Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-12-12
Preamble and Resolutions.

causes which have brought US together, and o
The righ's VIII oh The States we represent are emit
tied TO under The compact Of The Union.
We have among US two races, marked By
such distinctions of coior and physical and mo
rul qualities as forever forbid living iogeth
er on terms Of social and political equality.
The black race has been slaves from The ear.
liest settlement of our Country, and our reIa
tons OF master and slave have grown up from
that time. A change IN those relations must END
in CONFUSION and the entire ruin Ut one bott
races.
When the Constitution was adopted, this re.
rnt:on % nas'er and slave, as It exists, was en-
pressl, reeosn zed aud guarded IN that iDstru-
ment. II was great anu vital interest, 'nvov
ing our very x'stence separate pei pie then
as wei now.
The es of this Confede,acy acceded TO-
that compact, each one + r itself, and ralihed 1t
as States
Ii the ,n-slaveholdlng States, Who are par
tics 10 that npact, disregard It's provisions ami
cndanger our peace anu existence by united and
de iberale action, We have a IIght as States,
there being no common aIbitcr, to secede.
The object OF ihise who are urging on the
Federal Government this aggressive policy up
Insiitui ons, is, beyond all doubt, to over
throw them, and To abolish the existing relation
between master aud slave. We feel authorized
10 assert thIs IRON their own declarations, anu
from the history OF events in this county for the
last few years.
To .oilsh slavery or the slave trade in the
District o. Co umoia-to regulate the sale ami
tsansf-r OF slaves between the States. 10 exclude
s.aveholdcrs " ,h their property from the terri
TORIES, 10 admit California under the cIrcum-
staDces. we hold to be all parts of the same sys-
ten OF measures, aud subordinate TO the eud
they have III view, which Is openly avowed to be
the overthrow of the institution.
We make no aggressive move. We stand
upon Tie defensive. We invoke the spirit Of the
Cousi uiiun and claim its guarantees. Our
rights, our IN .ependence, the peace and exist
e.ce of faail es depend upon The Issue.
The federal Government has within a few
years acqui ed by treaty and by Triumphant war,
vast tent res. This has been done by the
counc Is a, d tie arms of all, aud tie benefits
snd rights ling alike and equally to all the
Sta es The FEDERAL Government but the
com non agent ct the States united, and repre-
seuts their conjoined sovereignty over subject
matter gained and defined in the compact
Tie all horty it eAe,cises over all acquired
Territory must, good farh, be exercised iur the
equal benef If ali the parties. 10 proilibu our
= cI,zens IRON setIling there with the mos, vaiu
able raIt OF tel property, Is moi only degrading
to equals but violates our hi. hest constitu
tioaal highs.
K, slrcion and prohibitions against Slave
holding states, Ii would appear, are to be the
fixed snd settled policy IF the Government, and
these States hat are hereafter admitted In
TO the Federal Union from Their extensive terri |
torres will but contirm and increase the power
of the majority; and he KNOWS little OF history
vino C innot read Our destiny IN the future If we
fail to do our duty now as u Free eoIIe.
We have been harrsssed and insuted by those
ho ht axa bsen hrof, hptr
Constant agitation Of subject vital to US and
the ieace OF our fauilles. We have been out
ragged hy their or. misrepresentation of our
moral aud scciai habits. aud oy the manner IN
which they have denounced US before The world
We have had our property entced on and the
means of recovery dened by our co-States Ia
tie Conicderacy. We have been aened uur
rights IN the rerriloues OF The Union which we
were enllt,,d TO political equals under the
Const.i u on. Our peace has been endangered
BY lucendiary appeals. The Union, Instead Of
bong considered fra,ernai bond has been USED
rs the means Of striking al our vital Interests.
The admission oil California, under the cir
cu..stances of The case, confirms an authorized
and re, dictionary seizure Of the public douaIn,
and The exclusion OF near half the STATES OF the
ConfedeIaby tron equal rights therein, destroys
the iIue OF 81 : 81 which was originally acqui-
esced Il matter VI cUinpsouiise and p ace,
a ID apprepriates to The Northern stats l2U,UOO
square lnlies Ueiow that line, aud gross aud
pa p b a violation OF The principle Ut Justice
and q atty to shake our entire Confidence la
al, our.iy TO be gwen by that INV juriiy who .
are clothed with power to govern the future
destiny of lnis coneoeIacy.
The recent purchase VI territory by Congress
from Texas as low down as ~ deg. On the Mo
Giande also INDICATES thai the boundaries VI the
siayeh ,iding STATES a.e fixed and our doom pre-
sciloed So TAI II depends upon the will Of the
dominant majority, and nothing now can save Us
from degraded destiny hui tue spirit OF ire
men who know their rights aud resolved u 4
maintain them be the consequence what 1t may.
We have nO powers that binding upon tie
States we represent But III oruer u p.oduce
system and concerted action recommend he
following Resolutions, VIZ:
Rescued, That we have ever cherished and
do now chur.sn cordial attachment to the Con- .
s,ltutiofal nnion OF the States, and that to pre-
serve cad perpetuate that U,lou uninpaiicd this
convention originated and has nuw reassembled. !
ktsoired, That union 1T the States is a WI
on OF equal ana independent soyereiguties, and :.
that Tie powers Delegated to the Federal Gov
erlmeui can DC RESUMED by the several States
whenever 1t may seem " them proper and ne
cessary.
Rasoired, That all the evils anticipated by the
S. nth, AID which occasloned this couvenliun to
ssse.b have been realized by The failure 20 ex-
tend he Missouri line Of comPsonise 10 the Pa
chic ocean-by the ADMISSION Ut California - . !
State-by the organization Of territorial govern
ueu,s tor Utah and New Mexico wiihoul giving :
adequate protection to the property Of the South !
-, The ACKNOWLEDGMENT uf rexas-by the sb- !
o,ition Of the slave trade and the emancipation ,
OF slaves carr.ec mo the District Of COLUMBIA
tor sale. lie
Kssoiped, That we earnestly recommend to :
al uar,les n the slaveholng States 70 refuse to
90 mo or counienance any Nstonai convention q
shose object .,,ay be to n0mluase csndidatestor {
1I,e Presidency and Vice Presidency at the u
niiea sutes under any parry REORGANIZATION what .
so* YER, uul,l our eonsuulional rights are secuF-
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