Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-04-14

things of local character And first let
me inquire why il is that the pretended
friends of the bill are so very 10th to discuss
its merits why do they shrink from an
open, frank, and fair discussion of its real
merits why do they skulk behind every
tree and stump, and FIRE a random shot now
and then, or :f perchance, they show their
heads, employ nothing but ridcnle and
burlesque to defend their posiionf To IL
lustra,e my meaning, will refer to a few
facts. Il was reported that in some twenty
| five or thirty towns in this State, resolutions
were adopted, at their annual March Meet
ings. condemning in strong language the
principles of the Nebraska Bill. This fact
seemed seriously to trouble some Of the par
ty leaders in our quiet Green Mountain
/ State, they fearing, doubtless, that the
"oear people" were overstepping their prop
/ er bounds, since in their timation the peo.
| ME should never take the lead, but submit
themselves to the direction of party leaders
Well, it seems that the good people of the
town Of Randolph, among others, saw fit to
adopt resolution of this character, where
upon the Editor of the ". Patriot comes
out with leader 4" bioicing up" the whole
matter, states that these resolutions were
passed after everybody had gone home"
&C., and cautions his readers about getting
ahead Of the papers, yet never attempts to
show them in what respect they should APP
! prove the bill. But m his next issue, one
of his able correspondents from this town Of
Randolph, comes out with a rich specimen;
and tina, your readers may more fully appre-
ciate the able instructive, and logical way
and manner in which they defend them
selves and their position. beg Of you to
copy it. 1t RUS as follows:
Nebraska gaining Friends.
".SOBER SECOND THOUGHTu ~
Dear Patriot-Since our tRandolph) town
meeting, wherein an anti-N ebrassa resolu-
ton was passed unanimously after every
body had gone home. school meeting has
been held in the district in West Randolph.
where there are more than 50 voters. and
the friends of Douglass bill elected their
first Prudential Committee by majority of
.fue votes on the first ballot. This was the
only Office elected on his question. So you
see the Union won't be dissolved this year
The country is safe
Yours for freedom,
ONE OF TIE " FIVE"
School District, No IS, in Rraioiph,
.hIreh %, 1854.
Now isn't this rich and racy rare and spi-
cy-? Aud who knows Tor who doub's) but
that this is from no less a personage THAI
our present Lieut.. Governor? Certainly.
no one who is personally acquainted with
the Coz. will pretend to deny that it is
Characteristic of the man. 1t sounds just
as natural US life. And, further, it is quite
as logical, quite as shrcwd and sagaclous as
almost anything | have yet seen offered, in
the Patriot, to say the least.
But wish to call the attention of your
readers to the position of his same Lieut.
Gov. X, fear shor, years ago" In ls49,
there were assembled at Montpelier, two
certain conventions, free soil and democratic.
And these conventions were so closely ali-
ed in principle that they actually anal
gGmaied and agreed henceforih and forever,
for aught know, to stand upon one platform.
and here follow a few other resolutions:
Resoipej, That as liberty is the dearest
right and dearest interest Of the individual,
and its security the highest duly OF the body
polite, we declare, as the first point and ar.
tcle IN this organization thst American
slavery is great evil and wrong, which
ought to be repented of and abandoned.
Resofued, That we claim no authority in
! the Federal Government. TO abolish slavery
in the several States, busnye do claim for it.
Constitutional polcer pe'pefdahg TO prohibit
The Introduction Of silutry into territory noie
gree. and abolish Il, ,cherersr, under The juris-
dicfion Of CoRgrtss ii crisis.
Resolved, That the power ought TO be i'm
mediately exercised in prohibiting the intro
duction Of slavery, IN n. Mexico and Caliior-
mia, IN abolishing slavery & the slave trade IN
/ the District OF Columbia on the hirh seas.
and rhercrer else. under tie Constitution, il
can be reached.
Resolred, That no more slave States should
be admitted into the Union.
And upon this platform stood the demo-
cratic Editors of the Patriot, the Age, &C.,
and among the rest nearly FIRST and foremost,
stood this same J. =. Klddcr--a free soil
candidate for Lieut.. Gov. of the State of
Vermont. But where are they. now? p
Echo answers "wherc y Is il possible
that these men for the sake Of some petty
Post Office, or allurcd by the vain hope of
some meagre upponlment-is II possible. |
ask, that for these things, they surrendered
the "cearesl right and dearest interest" and
the highest duty of the body polite ~
All. indeed! No wonder that they resort to
such miserable slang, and such school
meeting" fables to hide their heads.
But we are occasionally met by the very
plausible argument that 81 the meaning of
this act is not to legislate slavery into any
Territory or State, now free, &c, sc. But
this languag is only thrown before the peo-
pie to blind their eyes to the enornities Of
the bill for extending the area of Slavery
The truth Is, under existing laws, slavery is
actually and positively excluded from Terri
torres now free, and hence any act OF Con-
gress which admits it, does lcgislate it into
such Territories. But I;forbear.
Respectfully Yours, A.
Randolph, April 3, 1854.
The Success of the Drama of
Uncle Toms Cabin in Bur-