Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-07-25

amendments are made on the mo-
ton Of those who are opposed to
the general purposes OF bill, they
are therefore to vote for the bill.
Now, wish to state briefly what
were in my mind the great objec-
lions TO this experiment ever hav-
ing been begun, and then will
state some reasons why | think it
should not now be attempted to be
perfected in this way. What was
the experiment. 1t was that we
should repeal the Missouri comprom-
Use set aside all the assurances of
quiet aud repose which we gave to
the country IN 1850, and set aside
the compromise of 1920 and after
that provision had been made on the
subject of slavery for all the terri
tories, to throw lt to the winds by
declaring the whole proceeding to
be vacated.
What else did you do Z Instead
. of having this agitatiug subject dis
cuSsed and settled by Congress by
the nation-you SAID you would
turn It over to the people who might
happen to 60 into this Territory
thereafter, for there were none there
when this act was passed.
We object to both the features of
the experiment We protested, from
The beginning, that the comprrmls-
es which had been made, and the
repose which had been settled should
not be destroyed. In the ue,t place,
We SAID that a subject m which the
whole community was interested
should not be turned over to local
Legislation aud local action in the
Territory. II involved questions IA
which the whole nation had an in
terest. which affected the weight OF
power M this body, and therefore
was not "a proper subject for local
arrangement aud local legislation.
Further, we were of the opuiou that
the doctrine Of popular sovereignty,
sometimes called ,quatter sovereign
~ as applied u that way, was mo-
thing but an apple Of discord, a bone
Of contention, which would turn
This whole region into a scene of
discord, anarchy, confusion, and vi
oleuce. We thought this must be
its ultimate results, for we had seen
that in this body, restrained as gem
tlemen are by proper sense Of pro-
puety, and by the rules of decorum
that govern debate, the subject could
not be discussed with a degree Of
peace securing any fair result and
at the same time preserving the hon
or aud the dignity Of the body
Much less, we thought, could it be
turned over with impunity to such
people as those there, TO discuss and
settle
These, succinctly stated, werc
some of our objections to tho eXPe-
rment which has been entered up
ON. | DO not wish to call any inn
proper names. but | must say that
we think it was a great political mis-
take am very much inclined TO
think that many will not only say
that il was great mistake, but a
wrong, aud a great moral wrong -
There are others who do not join
as now, bat who think it was a great
bluuder. which has been prouounc-
ed to be, ln politics, worse Than a
crime The events which have
uanspired since the experiment was
set on foot, must have convinced
people of that fact 1t is not to be
expected, however, that gentlemen
here will acknowledge it aud relrace
their steps but yet there are men
in the community whoackuowIedge
all this and, at the same time, say
it ought NOT To be correcled-it
ought not to be redfessed lhough
il wa- wrong. DO not understand
the propuety of the ethics which
can guide men to snch a result
cannot see why wrong should not
at once be redressed
Again, when we are told to have
no more discussion, no more agta-
tiou, il looks too like the policy OF
mastery inactivity until you can
get a chance to snatch another tri-
umph.
Such, Mr. President, are briefly
the objections which | have m my
own mind, and which no doubt gov
eru many other gentlemen, to un-
derlaklug to aid m carrying ont an
experiment which we think was al
together wrong in its inception, aud
/ la all It's parts.
In the next place, we object to
this, because, since the experiment
has been attempted, il has not been
conducted, we think, with the fair
ness which was promised. 1t was
said that the people who shonld set
tie in the Territory should be left
perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions IN their
own way" We do not believe that
assurance has been kept. They
have not been left free. Influences
and power have both been brought
to bear on them, reducing them to
condition OF things that renders
the attempt at fair experiment ut
terry impossible. need not reca-
pitulate at much length these mat
ters The fact is, that, instead OF
the people OF Kansas being left free
TO form their institutions in their
own way, the people of neighbor-