Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-06-19

The .N0ufDclicr UGichman nettles at our state
ment that the chlrge had reference 10 the hdbe1s
corpus act of the Vermont Legislature but
there is 10 help for it. The statement was made
advisedlv and with full knowledge of what we
were writing about 1t is by no means strange
that the editor of the Watchman should wriggle
az being rebnked by such a man as JuDeE PREN-
riss-a resident as he Is, of his own village.
Bindsor Jo,Uaai.
Notwithstanding the appearance Of authority
which the Journal assumes, we do not believe
Judge Prcntiss ever authorized it to make any
such assertion. lie is not the man to authorize
another TO say what he has not chosen TO say
HIMSELF The charge, we repeat, does not CON
tain single word at variance with the sent-
ments the Wutchman has repeatedly expressed,
and not word against the habeas corpus act, ex-
cept in the utterly erroneous point of view which
the abusers of the act have chosen to take Of it.
That Judge Prentss is opposed to notification,
and to any Infringement by the State upon fed
eral power is undoubtedly true. The Watch
man Is no less opposed to both. Three weeks
ago the Journal assured the public that Judge
Judge Preniiss meant to condemn the hlbeas cor
pus act, though lac did not name il. Next tn
public are told that the Judge "rebuked" the
>Nalchman Thanks for the compliment Re
/ iuked the Uaichmnn did he? We'll. as the Jury
/ I'D not see tit to lndict the Waterman, we take
II ihat they either oyerrulcd the Judge and deci-
ded in favor of the Watchman or else entirely
misunderstood the drift of the charge. If the
first suggestion is the true one we honor the ju-
rtr % h..
employ the editor of the Journal to deliver the
next charge, in place of Judge Prentiss. We
/ probably entertain quite high a respect for
Judge Prenuss does the editor of the journal :
but really, If the Journal, and not the Judge, IS
to expound the law, our notion is that either the
Jury should be instructed to consult the editor of
the Journal, or the aforesaid editor should be cal
led upon 20 charge the jury Perhaps, indeed, 1t
would be a still greater Improvement if Judge
Prcntlss should retire at once, for the purpose of
/ legiumately securing the services ola young man
so infinitely his superior in persplcuity and pth
Since the Journal is really bent upon making
something out Of this charge against as, we re-
tort,thatte charge directly suSiGins as in the most
important particulars, and implicitly "rebukes"
the new test men. Read this extract from the
charge:
"Ihe true constitutional doctrines on this sub
lcct admt TO the fullest extent both he right of
( opinion amt freedom Of discussion. The merits
Of every law may be freely discussed and opin-
ions may be freely expressed for or against it 49,
/ BIT it must be remembered, that II is one thing
/ io dIsspprDve of a law of the general govern
nent and seek BY Constitutional mans 10 procure
as modification repeai and quite another thing
TO oppose or encourage resistance TO II, or under
lhe power of local legislation 10 array the state
authorities against lis execution"
The young man of the Journal possibly dreams
that this Is a lebukc Of the habeas corpus act
and the Watchman. Tho habeas corpus act,
however, we have heretofore shown in no man
ner estops the execution of the fugitive slave law.
Without thai act the habeas corpus would apply.
As To the rest; remember the creed OF the tes-
tllors, and the Annapolis speech,--to wit, the
Compromise, eittom discussion or notification
and Judge ye ,cho were most nconteslIbly "lebu-
kcd" by judge Prentiss.