Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-10-24
Editorial Correspondence.
NO. VI.


The Joint Assembly this afternoon confirm
ed the Wing Caucus Nominations of last even
ing, by electing Messrs. STEPHEN Reveals Ac
f. REDFIELD, and PiERPoiNr IsHAM Judges of
the Supreme Court, ana PETER Y. WASH
RuRN Reporter, and Gro. Nichols, Librarian.
Judge lsHAM is the only new member of the
Bench,-superceding the Hon. DANIEL KEEL
LoGG,--whose term is about to expire. NY
own acquaintance with Mr. IsHAN leads me to
give entire credencc to the high conmenda-
tons of his more intimate friends, who claim
for him very superior qualifications for the cic-
waited and responsible position to which he has
been elected. | have no manner of doubt that
he will do honor to that position, every way.
The following are the extraordinary land,
am constrained to say, absurd,) comments Of
the Windsor Journal, on the message of Gov,
WILLIAMS, to which alluded yesterday
The Message.
"The message OF Gov. " illiams which fills mosj
of our reading columns outside, will be read wit
interest, Notwithstanding its length. We have Meth
er room nor disposition To 20 into lengthy dscu,
SION o It's merits this week. We must say, hOwry
~, that in regard t0the coHStitutOndliiyof the IN.
stttre Sl0rc lar, md the Term1nt hdbeds c0rpH>
act ii cannot be regarded as an exposition of n,
principles Of the Wings Of this State. grrp,
| portion OF those TO whom the Governor owes his
election, entertain and advocate views upon tins sub
lect and the higher law, very different from II oS
OF the me -Suge Aud considering this fact IT stfik"
being little Out Of taStc, to say the least, io
Gov Wh.iams in an official document to cypress
so freely has opinions upon SDjJect, cOareyHin4
tohich he is meH dtrdr' TINT mHnyGt his rarmc~'
| supporters, amt Of the mast eminent Ways ~
Vermont, cdnnOt nerce NTH him-especlaly at
time when such an expression is entirely nHcHHe'
jar dHd can only Ssrre 10 create diSSeHs!OH GHr
COHtr0rcrSy IN tie wing rdaks"
The J urnal patroni.ingly adds that the
message "contains many excellent suggcs-
tions," and thinks it may, on the who'll, with
the exceptions referred to, give very general
satisfaction" The italics, in the quotation
| above are nine.
1t cannot fail to be noticed that tho objcc-
ton of the Journal to the manly and true ,heart-
ed Message of Governor WILLIAMS, is that
that distinguished Jurist ventures to doubt
mot deny the constitutonaity of that abom-
Unable enactment known as the Fugitive Slave
Law, which, by denying to human beings the
right of Trial by Jury and the benefit of the
llabeas Corpus, seems likely to cause more
blood-shed in this Republic than was caused
by the Battle Of Bunker Hill, and that he
ventures to believe that the Vermont IIabeas
Corpus Act is Constitutional, at least till some
body having some sort of authority shall de-
eide diff rently. And for frankly expressing
doubts of the Legitimacy of an oppressive and
odious enactment, that is at war with the first
principles of Constitutional Repubcansm. and
confidence in the Legitimacy Of an enactment
that is in harmony with those principles, the
Message is thus hippantly stgmatized as not be
ing "an exposition of the principles Of the
Wings this State! ! do not so understand tho
matter understand the principles OF Governor
WILLrAMss Message to be precisely the prn-
ciDles of the Wings of this State AMI of the
North If the requirements of the ConStitu-
tion-or rather its compromises, shall be
AuTHoRIrATIvELY shown to demand that those
PRINCIPLES must await the prevalence Of n
better state of Public Opinion, and better
Interpretation Of RepubIlcanlsm, the Wings
of Vermont will Submi though they may not
npproce. The time is not far distant, | trust,
when no Chief Magistrate Of any State IN this
Union will forfeit populr favor by maintaining
the simplest principles Of civil liberty against
the demands, or the eXigencies, of system
of human slavery which outrages every preccpt
Of Divine Justice, and has no warrant in any
precept of human wisdom or bencvocnce -
The State of Vermont is unquestlonaby " hcld
and firmly bound" by the Constitutional obi
cations she voluntarily assumed on entering
the Union but it by no means follows that
the State of Vermont thereby surrendered her
right, or her Duty to Labor constitHionHiy, for
the propagation Of the principles of Freedom
and Humanity.
1t is the deliberately expressed opinion of
Mr.. WEBSTER, Ito whose judgment, in all mat
tiers of constitutional construction, the Journal
profoundly deiers) that all legislation By Con-
gress, for the reclamation of fugitive Slaves is
unconstitutional and the same distinguished
man declared in his seat in the Senate, that he
had in his desk substitute, that he intended
to offer for Mr.. Mason's Bill, n E eriSiing FL
iiire Stare Law) securing to persons claimed
as "fugitives from service the right of Trial
by Jury "a right which, if the constitution
secures it, las Mr. WEBSTER is bound by his
expressed intentions, to admit no Congress on
al legislation can ALLEVIATE. In announcing his
intention to present to the Senate Bill secu-
ring to persons claimed the Trial by Jury, Mr..
WEBSTER unavodaby assumed that such a
Bill would be in conformity with the letter and
spirit of THE CONSTITUTION; -otherwlse, he
was proposing to offer an unconstitutional Bill,
which nobody believes. If, therefore, Mr..
WEBSTER holds ALL legislation by Congress
, for the restoration of Fugitive Slaves to be un-
cons itutional, las he has explicitly said and
holds, Also that alleged Fugitlves have con-
stituional right to be tried by Jury, las he has
as plainly admitted in the instance referred to-
he must hold, las do many other learned and
competent mem that the Fugitive Slave Law