Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-03-03

hat Tcrritoral Legislature into existence,
YOU exercise authority in prescribing who
NAV elect and who may be elected. You
even reserve 10 yourselves veto upon every
net that they can pass as Legislative body,
not only on all other subjects, but even on |
the subject o. Slavery ITSELF Nor can you |
relinqulsh that veto for II is absurd TO say
that You can create an agent, and depute TO |
him the legislative authority Of the United |
States, which agent you cannot at your own |
pleasure remove, and whose acts you cannot |
at your own pleasure disavow and repudIate.
The Territorial Legislature is your agent
Its acts are your own. Such is the principle
that s to supplant the ancient pollcy-a prin-
ciple full of absurdities and contradictions.
Again You claim that this policy Of alb
negGtion is based upon democratic princi-
pie or a principle opposed to some other that
is despotic or aristocratic. You claim and
exercise the power to institute and MAINTAIN
government in the Territories. Is this CON-
prehensive power aristocratic or despotlc +?
If it be not. how is the partial power arlstoc-
ratio or despotic You retain authority to
appoint Governors, without whose consent no
laws can be made on any subject and Judg
es without whose consideration no laws eau
executed, and you retain the power TO change
them at pleasure. Are these powers, also,
aristocratic or despotc; If they are not, then
the exercise OF legislative power by your
selves is not If they are, then why not re-
nonnce them also 'No, uo.This is far fetch
ed excuse. Democracy Is simple, uniform,
logical system;not system Of arbitrary, con.
Trajectory and conflicting principles
But You must nevertheless renounce ma.
tonal authority over Slavery in the Territe.
rics. while You retain all other powers.
What is this but mere evasion of solemn
responsibilities The general authority of
Congress over the Territories lie one wisely
conflntd TO the National Legislature, TO save
young and growing communities from the
dangers which beset them in their stateof
pupilage, and TO prevent them adopting any
policy that shall be at war with their own
lasting interests or with the general welfare
of the whole Republic. The authority over
the subject of Slavery is that which ought
to be rcnounced last OF all, in favor of Terrific
rial Legislatures, because. from the very cir
cumstances of the Territories, those Iegisa-
lures are likely to yield too ephemeral lnflu-
ence and interested offers of favor and pat
ronage They see neither the great future of
the Territories, nor the comprehensive and
ultimate interests Of the whole Republic as
clearly as You see them, or ought TO see
them.
| have heard sectional excuse given for
supporting this measure. have heard Sen.
ators from the slaveholding States saw that
they ought not to be expected to stand by
the non slavchodinr States. when they re-.
fuse TO stand by themselves that they ought
not 10 be expected to refuse the boon offered
to the saveioldinr Stetes. since il is offered
by the non sayeholdinp States themselves.
| not only confess the plausibilitv of those
excuses, but Il feel the Justice of the reproach
which they imnhed apainst The non.slace.
holding States. so far as the assnmpiion IS
trnp. Nevertheless Senators from Tho sloyo.
t1Ii;...- g. -, -. ~
,io'a'"s 1870 ,"vni O9'ls'uei wei "no'ue'
$50, 80 u0 siee
list" ~ Nh ~ o.o VI S'olo SENATORS
.o'i' VI 80 u..''"e ~ s.'nu W uie Io'i'
si''' e''o,d'ns ,s'ul1', VI V"e' Doon III 'uel'
lahe' o'hels ifo'l 'nat region 40, DeVerthe'
''ss, s.a',u n'tny ." ''ie" rishis' ana protest
Against ,he giving OF me acceptance O The
oooil' :. nus oeen saiu va, ule Nor'h does
no. SPEAK OUT 50 as 10 ehao'e you 10 decide
ue'weeh ule eohhictihg voices oil her Repre-
sehta'iVes' are you quite sure you have
gwen her i"hely no,ice nave you not, on
Wv eV"u" 'u'i'eu .'is ,ncasure forward
10 '"uc'Pu'e her a"aN'ng rom me slumbei
o. CONSCIOUS security mo "iiich she mas been
Iui'1u ny your ias. roi'p'Vn'isef nave you
no' ieu.u ai'eauy '"c quich'snarp protest Ola
Hegte'a'uIe VI we s''a'les' Oh ue noh-sldVe-
"o.u'ns S'u'es hnoue islahu rave you
no' "'leacy hcafn 'he ueep tohed ana earnest
Pio'es. o, uie greatest OF ,hose states, New
I'm ii"'e you no' ureauy heafu renon
suane.s iio'i' lhe iheuopVi's, ana from The
'u,ai n's''o's' 10 you uouD' ihat TINS Is
cny u'e ris'ng OF ''ie agitation mat You pro-
rs 70 po,'e'e az iest forever: 10 you
I,' ~ ',iae ~ az s"oh JURISDICTIONS as these
act br,hp,r f,g"' 70 reN'ew 'ne
demand Reconsideration that ,l,ara i IN
our legislative prnctce a form of nr.rN.r.
81 MI as we'll as an act of r,p,oi and ,ha,
there IS in our political system provision no,
only for abrogat,on. hui for srsrop,r,o,
also?
Senators from the slayeholdlnp States
Yon are politicians as well as statesmen.
Let me remind YOU. therefore. that political
movements in this country. as in ali others
have their times of action and reaction. Tho
pendulum moved up the side of Freedom n,
1870, and swung back aoain in 1914 on
the side of Slavery. trayersed the dial ii
1913, and touched even the mark Of ibt
I Wtmot Proyisio. and returned again in
1852. rcnchinq even the hepbt of lie B,lti.
more Platform. Judpe for Yourselves whoth.
er i, is vet ascending. and whether il Will
attain the hieht of The abroostion Of rio
Missouri Compromise. That IS the ,nark
you are fixing for it For myself MAY
claim 10 know something of the North /
see in the ch, nges of the times only The VIII.
rations of the needle TREMBLING on rs ,dvo,
know that in due time il will settle. and
when il shall have settled il will point as i
must point forever. 10 the same constant moi.
ar star. that sheds down freedom broadl,,
,vbaraver N rours co,,b IT, III H., -
ora,;,,., ~, ''' '''"' ''s i'''u' ou' i"'ie'
Mr preesidon, have uo,A,a -.
o. aisa,,ta.a ~, na.e nJ'nIis W no. mere
r., I ron.' !, ",m e's, ,h VI party motives.
n,'hl;.i, ss;,,noI s'J. s"e nioN,e ""len Il
IT, ,, 49, ~. ."'s uansae''on' r's