Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-04-18

be obtained. On the contrary, there were al.
ways votes enough for the admission of Caltor.
nn. The Tmrty-tirst Congress mrIt hav,
admitted her, and left the other questions to
another Congress, which, instructed bv the peo.
pie might have done better. and certainly could
not have done worse.
Nor do find the Fugitive Slave Law grow.
mo in my favor on the ground of the already
fiSified promise of an end of the AGITATION OF
slavery in the Republic, an agitation which
whether benclicent or otherwise, j. as nscpa-
rablc from our political organization, as the
winds and clouds are from the atmosphere that
enc relies the earth.
have weighed, moreover, the argument that
some portion of the people in some of the Stl,c
have made the pcrpctuiv of the Fugitive Slave
Law a condition of new declarations of LOYALTY
to the Union. That loyalty is duty resulting
from the Constitution. and is equally due.
whether the measures of administration are sat-
lSfactorV or unsatisfactory. | regret that anv-
thing should have happened to encourage a be-
lief that loyalty could be accepted on condi-
tons, and especially on the condition of for.
bearing TO repeal a rcpc liable statute. But
since 1t is so, can only say that we, on whom.
the recent action of the government benrs, as it
seems TO us, so uniuStly, are in the Union for
richer, for poorer, for better for worse whether
IN II majority, or in Il minority, whether in
over or powerless, without condition, reserva-
ton, qualification or limitation, for ever and
aye: that we are i'll the Union, not because
we are satisfied with Administration, but
whether satisfied or not, not all by means of
compromises or understandings. but by virtue
Of the Constitution, and that all other plrtics
are in the Union on the same terms, for the
same tenure, and by virtue of the same obiga-
ton, and so they will find their case to be.
when they offer to plead violations of extra
constitutional conditions to Justify secession.
Whn,cver is irrepealablc in any of the acts Of
the late Congress, no one will be mad cnourh
to attempt to repeal. Whatever is remarkable
in those acts, and whatever shall be ropcalablc
IN future acts of Congress, whether it shall
favor Freedom or Slavery, no matter under
what circumstances, nor with what auspices.
nor with what soicmnitics it may have been
adopted must abide the trial of experience, of
reason. and of truth. 1t is only in this way that
the Constitution can be maintained, and the
mon can be saved. Us security consists IN
the adaptation Of the physical and moral ncccs-
sites of the broad and ever extending empire
which it protects and defends. and in the facil-
i'y with which without violence or sudden
c Hngr, errors of administration can be cor
'atcd. and new cXigcncics can be met. 81 that
inc State free or -!avc-holdmr, which may at
any time be least favored, will be at all times
safer un1cr this government when worst ad-
mnstorod than it would be under any other.
however wisely administered or lavorablv con
Quoted
think. my dear Sir, that all this is virtually
confessed now by those who. while they see
that their complicated schemes that suppress
sion OF free dabrto which they thought essen
ti1l to the safety of the Union have flled,
nevertheless admit that the Union is no longer
IN danger. and therefore, think thpt we may
at last congratulate ourselves on the discovery
that not only arc extra constitutional compro-
mlSoa unnecessary, bat that the Union has
strength and stability enough to endure, no.
withstandlng that such compromises under the
influence Of an unwisc Legislative di>trIot, are
sometimes unnecessarily and unIyallngly
made.