Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-01-23
Consistency of the Administra-
ton,

The following passage in Mr.. WebSter's let
ter to Mr.. tiHsenan, must give rise u 1n'l'lia-
ing reflections in the breast of every huierlcah
who appreciates the relation now susta'ne" oy
his government to an 'institut u, cou'Pare" WI
which the despOtisms beyond the water are pure
democraces. "
Life. liberty, property, and all personal rig"s
re amply secured to all cltlzeI ana pFolec'eu
hy inst and stable laws; and credit pnonc """
private. is HIS well established as many uo'e'h'
ment Of Continental Europe"
They tine United States could not, II 'hey
desired il. suppress either the Thoughts or 'he
oors which arise in mems minds III olileFcouh
ries, frof.. contemplating their successful exam
pIe Of free government"
..Tbey cannot however fail to cherish always
lively interest IN the fortunes OF nations strug
Cling Tor institutions ike their avn
90 Their own institutions stand upon the orood
est principles Of civil liberty
What mockery is that hypocrtic word cltl-
zpns" in the first of these extracts 1t means
those who by brute force have sue: eeded III
wrestling all rower and privilege from the rest
and converting them to their own use. IuS
and stable laws
Then look at the next paragraph -
Successful example of free government y
Another superlatlve hnmbug. II is tree govern
-lnenr in practice Just as Austria Is a Tree gov
ernment. Here. as there, the lucky ones are Tree
the rest are slaves.
In the next paragraph wcare informed that tn"
Unltes States take "a lively Interests IN the Tor
1lues Of nations struggling for institutions lake
their own" This would be applicable to the
STRUGGLE OF the whites in Jamaica to restore sla'
very lScre, aud gnrs beyond the point at which
it would apply 10 tn Austrian struggle agaIns'
Hungary; for nee, by adopting The Fu"lflVt
Slave law, the United States have made slavery
/ national institution, las, indeed they had done
netoro. by o"ae,44ses-sIlve laws for the Fedef"
District ! when their Secretaries speak IN dipo
ln,ic correspondence, of our institutions, they
must be understood ms including I'll that are
maintained and recognized among u' An eX
ample Of the lively interests taken by our PEG
ole and our government in the " fortunes OF ma
tons struggling for institutions like our own,
was exhibited in the case Of Texas. where insl
tuilnns similar to those to which Mr. Webster
miTnt, at first, be supposed exclusively to refer
were in the "fl tide Of successful experiment
when our people and our government took sncl
lively interest IN seeing that region bes
with institutions like our own that measures
were ntrted and prosecuted to successful re
suit. for restoring Texas to the possession o
those institutions like our own which 1t ha'
been. and is now the principle care OF the Fed
elaI government to protect and prrpeiuate. Mr.
Webster should have been more explicit upol
this point.
Lastly, we are told that our institutions stan,
npon the broa 1est principles of civil liberty
ASe have seen above, some OF them do, and SOM
do not. 1t would, perhaps. be difficult for Nj
Webster to exDlaln upon what principle OF cvI
liberty. broad or narrow Mr. Adam Gibson,
free man, WIS consigned by Uni ed States un
derling to ndage, compared with which, tina
against which Kussuh and his compatriots stIug
ultd, was reedum itself.
Such are the absurdilies and contradiction
in which the nonstrous conduct Of our govern
ment, in conntennncing slavery, must necrssarI
" involve our dlpIomatsts in their intercours
, with foreign nations
Does any man suppose the despotism to whic
all these hollow phrase, of self Qualification ar
: addressed, will rot see Trough the cheat. an
will make the utmost of it before the whol
world
"You talk, the Austrian may reply to Nj
u Webster, "of life, liberty. aud property beln
q secured to all citizens. WhiI 40 you menu U
= iiizens? You say these are protected by je
lawe. What do you consider just laws2 Yo
speak OF the United States as affording sue
cessful example of tree government" Is th'
free government in which men are held as III
beasts You say your people cannot help che
shing lively Interest in the fortunes OF nafloT
= struggling for institutions like your own. WhIc
:, kind of instinrions d. you mean, those who
we're struggled for IN Texas Of in Hungary /
It You say our Institutions stand on the brondp
/, principles OF civil liberty, Rhat are the prime
p les ofciwl liberty?
:, And to all this, what can an honest Amenct
=" dlpomatis repy-Bm. COmr.