Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-10-17

/ ing glory ana prosperity OF th'
/ Commonwealth.
The term Of office of one o
our Senators in Congress vii
expire on the third day of Marcl
next. 1t therefore devolves up
on the Legislature toelect a Sen
ator to represent this State il
the Congress of the United
States for SIX years from tina
date.
/ have thus adverted to som,
of the matters connected will
our domestic policy. But W,
constitute part of another Gov
eminent, in whose action w,
have most vital interest, anc
deem it proper to devote som,
attention to the measures anC
the policy Of that Government
which are now deeply agitaunl
the country.
The national Republic, which
our fathers established, rested
for its ground work upon the
great principle of the natural
freedom and equality of man,
and the inalienable character OF
those rights. Though. from
causes beyond their control, a
system OF domestic slavery ex-
sted in some of the colonie,
which united together TO shake
off oppression and to found %
nation, whose vitaIizing prin-
ciplc should be the civil and
religious freedom Of its people,
yet, by the common opinion of
all the carly patriots and states
men from every section of the
Union, this institution was To-
garded as a lamentable evil and
a shameful contradiction to the
national idea, and its extension
was carefully prohibited, and it,
extinction confidently expected
as speedily as the circumstances
Of the country and the anoma-
lous nature of the evil would
permit. ! That the founders OF
the republic considered Liberty
to be national. and the cardinal
principle Of the governments
and slavery local and exception
al ; that they aimed to spread
the blessings of the one over the
wide extent of the national terri
tory, and to confne the evils Of
the other within its already estab-
lshed limits and that such was
the plan and practice Of the gov
eminent in its earlier days of
purity, is conclusively shown by
the terms Of the Declaration o.
Independence, the Ordinance of
1887, the careful avoidance of
the word slayein the Constitution.
the prohibition, under the sever
est penalties, Of the African Slave
Trade, and the abundant testiuo-
ny Of Washington, Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe, Henry, and
many other early statesmen, both
from the North and the South. i'm
regard to the blighting influences
of Slavery and the vital necess-
ity of the prohibition of its eX-
tension. That, on the other hand,
the Government has now widely
deyiated from and even totally
reversed the principles and prac-
tice Of the early republic ON this
subject, is made evident by the
denial to Congress OF the fire.
quently exercised right Of cxclu-
ding Slavery from the national
territories by the repeal of the
Compromise Of 1921, by opening
to the curse Of Slavery vast
and beautiful region, which had
been solemnly and forever ded-
icated to Freedom years before,
and by the natural consequences
Of that per6dious robbery man
Tested in the high-handed out
RACES which have recently desc
Grated the soil Of Kansas by an
armed and marauding Invasion,
by the prostitution Of the bal
lot box, by code of worse than
Draconian laws, imposed upon a
people who had no agency il
making them, and by a long anC
terrible series Of murders, conlla.
grations, rapines, groundless pros
ecutions, cruel imprisonments
and other crimes which the ad
vocates Of slavery have not hest
tated to perpetrate to secure tC
their wrongful and ruinous con
troll a territory which desired and
was entitled to the blessings Of
Liberty and all this accomplish
ed, either through the direct ac-
ton or the permissive and en-.
couraging non-interlerence of tn,
General Government.
The change in the relation o
Slavery to the National Govern.
ment has been total and com
] plata A. G,-t % -