Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-05-09

(IOpV.l
BosroN, April 23d, 1851.
To Mcssrs. Henry b. Rogers, Henry NJ.
IIolbrook Benjamin Smith, N. a. Thompson,
Joseph Smith, Harvey jewell
Gentemen-l have perused the paper which
YOU did me the honor to place in my hands yes
terdny and have to say, in reply. that it Is not
my purpose to address my fellow citizens in
Fancuil Hall during this visit to Boston.
have the honor to be
Very rcspec fully,
Your obcdicnt servant
DANIEL WEBSTER.
T." The Middiebury Register is not satisfied
with orr brief comments on Judge PHELPs's
Apology to Virginia for the sins and errors of
the Vermont Legislature, and advises us 10 pub
lish the whole Of that document for the inform
alton and advantage of our readers, and to
enable them to judge of it for themselves. 1t
is probable that 99-lO0ths of our subscribers
have read the Letter of Judge Phelps, and we
are quite certain that that ratio Of them concur
with us in opinion in regard to il.
The opinion we expressed was that the less
that should be said about Judge PHELPs's
Letter in Vermont, the better it would be. We
remain Of the same opinion. We also added
that every material statement in il is incorrect.
Now, then, we give the following extract from
that Letter, embracing "every material state
ment" in it, and also exhibiting the writer, in
our judgment, in The unworthy attitude Of an
humDle Apoiogia for Vermont TO THE ONLY
RATELY INsULTED HER. What Senator PHELPS
subsequently says about the value of the Union
&c, &C., is all well, and what every public
man says when he writes political letter. 1t
is sort of rhetorical mortar, useful for filling
up, but of no great account by ITSELF
We give the material statements" of Judge
PHELps's Letter without comment. We mark
with italics the passages which we unheSia-
tngly hold to be incorrect, in fact and in
opinion. We are content to wait and see who
best judges Of the temper and sentiment OF the
people of Vermont,-Judge PHELPS or our.
selves; remarking, as TO two points only, as
follows list. That II Public Acts were passed
by the Vermont Legislature, about one tenth Of
which Including some of the most important
were INTRODUCED, or REPORTED, AFTER the
Judiciary Committee of the House reported
favorably the llabeas Corpus Bill. T,celr
Bills were introduced or reported, in the House
ajter the lIabeas Corpus bill, eleren of which
became Laws by the concurrent action of the
Senate. Thus much for The Habeas Corpus
act, so offensive to Virginia, q being hurried
through the LEGISLATURE %. That no on
Of the Is or &c Wing Papers in Vermont ha
bestowed "ponled reprobation" on the Iiabea
Corpus Act, with the single exception OF tn
Rutland Uaion Wig, edited by the Assislan
Secretary Of the Senate, who looked uron tina
act with chagrin and shame viewed it
passage as " deporabe,' and hoped g it would
sink at once into its appropriate oblivion.
O'her Wings papers have expressed regrets a
the passage of this act, (wholly uncalled-ro FOR, w
; think) but the Union Wing stands alone in it
"ponted reproba,ion.'
The following is the material part of Judg
PHELrs's Apology to Virginia We leave
with our readers to decide whether it is such
D document as it was decorous for him to writ,
or such one as would be likely to increas
U the respect of Virginia for State which sh
n had, previously, taken particular pains to nsu
We think Vermont is SOVEREIGN STATE i
: this Confederacy, and has no explanations nc
apologies to make to any other State, for passin
Laws to protect her inhabitants" Vernon
y is a thousand times more loyal to this Unto
|, than the feeble and degenerate State Of vi
u GINA ever has been, since the days of WasI
= lDgton. Vermont is ALWAYS ready to lea,
:. tie question Of the Constitutonality Of h
e Laws, where the CONSTITUTION leaves it, to Ii
: adjudication Of the SUrREME Court. IL
e obedience TO Law is always as entire as is h
= fidelity TO herself and to Humanity. She see
no remedy tor political or moral evils outsi
of her ega right to speak and Ect. Vermo
q therefore, however, much 1.-THE times" may
n quire for her defender, wants no arologi
!. Judge PHELrs is pleased to think different
ot This is what he says to Virginia in excu patti
of Vermont -
IT, Il hesitate not to say, in the most unequiy
a. cal lnahheI, ANA III ths nave the cOncurTen
of my colleague IN the Senate, and | belle
III The entire allegation Of ITmoni that the act
C. ferred to doco mol eabody The deliberate sense
of The people Of J ermOnt.' | may add with tru
A. that II does not, in my opinion, embody the
~. liberate sentiment of the Legislative body of
Ut State. The act ioas hWried throttle Legisloiluy
Ike The close ofhe Sc sion in The absence of mann
he The members, withom discussion or erpianation
its character and effect, and have reason to
lieve in utter ignorance on the part of ma
members who were present, of its objection
bic features. Such was the haste attending
passage of the act, that the first ntimation
p- the public that such a measure was in conte
err platoon, was through the publication of the |
an Itself That publication produced general 81