Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-15

TENDER, lS49. They were published IN the |
Boston Post. the leading Democratic organ
of New England, then, and now, edited by
Colonel Green, a gentleman who was appoint
ed Navy Agent by the present administration.
Rcsolued, That we are opposed to slavery in
every form and color, and in favor of freedom
and free soil wherever man lives through Gods
heritage.
Sir, the people of Massachusetts most heart
lily respond to this resolution, proposed by the
chairman Of the national Democratic commit
tee, and adopted by six hundred Massachu-
sets Democrats with shouts of applause:
Resolved, That by common law and common
sense, as well as by the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States, lin Prigg Us. Penn
sylvania, l6 Peters,, the state of slavery is q
mere municipal regulation founded upon and
limited to the verge of the territorial law, that
is, the limits of the State creating it. 1
Resoloed, therefore, That, as slavery does not
exist by any municipal law in the new Terrific
ries, and Congress has no power to institute it,
the local laws Of any State authorizing slavery
can never be transported there, nor can slavery
exist there but by local law of the Territories,
sanctioned by Congress, or the legislative act of
a State III its sovereign capacity.
Now, Sir, we, in Massachusetts, agree with
these resolutions. We believe we have the
power to abolish slavery in all the Territories
Of tie Union that, if slavery exists there, it
exists by the permission and sanction of the
Federal Government, and we are responsible
for it. We arcin favor of its abolition where
ever we are morally or legally responsible for
It's existence.
\ We of Massachusetts believe the fugitive
slave act Of 1850, an nhuman and unconsti-
tutional enactment, and we are in favor of its
Immediate and unconditional repeal. The ex-
tradition of fugitives from labor should be left
to the States, where we believe the Constitu.
ton leaves it. assure Senators from the
South that we do not propose to interfere in
any way whatever with slavery in the States;
but We arc in favor Of aboishing it wherever
it exists under the jurisdiction of Congress
to Danish the question from the Halls of ma.
tiona legislation.
!, believe, conscentiousy, that if slavery
shond DO abolished by the National Govern.
!, meat in the District Of Columbia, and in the
Territories, the fugitive slave act repealed, the
Federal Government relieved from all conncc-
! ton with, or responsibility for the existence
of slavery. these angry debates banishcd from
II the Halls of Congress, and slavery left to the
u people of the States, that the men of the South
who are opposed to the existence of that in
stitution, would get rid of it in their own
States at no distant day. | believe that if
: slavery is ever peacefully abolished in this
country-aad certainly believe it will be-
. > it must be abolished In this way.
u The Senator from Illinois Mr.. Douglass
y pronounces all the abolitionists disunionists
: Ii he means to include them who think as
= think, and act as act. | beg leave to say tc
: that Senator that he mistakes US altogether
Mr.. Douglass. have letter in my pos
z. session, written from Boston, INDUCING in the
), j, most will not say tulsome-terms, Of thu
Senator from Massachusetts,, just elected il
9 which the chief merit urged is that upon--tht
It question Of the dissolution of the Union tina
IS Senator would prove himself man.
c Mr.. Wilson. All 1 have to say is, that
o never uttered word in my life to warran
a such an assertion. Sir, | make no pretensons
Il to any peculiar devotion to the Union over
: other men but if know myself, l would
o sacrifice all Of life and of hope to main
tain and perpetuate the Union Of these States
:, From boyhood have dreamed of glorious
kdestiny for my country. have wished to see
n the flag of the Union wave in peaceful tri
umph over the North American continent
If over confederacy of free Commonwealths
N | have so much faith in Democratic IDEAS ST
u much confidence in the people, that l have nj
j. fears from the annexation Of territory and tn,
n extension of the boundaries of the Republic
L. The Senator from Illinois Mr. Douglass
10 has undertaken here tonight to denounce al
" of us of the North, whom he is pleased to cal
Of Aboitionlsts as disunionists. Now, sir, ii
s. my judgement, no part of the Confederacy il
~ more devoted to the Union than the State
is have the honor in part to represent. believe
r. that in my State the opinion in favor of the
w Union approaches unanimity. We respond
10 with all our hearts, to the words Of Daniel
&c Webster, uttered on this floor more than TWEEN
Ia ty years ago: " Liberty and union, uo,o ant
foreuer, one and insrpcra5ic !" But We
e mean liberty and Union. The voting anti
a slavery men of Massachusetts. will not be fright
lie ened from their advocacy of impartial liberty
I'd by threats, made here or elsewhere, to dissolve
n the Union. These menaces have no terror
a. for us. We know thai the people will stant
IL by the Union even if slavery should be abol
d, shed.
he But the Senator from Illinois torturcs GU
al expressions of confidence in the stability O
IS. the Union into designs on our part to plot 70
Us its dissolution. Sir, the Senator has asserte
ee what he cannot believe That Senator under
Of stands the sentiments of the people of tn
er northern States quite too we'll to mean any
ne thing like that. The State of Ohio gave sew
be enty thousand majority, at the late election
ee against his Nebraska bill. Does the Senate
he believe the intelligent people of Ohio, VIII
1g gave that majority OF seventy thousand-o
at eighty-our thousand, as the Senator at III
ce side Mr.. Chase reminds me--are enemies {
I'd this Union F? He knows that they would she
~ their blood this day quite as freely as himsel
ed or any other Senator, to perpetuatc the Unior
es The great State Of New York gave an almos
u uucounted majority ia opposition to the M
We braska bill. Does the Senator believe tina
It, the intelligent freemen of New York are OF
in posed to this Union? The State represeu
" on the floor of the Senate gave more than on
se hundred thousand majority against the M
do braska bill at the last election. [ do not kno
if one disonionlst among them ALL Hundreds
o. the men the Senator pronounces hostile to tn
he Union have periIled their lives and shed thei
blood in defence of the country.
o. Alusions have been made to the recent elet
tie tions. The Senator from Illinois has bee
gu pleased to say here, that in his opinion, Know
lis Nothingism has swept the Northern States
m and not opposition to the Nebraska bill. ]
nd is not my purpose to underrate the power an