Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-12-05
Hon. Thomas II. Benton in
HoatOn

The second lecture of the series for tho
season, before the Mercantile Library Assoc
citation, was delivered by Hon. Thomas II.
Benton
Mr. Benton was received with prolonged
applause. After the cheers had subsldcd
the orator greeted the audience In n C,w
happy remarks, saying that he appeared bo.
fore them not TO speak upon literature or anv
OF its kindred subjects, but he came To sponk
for his country for The Union-which bo
considered TO be IN danger A Presidentioi
election might put off crisis, but II coud
not avert the ultimate danger He then en-
tered upon the subject at large, speaking AT
length upon the present condition of the
country, and olso what its condition would
be If the Union should be dissolved flo
commended that if separation should ensue.n
bloody war would inevitably 70 How. In view
OF this, he would speak to each half-apd
first to the Northern. The North wonld
lose its tTade-its stream of visitors now so
welcome and It's merchants would become
mendicants. To the South the result would
be more disastrous. The Canada line would
be removed down to the border. and the Dor.
der Southern States would soon become do.
populated of their blacks - driving them to
/ the South overnowng It and thus bringing
would have no ships TO transport It's produc.
lions, and thus would be subject 10 decay
] In addition to Theses there we're evils which
would be incident to both Understanding
armies and military oCtposts Still more.
there were moral eylls--the loss Of com.
mon county, common ancestry-the glo-
ries Of the Revolution, with It's noble array
Of iIlustnous names. Following these evils
would be the subdivisions into which the
two sections would fall.
How, he asked, are these things to be
avcued: by invoking tho spirit IN which
the Constitution Is founded. lie then spoke
of the compromises between the Free and
Slave States. There were two of them:
that incorporated IN the Ordinance Of l7s7.
and the recovery of fugitive slaves. What
went into the Ordinance went contempora-
neousy into The Constitution
The history Of the transaction was then
briefly gwen Continuing, he said that with
out these compromises there would have
been no Constitution no Union aud il was
fair TO say that unless the compromises we're
continued, the Constitution aud the Union
could not be continued.
The cordially Of feeling between the two
sections ~ the past was then dwelt upon.
He then referred 10 the sojournmeni laws
formerly N force in the States Of New York
and Pennsylvania, and said that If they were
ia force now, he believed that the fire now
setting the country IN cornagruuon would
be eStngushed
Turning 10 the Southern aspect Of the
case, he reviewed the rise aud progress Of
Notification 10 the South Ia the course Of
which he paid a noble lr'l'c 90 the memory
Of Webster, and 20 The siii taken BY hun
against the notification movement IN 1872.
lie said, ~ tbs Connection, that from thar
time we had had S0uflaru Conventions.
which in themselves were Southern insutu-
tons The South bad gone on, threatening
20 dissolve the Union. even o. certain man
was elected to the presld, ncyl Laughter
This was The stale of the case The danger
is upon us. We must meet Do aud grappla
with 1t. In this view of the case, be uppeal-
ed 90 those who were opposed 20 slavery 10
cease DONG anything outside the Consuiu-
ton, lnasmuch as 1t furnished fuel 10 those
who would gladly destroy he Union. For
five nnd-twcniy years, he said, there had been
liked determination 90 destroy The Union.
IL Is proclaimed as icslrible event. This
danger must be met; d is no longer to be
Stunned. All that be- asked for was that the
Constitution should be preserved in is spirit
aud rs letter. Applause
Mr.. Benton continue at considerabl
length, but we are dcbare from further
report, lnasmuch rs the ciufe is subject 10
copyright Il was listened TO throughout
with earnest attention.