Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-05-30

law aud contended that it was decidedly more
favorable TO the fugitive than General Wash
ngtOn's law of l793 which created no distuf-
bance. lie also alluded to the compromise
measures and declared it as his opinion, that
if they had not been passed, there would have
been civil war. There were other topics dis
cusscd at great length, but owing to the late
ness of the hour we must content ourselves
| with the above meagre outline Of but part OF
| them.
| Assuming, as we Individually may, that this
| gives correctly the sentiments and opinions
uttered by Mr.. WEBSTER at Buffalo, we ask
our readers when or where the Free Press, or
the Wings of the Free States, ever took diff
ierent ground We have itaiiciSed what we
deem to be the jist of Mr.. WEBsTEE's remarks
on the Slavery agitation, aud the Slavery ques-
ton, and we emPhatically appcal to our readers
if we ever went further Does any Wing OF
the North deny that we are censttutionalIy |
bound to surrender "fugitves from service in
other States 2" Not one Has any Northern |
Wing ever attempted, or expressed wish, to
deny to the South their " rights under the con-
stitution ?" Not one. The Wings, the Free
men,, of the North, concede to the South pre-
cisely what they insist upon for themselves -
their "rights under the constitution, and,
, like Mr.. WEBSTER in the above speech, make
no " concessions" to Slavery! Why, there
fore, it seems pertinent to ask, does Mr.. WEB
srER deem it necessary to enquire of New York
if she /" will so administer the constitution as to
II permit her brethren to remain in the Union ?"
- New York stands square up for the Union,
+ ''under the constitution" 50 does the entire
!, North The dismal tones of diS1tuion come
C only from the South,-aye, only from the one
II Southern State whose population numbers more
IT SlueS than Frecmen' You hear no cry Of
e secession or notification, no threats Of rcsis-
r. lance to Law, at the North, excepting, perhaps,
y from little squad of transcendental disciples
}. Of Ralph Waldo Emerson, or croT-cared
N nasaiwangcd Conventce of followers Of
a, Lloyd Garrison and the modern Anacharss
q Clooiz, George Thompson, the Brtith rulian
IN Orator who seems to lave taken upon himself
,e the " mission" Of improving American morals
at Outside of these fanacal classes, the American
G, heart is sound and true, North and South. And
l. Mr.. WEBSTER knowS it, Nobody knows il
II better.
he But, it is more than obvious, Mr.. WEBSTER
10, desires to be President Many of his friends
IL desire it, also Though wky he or they shouIt
nd indulge hopes that are utterly futile, we canno
no see. What has Mr. WEBSTER to gain from
to the Presidency? Fame? Certainly not. Honor
for No. With some important notifications, W.
ed had rather be Mr.. WEBSTER than be President
be as, with scarcely none, we had rather be Hen
CT. ny CLAY than President Neither of these grea
is men could derre any elevation, in the eyes o
,ct mankind, from the Office and neither of them
uf. it may as well be said, can ever be elected t
,as that office. The time never was, for one, an
he has passed, for both. We regret it, but hav
he the iirmest conviction that this is the fact
,ur When such men as lanes X. Polk could diver
nc American gratitude and aliGc ton from HENRI
.2- CLAY, it is idle to talk to us of the claims O
abilities or services. The POPULAR FEELING
almost Arrays right, is apt to overlook both
he and as in the case Of the lamented HAREIso
ms and the beloved TAYLOR, to fall upon Tie bes
=: man not the man who is specially identfie
nj. with extreme party divisions, but whose per
- sonaI character inspires respect and Confidence
ng and is sure to win affection. Mr., WEBSTER
so election to the Presidency (whosc duties h
an would doubtless discharge with consummat
IN. ability is as impossible, under existing circum
os- stances, as the reversal Of the poles OF til
la' earth and no amount, or degree, Of Iaudatio
49, of that eminent man, we bescech the BoSto
he Bee and the Rutland Union Wing to believe
he can alter this fixcl fact Ii is idle to tai
re- about Virginia (which has scarcely ever vote
for Wing candidate since General WASHING
,eu oND or Georgia, or tennessee, or Mort
lcy Carolina, a the Union Wig does BY the montl
- of its warm-hear,ed ami impulsiye correspor
Io' dent from New York. New YORK, PEyHsYL
mr. vANrA and Ono are the States that will scttl
Ike the question. When these States speak, ",
ter will listen. While they are silent, there
~ nothing specially impressive in the utteranc
- of Georgia or tennessee, even though it ma
~, be rendered terrific by tie voice of Sout
in Carolina !
w. But cur readers may thinh we are wander
os ing from our topic, though we connect Il
ey speeches OF Mr. WEBSTER with Presidenlia
1rs aspirations. We conclude, therefore, by ask
10, 10, ing again wherein the Wings of the Free State
il. differ from Mr.. WEBsTER? Aud our reply
on this; Mr.. WEBSTER glorjiies the "Comprom
IT, Use" and especially the Fugitive Slave Law, an
'u- declares that they should be looked upon a
final, irrcpeaabe, and net to be modified. Th
to Wings of the North hold these acts Of ordinar
legislation in no such reverence. They do II,
er- propose to "secede' from the Union, as Sout
,re Carolina does, on account of them, but the
ice look upon them a. cnactments liable, Ike a
ate other legislative enactmenrs, to be "altere,
amended, or repealed" as the sovereign will {
~, the People of these United States may dec
best; that's all. They look upon the SIa,
my Law as unnecessarily oppressive to the SIa'
mo and insulting to the Freeman in denying wh