The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-08

ture into the assertion of right to secsde and
thoee who cited his great name profbssed entire
reliance On him a. I faithful exponnder Of the
Constitutions. Will they now withdraw the
compliments they lavishsd on him, or will they
| admit the force Of his clear, unmistakable, mn
answerable language in the above letter
In Virginia and South Carolina Il 10 fashion
able to assert that the right Of secession is bs-
yond dispute" II does seem to have been 90
in 1888, and we think these developments
make it equally 80 no,c.
From he Boston Iyanscrips
The Peace and Dsgnity or the Commen-
wealth.-No. XVIII.
A letter from Governor Morton, bearing date
January H., 1851, was, not long ago, distri-
buted among the members of the Legislature
| 1t is impossible to doubt that there must be
some highly respectable qualities in the cha
racter Of Judge Morton, when we see him
fiercely assailed by Wilson, one of Elzur
Wright's assistants in working that political
mud-machins called the Commonwealth, -
which squirts nothing but dirty water, and has
ever proved less Of an extinguisher than an in
cendiary. When the Chr0notype, that pre-
! eminently vicious and malignant journal,
changed its name-a name more closely ass0-
ciated with all that is infamous and vile in sour
rility than that Of any newspaper ever printed
in Boston--two somewhat parallel cases occur
red to my memory.
When it was settled to change the name of
that "Iying little paper" a Garrison calls it,
and ctique in sio artc credendum est-and to
call the Chronotype the Commonwealth, | in
stantly thought Of that mailman who insisted
upon being called the Angel Gabriel; and again,
| Of notorious bankrupt, whose name had be-
come utterly worthless on Change, and who
altered it by an act Of the Legislature, and ap-
piled at the bank for a discount under the new
one.
The following passage is from the Daily 3D.
rcrtiser, in relation to the letter Of Judge Nor
ton, to which have referred:
"Governor Morton goes ON to state the opinion
that the great MAS Of the Froe-soil party
that they love the Union venerate the Constitution
and believe in tho validity Of the whole of it,.
They believe further that the doctrine of orciblc
e. and Of tn: right Of :aoordin.ss mag
execute the laws, endangers tho peace OF society
and il subversve Of the fundamental principles Of
civil government. These he describes A. the SON.
tments of that portion of the Fressoi party among
whom. if we rightly understand him, he ranks
himself"
But Judge Morton proceeds to say
"Thers arc doubtless persons acting with the
Frse-soi party who repudiate some all Of these
principles-who set at defiance both law and Con-
stitution. whenever they stand in the way of their
object of universal emancipation. These call
Abolitonists, and not Free soilers.'
There is portion Of Judge Morton's letter
80 very respectable, and which breathes spirit
so just, and SO RATIONAL and patriotic, that it
will awaken the cordial response of every hon
est man, and of every genuine lover of his
country:
81 have the highest veneration for the vise fore
cast and the enlightened patriotism of the trainers
of our Federal Government. And though the Con.
stitution eontains some provisions which ! regret
to in it, yet il undoubtedly the very best
| which could be obtained, and We have infinitely
greater reasons for gratitude for its wisdom than
Of classification for its imperfections. rational
| gard for those who suffer under it, provisions,
alike requires constant adherence TO AL it, prin
ciples, and faithful execution of all it, stipua
tions; and he who would break or weaken one link
in this chain, which holds together our glorious
Union, must be incapable Of approaching it bless
ipgs devoid of proper attachment 70 the freest
and best government on earth.
"While would have evory thing done for the
mitigation of the evils OF slavery which can be
done consistently with the Constitution and laws of
country. would not infringe little Of either
And this il alike the dictate Of policy and prin-
| ciple. Every unconstitutional unlawful effort
break the chains loosen the letters slave,
rivets them the stronger and makes them the more
Calling.
1
try from the blight of slavery requires the CO.
operation Of all her citizens Indeed, il 10 q
State institution, very great portion OF the labor
must eventually fall on the Inhabitants of those
States which sustain It. How important Il 1t, then,
that We should give no unnecessary offence to
them; and il there 10 less disposition TO favor
emancipation than formerly, how much Of the de-
cline IL mputable to the Unconstitutional and law
less acts of northern xeatots. II we are not willing
to execute the letter of the Constitution in favor Of
tho South, how can we expect the South TO join "
in carrying out its tendencies and spiritf'
And now, in immediate jdttaposition with
these words of wisdom, and truth, and sober
ness, let me present those of monomaniac.
The nineteenth annual meeting Of the Massa-
chusetts Anti Slavery Society was held at the
other resolutions the following was offered
| by Wendell Phillips, and supported by him
and one Burleigh: "Resolued, That the COM
promises of the Constitution are one of the chief
bulwarks Of the slave system, an appeal to the
| blind prejudice in favor of which is, in every
| critical emergency, an answer to every argu-
ment, and serves, in the hands of the pulpit
and the press, to confuse the conception of the
| plainest moral duties and, therefore, whoever
| seeks to make efficient war on slavery must
take the most unequivocal position in regard to
these; leave no doubt of his situation in this
respect; not only treat, but proclaim that he
| intends to treat them, and all laws enacted IN
pursuance of them, as null and void while they
exist, and labor to overthrow the Union which
rests upon them as speedily as possible"
At this meeting one William Goodell, Of
New York, zone Of the peterons," being called
up by Garrison, the Johnny Armstrong of the
party, who called up the evil spirits, said,
among other things: eve, IN .Ne,o York, like
yourselves, SIR, take The ground that, Constit,s-
ton on no Constitution, the Fugitiue Slauc h,c
shall not be enforced"
This Goodell also said whether slavery be
in the Constitution or not, 1T MUST CEASE;
whether by revolution or otherwise, sLarcry
shall be blottcd ont 20 At these meetings Fran
CTS Jackson presided, and his name is appended
to the proceedings of these conspirators. For
these men are corspirators. Phillips, Goodell,
Burleigh, and the rest are conspirators No
case can be clearer What says this Goodell7
If slavery is constitutional, it shall be blotted
| bxr ;frtio