Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-03-04

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I tempts TO impose servitude upon such men. Il
r establish despotism over such a mighty contn
entail nation, must be vain, must be fatal Nt
shall be forced ultimately 10 rttrGci let US retrac
while we can, not when we must"
} The first Congress, for the ability which i.
manifested, the PRINCIPLES which il proclaimed
and the characters of those who proclaimed il
makes an lllustrious chapter in our American
History. Its members should be regarded not
only Individually, but as in a group; they should
De viewed as liyivg pictures exhibiting young
America. as it then was and when the seeds Of
IT'S public destiny we're beginning to start into
life, well described by our early motto as beng
full Of energy aud prospered by heaven
"Non .ine us
Animosus inf.n.
Some Of the members of this Congress have
llved to my time, and | have had the honor of
seeing and knowing them, and there are those in
this assembly, doubtless, who have beheld thc
stately form Of Washington, and looked pDon
the mud and intelligent face and heard the voice
Of John JAY.
For myself, love to travel back in iro,ojna
ton, TO place myself IN the midst of this ,sso,,
oiy' thH union Of greatness and patriotism and
to contemplate, as if had Witnessed lis bro
found deliberations and its mastery exhibitions
both Of the rights and of the wrongs of the conn.
try.
may not dwell longer on this animatinr ana
enchanting picture. Another grand picture sue
ceeds 1t, and that is the convention which fran-
ed the Constitution, the spirited debates I'm the
States, by the ablost men of those States. upon
IT, adoption; and. finally, The organization of tbe
FIRST Congress, filed by the riy-haired men Of
lHe revolution aud younger and vigorous p5iri-
OTIS. and lovers Of liberty, and WASHINGTON him
self 10 the principal chair of State. surrounded
by his Heads Of Departments, selected from
those who enjoyed the greatest portion Of his
own regard and stood highest in the esteem of
their country.
Neither Ncnophon nor Tbucyddos. neither
Salust nor Lazy present any picture Of an assem-
uiy OF pubic men, or any scene of history which. T
IN MS proper grandeur or It's large and astirr .
this.
ITS Importance, indeed, did not at the moment
strike the minds Of ordinary men. Bnt Burke
saw 1t with an intuition clcar Us he 1l-
deor ,h,.t.. "'i-os Nv n, and sagacion and
..ne men over all Europe beheld it
England, England, how would thy destn-s
have been altered If the advice Of Chatham. For
and Burke had been followed
Shall ! say altered for the better; certainly I
not not for the better for ENGLAND herself: prob
ably She is stronger aud richer at this moment
man u shc mad listened to the unheeded woras
OF her great Smto>man. Neither nations nor ip.
dvidnals always forsec that which their own in
lercsts and happiness require.
our greatest blessings often arise from tho
q ppoutneut of our most anxious hopes. and
ouF most ier,enl wishes:
Lc' u. know
Our ui.noioa .an.ctnns ST. .ye,o~e,I,
Va,a cog e.rt plli.'o at and lbat 50. %, rs,als.
gNu'ta a,.ay thut shapes our ends,
kou-hhca l..a. h.v ur viii"
lu.tcad Of subject colonies England now be-