Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-01-03
BALTIMORE, Wednesday, Dec. Is.

Governor Flo sd of Va, sent Special Mes
sage to the Legislature yesterday, III Which he
characterized the recent action III The vermont |
Legislature AS an injury and an insult 10 The
whole South, and remarks that 1t demands IN
instant settlement of an issue which has so |
long distracted the country. For the restora-
ZION of complete and eile ctual harmony, the Gov. |
ernor recommends the Legislature TO invite all |
the States of the Union To unite in sending |
Delegates to represent the whole people III |
General Convention, to assemble at Baltimore
or some other convenient and central point not
later than May next. lie concluded by saying
he motto oI the South must be, as it has been,
" Union if IRE -hLePcndcncc i zee must !!
We commend these eloquent extracts " 10
the special attention of the Washington nc
pull C, the Boston Courier, the Rutland Wing,
and other papers which have la'ely noticed,
with either patriotic Indignation, or " with cha.
grin and shame" the passage of an Act by the
recent Legislature of Vermont more explicitly
occurring to the inhabitants Of ms Nd the IN
ALrEsABLE rights Of llabeas Corpus and Trial
hv Jury. We trust they will at last join with
MS in smiling at the absurd antics GU, by these
Southern Sisters of ours The papers in ques-
ten doubtless apprehend as little real danger
to the Republic Or the Union, in consequence
of the rampan; nullification Of South Carolina
and Virginia, as we 90. But they ought, in all
rational earDess, to visit a title of their ndg
nation and " chagrin upon mir heads, and
not keep il all bottled for the cha>iisement OF
Io,r little Vermont. Virginia and South Caro-.
lima, are older and bigger Sisters, and there is
less excuse for them! They onght to be
ashamed of themselves, and we trust our friends
OF the Union Wig, at any rate, will tell them
so. Tncy will receive the admontion kindly
from Vermont paper that is entirely content
with the Peace Measures " of the last Sess-
ion Of Congress, and looks "wth chagrin and
shame " upon Law of its own State f tie
more efficient protection of the personal liberty
of her inhabitants. The Burlington Free
Press they probably look upon as "incendiary'
to the last degree, because it holds that the
discraceful Fugitive Slave Law ought to be
repealed or essentially amended, and tina, the
late Vermont Law is a Constitutional law, un-
Ill, at least, it is pronounced to be unconslitu
,onal by some better recognized authority in
such matters than newspapers
but do look at it Vernon! is assailed,
both At home and abroad, for simply directing
in ,rhai manner her Own Courts shall proceed to
determine questions arising under the Writ Of
Ilabeas Corpus sued out by her och inhabi-
tanrs If her law is unconstitutional it will,
at the proper time, and when the proper occa
sion NAV arrive, be So decided by the proper Au-
thority; and Vermont, and her Legislature, and
her Courts and her People, will be content
We suppose it is no upprec m'n'el thing for a
State Law to be found TO be in conflict with the
constitutional legislation of Congress and there
fore void. 1t has occurred before, and we be-
lieve nobody died suddelly y, or was buried alive,
in consequence. If Vermont has, therefore,
(Which we by no manner Of means admit or
brev-) passed an unconstitutional law, her
People will, with true patriotism and ficlty to
the Union, submit to the Authority tina, so ad
jndges, and will probably derive some comfort
from the reflection that wds a lac uhjct aim
ell 10 STRENGTHEN, nat 10 weaLeH, THE DErESCEs
OF HUMAN FREEDOM.
- Vermont makes no appropriation Of
$500, 900 for raitorous AID disoyal purposes
She recommends no Conventions " 10 drbat,
on the time and manner of destroying this Uu
ion. She proposes no armed resistance to the
Laws. She does not stand in side of the pro
tecling walls Of this Conlederacy, knocking am
believing to get OUT She leaves all these par
,icular pslriolisms to South Croiina, wher
they are Indigenous. No Governor of hers la,
ever disgraced himself or her, by ,ob'ry am
deliberately recommending her Legislature t
NULLIFy The Constitution by imposing IrohiJi
tory dunes upon the productions Of her SiSif
States. Thus pariculir form of patriotism, sh
lrav,stc-- whom, rhink you, gentle reader
why to THIS SANE "GOV ERNOI
FLOYD, n Virginia." whose precious man;
fetlo is Swallowed forth at the head of this art
cl,!!! Yes, sir! This is he came idcnt:ca
Governor FLoYp, Who urged the Legislature
Virginia to imyo'e duties on all articles comm
from "the non-Slaveholding States, into tina
ancient and venerable Commonwealth! We
mont may not be AS patriotic as Virsinia, br
she hasn't get made ass Of herself in III
way!
And we hereby pledge the homer al
honesty Of the old Green Mountain State, Il
we know our pledge would be redcemcd) Tn
il South Carolina will delegate one of her cit
zcns to come hither, for the purpose of iestin
in the L, s. Court, the constilurionaIity Of al
law Of this State, he shall be kindly, respec
fully and honorably recognizcd-he snail
ceve every aid for the urlhcrance Of the O
pct of lis mission aud the State will delr
his oxpcnscs,-il he will call aud pay his
spcel. to The Hon. Mr. lloAG, of Massachuset
on his way home
--Bu, Gov FLOYD, Of Virginia, conclud
"by saying" Union, If IRE can,-hd'penden
"J ,ce must " Now, we poor, revIcd and p,
secuted Vermonters acknowledge no such la
way, partisan, sectional motto, We ioul