Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-10-12

We copy the following f:}m Pu,4um's
NOafay;
1t is one Of the arrangements Of Proyi-
dence by which it tests the reality of cur vir-
tue, and Furnishes the want Of it, that we
should be so inscnaibie TO Joint or corporate
Unconstitutional yet so intimately connected
with the tremendous good or evil consequences
Of their infringement. We are apt to sup
pose that the offences Of nations against the
laws Of integrity and right, can he laid to
no mans charge, or rather the crninality Of
them is dissipatc,l, through the multitude Of
Offenders, and we do not 'eel in consenting or
contributing 70 the commission Of them that
We contract any degree Of persona guilt
On the contrary, we unlervaue them as Of
fences, and even laugh at the thought Of ia.
tional sins, as Of some igantio abstraction Or
chmerl, the bodileS and impa!pabie act Of
one, who, as the adage expresses it. had nc-
tier body to be kicked nor d soul to damn.
But, measured by their actual effects, by the
awful reach and deathless vitality OF their
workings, these national iniquities are they
which are most to be struggled against. dep
rccated, dreaded. Thc evil done by a private
individual spreads through narrow circle
only, and does net live after him the cUnta-
gion CT It's virus may be speedily counter It.
ed and tine worst results Of it often are 10
more than the de5Ascmen Of other inAiyidu-
ais. But the evil done ny tho public man,
which Is sanctioned by il corporate authority,
which gets embodied into wicked law, and
to thai extent becomes the deed Of many, e;-
ther family, an association, OF tribe or a
commonwealth, is augmented and multiplioi,
both in IFS crimiuali,y and its consequences,
BY the nua3or Of wills which may be supposed
10 have ccnauwsd in it, Hnl is propotionably
dreadful to contemplate. Its powers OF mis-
chief are infinitely increased; the potent en-
giuery Ct the State is made lis instrument ;
its blasting influences s2Tead,not only through
single community, bat over vast races, and
travel downward to the renote3t time. 1t
may arrest the movements OF nations, para
Use The Yery fertility Of the earth, and stun
the heart OF humanity for ages. The vices
of single men are the diseases by which they
themselves suffer aud are broken, or at most
by which they communicate disease to those
WHO come in contact with them, bat the vice.
Of States are malaria which blistcrs IN the
air and tester in the soil, aud sweeps away
millions in horrible agony to the tomb.
GA how much OF good may be d9ue, OIL
of evil prevented, by Il little timely egsla
ton When Tibe:ius Gracious, travelling
through Italy, to join the army in Spain, saw
how the multitude Of his oountrymen wer'
impoverished and theig fields laid desolate BY
the existence Of Slavery, he prepared to ter
inmate its evils, and scatter the clouds of dis
aster that had already begun to gather ant
brood over the dcstinies of the Roman com
monweaItl, by simple, just ana practicable
law which should huid up in the midst of lux
ur:ous Roman mobiles and their de5ased slaves
an independent Roman yeomanyy. He per
ceiyet that the pubic domain, long usurpe,
| by the Patricians, if appropriated to the PEG
pie, wodid prevent the concentration of wealth
and stimulate the pride and industrial energic
of the almost hopeless people; and, had THU
project been carried, he would have arrested
the downward career of his country, and per
petuated for centuries doubtless, the early 10
man virtue, which seems marvellous to US il
its dignity and force. Bat the designs Of
=, Gracious were defeated by his murder; thu
Patricians triumphcd: the people grew poore
and corrupter, till they were at last fed like
paupers from the public granaries; alternate
instructions of the slaves swept the stat'
like whirlwind; despots like Sylla, an,
aemagogues like Maurius, conyulsed. societ,
by civil wars; and, finally the tyrant Caesar
arose to reap the harvest of previous dstrac
tions, and as the only salvation from profoun
der mscres, TO erect on the ruins of tn
Republic an irresponsible monarchy.
We have dwelt upon the proceedings 0
the pro-slavery party SO long, that we have
left ourselves little space for urging upon 9th
er parties, their duties in the crisis. Bat W,
will not speak to them as parties. We viii
say to them as Americans, as freemen, a
Christians, that the time has arrived whol
all divisions and animosities should be ait
aside, in order to rescue this great this beau
tifu this glorious land from hateful domi
nation. AS it now is, no man who expresses