Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-02-28

nave promptly returned adequate VeruiCtS ia ID
# vor of the owner. Well, sir, this is some rene
J. dy. What would you have if the Union were
e discovered? Why, sir, then the severed parts
would be Independent Of each other-foreign
countries. Slaves taken from the one into the
t other would be then like slaves now escaping
from the United States into Canada. There
: would be no right of exlradhion-no right to
+ demand your slaves-no right 10 appeal TO the
It courts of jnstice TO demand your slaves which
y escape or the penalties for decoying iaem.-
: Where one escapes now, by running away from
his owner, hundreds and thousands would es-
cape if the Union were severed in parts-I care
not where and how you run the line, If indePen-
n dent sovereignties we're established.
Well, sir, finally, will you, in state of DISCO
g luton of the Union, be sifer with your slaves
}, within the bosom of the States than you are
now? Mr.. President, that they will escape
n much more frequently from the border States no
!, one can doubt.
2 But, SIR, | must take the occasion to say that
IN my opinion, there is no right on the part of
one more Of the States TO secede from the
Union. War and the dissolution of the Union
are identical and inseparable
; There can be do dissolution of the Un-
ion, except by consent or by No one
can expect, in the existing state OF things, that
that consent would be given, and war is the only
alternative by which dissolution could be ac-
compshed And, Mr. President if consent
were glven-if possibly we were TO separate by
mutual agreement and by given time, III less
. than sixtv days afief such agreement had been
executed, war would break out between the
Free and slaveholding States OF this Union-be-
tween the two independent portions into which
it would be erected IN virtue of the act of sepa-
ration. Yes, sir, sixty days-in less than sixty
days believe, our slaves from Kentucky would
! h. Ia h.,, nf
the river, would be pursued by their owners, and
tie excitable and ardent spirits who would en-
gage In the pursuit would be restrained by no
sense of the rights which appertaln to the indie
pendence Of the other side Of the river, Supp
sing II, then, to be the line of separation. They
would pursue then slaves; they would be repel
led, and war would break out In less than SIX
ty days war would be blazing forth in every part
OF this now happy and peaceful land.
But how you going Ia separate them: In
my humble opinion, Mr.. President we shall be-
GIN at lelst with three cone1eracies the con-
tederacy Of the North, the coniederacy of the
Atlantic southern States, 1.-THE siaveholding saes)
and the canfederacy of the valley of the Mis-
sissippi. Ms life upon it, sir, that vast pop
ulatlon tha;.has already concentrated, and Will
concentrate upon the head waters and tributaries
Of the Mississippi, will never consent that the
mouth of That river SHALL be held subject 10 the
power of any foreign State Whatever. Such |
believe, would BE- the Consequences Of a dlsso-
lutinn of the Unon. Bat other coniederaces
would spring up, from tine TO time, as sedtIon
and dlscin we're disseminated over the coun-
Try. There would be the coufederacy of the
kes-psrhaps the coufedcracy OF New England
aud OF the middle States.
Bat sir The veil winch covers these sad and
disastrous events that lie beyond possible rup
tlre of this Union Is TO, thick 10 be penetrated
b. any mortal eye 81 lifted by any mortal han1
Mr.. President am directly opposed to any
purpose or secession or elaiaiIon. | am for
staying wilma the Union, ana defyipg any por-
tJn OF ihls Uaion to expel uc or drive me out
OF the Union am foF staying within this I'm
Ton and ilsh ing for my rights III necessary, wiki
the swofd-wi.hin the bounds and under the
safeguard of the Unlon. | for vudcaung
these rights; but not by beln. driven out Of tie
Union rashiy and uucc:emoniously by any por-
ton Of his confederacy Here am within 1t,
ani here mean to stand and die; as far as my
Individual purposes or wishes can go-within II
to protect myself, and to defy all power upon
earth to eXpel me or drive from the situation
IN which am placed. VIII there not be more
safety IN ii citing within the Union than without
1t:
Suppose yonr rights 10 be vi,latod, suppose
wrongs ~ ~ 'io"a y,n. AZ srca TO be perpe-
dicae them, 1t you hlve occasion to resort 10
that last scessity OF the word, within the I'M
ION, and with the sympa'hics OF large portion
OF the population of the Union of these S,ates
differently Constituted from you, than you can
IL hi and vindlcaie your rights expelled from the
Union, and driven lro t, without cere nony and
without authority.
sad thai thought that there was NJ rishr
On tie part Of one more OF the States % Sc
cede from this Union. think, sir, tiIi the con-
siituuun of the thirteen States was made not
merely for the generation winch then existed |
but for pOseriy. underlined, unlimited tor their !
pos'erIv, and Tor every subsequent State winch |
aIghI Come Into the Cnioa, binding themselves
by thai ludssolub.c bond Il is to remain Tor
that p0S,cil,y nov and forever. Like another of
the great relations of private lite, 1t was a mar
rlage that ~ human authority cnn dissolve or G-
voFce the panles from and II | may be allowed
10 refer to this 5 'me example IN private life let
us say what nan and wife say To each other:
We have muiua, faults; nothing IN the form of
human beings can be PEE! feet. Let then be
kind to each other, iorbearing, conceding; let
us live in happiness and peace.
Dir. President, have said what solennly be-
licve-thlt the dissolution of the Union and war
are Idertica and lnseparable; that they are con-
verlIbie terms.
.SutN IL VIII, lDi, Us INT WDHtl De, 1DilCWI0r
the dissolution OF the Unloni Sir, we may
search tie ra-es of history. and none SO furious,
SO bloody and inplacable, so extermnating.
from the wars of Greece down, incluiing those
Of the Commonwealth OF England and the rev.
oluiion of Fmnce-none, none of them raqed
with such Violence, ever Conducted with
such bloodshed and enprniiies. as will that wur
which shall PILLOW that disastrous event-if that
event ever happens-of dissolution.
And whit would be its termination, S,anI-
ing armies aud ngvIes, to an extent draininp the
revenues of each portion Of the discovered en-
pre-, would be created; extermnaiing wars
would foilow-not war of i:To or three wears. |
but Of nerminable durdtion--an exterminatlno
war would follow, until some Philip or Aexan-
der, some Cesar or Napoleon, would rise to cut
he Gordlan knot, and solve the problem of the
zap 'city Of man for sef-government, aud crush
he liberties of both the discovered portions of
his Union. Can You doubt ii? Look at hisio- .
y -consnlt the pages Of all history, ancient, or
modern; look 4, human nature-look at the char
icter o. the contest In which you would be en-
gagged in the suppositon Of u war following the c
dissolution of the U non. such as have surges- r
ed-lnd ask YOU If II is Dosslhle for Won In