Jcoiod with horror.
Well, sir, there IL another complaint which
: TTTII u 80 7UT5 - lT-71T- :. y -T-- ---
we have refused 20 Md ~ tho rccnInure Of
/ figitiyea. Sir, IL this n Vioalion OF the Con-
stituton? believe IL has been seIled by
the Supreme Couri that the free States ARE
State Legislation Va carrying out this proyis-
ron Of the Constitution ", ihsn, the Consul.
tuition does no, require Ihem TO do II, iTow
can they ho guilty ofh vidp.ion Of the Con.
siituiion, " they refuse To volunteer their aid?
Il becomes, therefore, n nattcr Of courtesy
between the States. II tho Constitution re-
qures IL, aud they do not comply with It's
acquisitions, they nre guilty Of "A violation Of
that instrument If u docs not require IL,
how can they bc Ia fault for not dischnrging
a duty which IL not imposed upon them?
AM aware, Mr. President, that lilo complaint
goes further. II IL said not only that the free
States have refused their aid, bnt that lhey
have enacted laws with view Of defeating
this provision Of tho Constitution, Sir, iC
nny laws exist Ia the legislation OF tho free
States which nre designed or calculated tc
defeat this provision, those laws nrc clearly
, unconstitutional That is u proposition
which may DO termed truism. Il 10 not NY
, purpose to defend any such legislation.
, leave the authors OF such laws, if such laws
= exist, to their own yindicniion. can Assem-
!, TO nothing intended TO violate this instrument
so long nv we profess TO adhere TO II, and b'
p governed by II.
' Another cause or great complaint is III,
: existence oftlIoso "incendinry publications,
M they nre called Sir President, IL is III,
misfortune Of our country that we have all {
little taste for the progress Of the nge;' WI
are all n liItlo ambitious to so ahead aud III,
country IN afflicted with ten thousand vision
nry theories, based upon the assumption thu
God in his providence created all thing
wrong, md That il belongs to the "progres
J of tho age in which tre live to make nl
, ihings righr. Thus, sir, tho institution OF
y slavery is nssailed the Constitution itself Il
assailed. Why, cir, ! have had two or three
! copies Of paper sent mo recently in which
J, There il form ofn petition 10 Congress ~
y Hbrogate the Constitution. The church, too
. is nsshiled. There is n aEcl-in- F4,y-e+rl
y nai-.trhortTuud who arc determined TO p,ll
), down tho pillars Of the church They hay
y got sick of all religion, and, Tor nught know
v they will bo prepared In tho end 10 disowt
9 fheir God. We have n sect, too, who thin
= all the institutions of society wroug--thu do
u nestle institutions oil wrong. Man wa
: made, in their opinion, to live ms the animal
= do, md the very hest disposition of as al
;, would be 10 turn us into a shcepfold, as W
y gather our sheep at the North. Sir, | hay
az little patience with this philosophy, IL Yo
: can call i philosophy, MS any man in tn
' Union; as little taste for The teachings of ihes
-" philosophers, who, starting on The principl
u that their Maker did not understand hi
:, business, ARE working to create all things
70 new.
p Why, sir, these persons nro not sntistie
j. with correcting the institutions ofthe Souil
"a they arc determined TO correct the institI
: tons of the North nIso Things al the Morn