Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-10-17


found nation, whose vitalizing principle |
should be the civil and religious freedom
OF its people, yet, by the common opinion
of all the early patriots and statesmen
from every section of the Union, this in
stitution was regarded as a lamentable
evil and shameful contradiction to the
national idea, and its extension was care
fully prohibited, and its extension conf
IDENTIFY expected as speedily as the cir
cumstances of the country and the ano-
malous nature of the evil would permit.
That the founders of the republic consid-
cred Liberty to be national, and the car
dinal principle of the government, and
slavery local and exceptional; that they
aimed to spread the blessings of the one
over the wide extent of the national ter
ritory, and to confne the evils of the 9th
er within Its already established limits
and that such was the plan and practice
of the government in its earlier days of
purity, is conclusively shown by the
terms of Declaration of Independence,
the ordinance of 1877, the careful avoid
ance of the word slate in the Constitu-
ton, the prohibition, under the severest
penalties, of the African Slave Trade,
and the abundant testimony of Washing
ton, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Henry,
and many other early statesmen, both
from the North and the South, in regard
to the blighting influences of Slavery and
the vital necessity of the prohibition of
its extensions. That, on the other hand,
the Government has now widely deyiated
from and even totally reversed the prin-
ciples and practice of the early republic
on this subject, is made evident by the
denial to Congress of the frequently ex-
ercised right of excluding Slavery from
the national territories; by the repeal of
the Compromise of 1920, by opening TO
the curse of Slavery vast and beautiful
region, which had been solemnly and for
ever dedicated to Freedom years before,
and be the natural consequences of that
perfdious robbery manifested in the
/ high-handed outrages which have recent
| ly desecrated the soil of Kansas by an
armed and marauding invasion, by pros
titution of the ballot box, by a code of
worse than Draconian laws, imposed up
on people who had no agency in max
ing them, and by long and terrible Sc
ries of murders, confagrations, rapines,
groundless prosecutions, cruel imprison-
ments, and other crimes which advocates
of slavery have not hesitated to perpe-
trate to secure to their wrongful and ru-
inous control territory which desired
and was entitled to the blessings of Lib
erty; either through the direct action or
the permissive and encouraging non-in-
reference Of the General Government.
! The change in the relation of Slavery
to the National Government has been
total and complete. At first it was
merely local institution, admitted to be
an evil, IFS existence deeply deplored
and only tolerated on account of the sup
posed difficulty and danger of its sudden
abolition, while on the other hand its ex.
tension was universally deprecated and
positively prohibited. Now, it has be.
Fl come an aggressive and powerful prin.
ciple, which has taken possession of every
department of the Federal Government
except the popular branch of the Legs
lature; it opens the avenues to public
and official position only TO those VIII,
T. bow before its monstrous claims; it de
mands the revival of the horrors of thu
African Slave Trade; it insists upon tn,
/ right of passing through the free State
with its Slaves it breaks down the lon,
established securities of Freedom; i
blockades the national highways; i
closes the common territory of the coun
7 try to the free citizens of the North an
by the strong arm Of power, with th
bayonet and the sword, it brushes pee
pie, whose only offence is that they clair
:, the right to regulate their domestic III
. situations in their own way, and viii nc
submit to its insolent and oppressive de
i mands.
= The rapid extension of Slavery an
; the aggressive nature Of its demands, ez
" cite the most anxious solicitude in OF
n minds for the success and perpetuity
5 the Union and the imminent danger
5. our free institutions has stimulated a
e lovers Of Liberty TO endeayor to restol
v the action of our Government to IL
principles of its patriotic founders, fro
D which it has so widely deviated. II
"a people of Vermont have ever, and wi
es increasing force and unanimity, spoke
DR. in unmistakable terms in opposition
of the extension of Slavery, and 1 dou
I IL