Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-07-22

not be done The people have already passed
sentence upon it and upon Its authors; and that
sentence WILDE speedily executed. Nor can
you stop agitation in regard to it.
Agitation, discussion, and examination, are
the agents-the Instrumentation carrying Tor
ward all reforms. The Savior Of man spoke
truths boldly. They fell harshly upon the ears OF
scrbes, pharisees, and hypocrites. They de-
nounced him as an agitator; seized, tried, con-
demned, and cruciied him as an agitator. From
that day to the present, every man who has bold
| " avowe1 truths unwelcome to the ears OF des-
pots, tyrants, and the oppressors of our race,
have been denounced as agtators. Jefferson,
! in the Declaration of American Independence /;
Samuel Adams, in the Continental Congress
Washington, on thu battlefield, were disti'l-
guished dgitators !" John Quincy Adams, while
in this Hall, for years maintained and defended
with inimitable powers the right of petition, and
was denounced throughout the country as an ag-
itator. He was arraigned at the bar OF this
House, and tried as an agtator. Every member
ofthis body who defends the rights of the people
is denounced as an agitator. To me, these cpl
thets have lost their terrors. For hundreds and
for thousands of years, the instruction and ele.
walton of maknd has been carried forward by
agitation. By means Of it, tyrants and despols
have been driven from power, and popular rights
have been extorted from barbarous rulers. With
out agitation, no people ever gained their rights
or retained them after they had been extorted
fom their oppressors. Now, suddenly, to pre-
vent the progress of liberty, Wings and Demo.
Gratis unite 10 suppress this element In ala reforms
They dH"l~r that discussion 4aA'' eio alie
slave trade and slavery shall continue forever,
and the Fugitive Law shall be rendered perpet
ual.
Mr. Chairman, well do recoeCt the evening
after these laws had passed. then viewed them
in all their horrors | saw the degradation to
which the people of the free States were subJec-
lted-the crimes which we had authorized. My
heart sunk within me, as | contemplated the
public men who had aimed this blow at liberty
But sir, on yonder avenue heard the songs oi
drunken reyery and the insane shout ; bonhres
Illrhted up the heavens, and the thunder OF can
non told the immoderate Joy of shareholders,
sayebreeders, doughfaces and dealers in human
flesh. Their gratitude naturally flowed out to
those most instrumental in the passage OF these
laws to which have alluded, called the Com
promise and Fugitive Law. In the tuness OF
their hearts and stomuchs they repaired to the
dwelling of the Secretary OF State, and called
on him for speech. He readily complied, com
mencng his congratulations by saying:
" Now is the winter of our discomfort made
glorious summer" He then informed the motley
crew around him, that this question OF slavery
was settled, and that they were no more to be
troubled with agitation. Sir, from that day up to
the close of the Baltimore Convention, he wrote
letters and made speeches declaring and avowlng
that agitation had ceased assuring the country
in substance hat the slave trade in this District
and in our Territories would 90 undlsturbed,
That oppression here and in the Territories now
had nothing to fear. The whole energies OF the
Government were put forth to enforce the FUgl-
tive Law but they generally proved aborve.
Every possible exertl0n was made IN Boston and
Philadelphia to convict those charged with OBJ
structing its execution; but all failed. The
blood Of Gorsuch, patlcal slave catcher, who
fell at Chrisana is unavenged, in spite OF the
public treasure and Executive influence put forth
to obtain q conviction OF those who rghleously
slew MIN. The patriots VINO assisted Shadrach
to escape the iangs of the Boston bloodhOuRds,
yet laugh to scorn your infamous law At Syr-
acuse, at Rochester, and hundred other places
the friends Of liberty rejoice at the inpotency Of
this law. although it has thus far been backed
up by Executive power. These defeats of the
Executive, and OF this enactment hbellouslY
called law have resulted from aGitnt jon = and
| Sfrf while these thing were going forward, the
secretary OF State was looking for and expecting
return Tor the services he had rendered the
slave power The Presidential chair and hitt
House was looked TO as the reward for his trea
son to God and humanity. But there aguiu ag
itatlon had done its work. All rejecting mel
knew that he could receive in the whole Unior
scarce twenty electoral votes. And when thu
Baltimore Convention passed upon his claims
n SpDthnrD Ita yo, to-
mortified, and Disconnected, he will soon retire
and history will record the truth concerning hin
and US. But sir, will not aggravale the chill,
OF political death, nor call up to mind the sin,
which must ''slt heavy on his SOUL" when dar
ker night shall close around him.
Agitation has brought to the scaffold another
conspicuous victim. The President of these
United States lent his whole influence to the
promotion OF those Compromise measures tC
which have alluded. His devotion to the slave
power has been openly and boldly avowed.-
Steadily and baseIy has he prostltued the inhu.
ence and power OF his office, to the purpose o
supporting slavery. oppression, and crime. A
the Baltimore Convention, the shareholders, be
eve, were unanimously in his favor. Blu
Northern delegates dared not support him. Ag
itaton lad informed the people of his having
deserted their cause, and gone over to the enc,
mics OF freedom. The popular voice of the
North had pronounced his doom; he was cas-
aside ; the political grave yawns for him and
on the I'd of March lie will De laid IN IT, Were
| to write the epuaphs Of these men, would
lnscribe upon their tombs, " KILLED BY AGITA
TON" Think you not that these men and theil
party have cause for their hostility 10 discussion
to the dissemination of truth?
The Democrats also, have cause for expo
sing agitation. Their ablest, their most expe
rlenced statesman have fallen victims to it,
General Cas-, the man who Of all their capd
dates deemed best qualified Tor the Presidency
IN an an evil hour signed letter pledging him
sell to these Compromise measures. 1t proved
his political death warrant when too late he
found that the people Of the North would sus
tam ITO man who had thus pledged his influence
OF ofhce to measures which the popular voice
mas condemned as bar1lr0uS, as diSgTacefnl Il
our nation At the Baltimore Convention hi,
friends bore him to his political grave; and
F." Not drum was heard, nor funeral note"
as they quietly deposited his remains in their fl.
nal resting place. Such, too, was the fate O
Pennsyvana's tavorite statesman. He hat
long heen anxious to serve the slave interest.
He pledged himself in the most UNQUALIFIED
manner to MAINTAIN these laws as a perDetua
settlement of the slave question. But he, too
was cast aside at an advanced age, when he car
look for no further preferment. These men al
died Of seating Southern dirt"
Circumstances appear to render it indicate
for me to speak of other candidates of the Dam.
ocratic party. Yet would remind them all o.
the fate which must await those public men who
prove false to liberty and humanity" assure
them aud the country that agitation will contin.
ne and increase until the people of the free
s ates shall be relieved from all participation in
the disgrace and Crimes Of slavery.
Agitation is the great and mighty instrument
for carrying forward these reforms. Agitation
Is as necessary to purify the political atmos.
phere OF this nation as storms are to purify the
natural atmosphere. Deprive us of storms, O.
winds and shnMera-and uannrs nnirannua =.