Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-06-05
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, THURSDAY,

| OF Slave-maSterS IL was u sWihuto vi Droau
territory, thus cheated of protection against
slavery 1t was swindle Of great cause,
early espoused by Washington, Franklin and
JeffSfson, surrounded by the best fathers of the
rephblic. Sir, it was a swindle of God-gven
inalenable rights Turn it over, look at it on
all sides and it is everywhere swindle; and if
the word now employ has not the authority of
classical usage. it has, on this occasion, the in
dubitable authority of fitness. No other word
will adequately express the mingled meanness
and wickedness of the cheat
Its character was still further apparent in the
general structure of the bill Amidst overflow
ing professions of regard for the sovereignty OF
the people in the territory, they were despoiled
of every essential privilege Of sovpreignty.-
They were not allowed to choose their Governor,
Secretary, Chief Justice, Associate Justices,
Attorney or Marshal-all of them were sent
from Washington nor were they allowed to
regulate the salaries of any of these functiona-
ries, or the daily allowance of the legislative
body, or even the pay of the clerks and door
keepers but they were left free to adopt Slave
ry. And this was called Popular Sovereignty
Time does not allow, nor does the occasion re-
quire, that | should stop to dwell on this trans
parent device to cover transcendent wrong
Suffice it to say, that Slavery is in itself on ar
rogant denial of Human Rights, and by no hu-
man reason can the power to establish such a
wrong be placed among the attributes of a just
sovereignty In refusing itsuch a place, do
not deny popular rights, but uphold them;
do not restrain popular rights, but extend them.
And, sir, to this conclusion you must yet
come, unless deaf, not only to the admonitions
of political justice, but also to the genius of
our own Constitution, under which, when prop
erly interpreted, no valid claim for Slavery can
be set up anywhere in the National territory
The senator from Michigan (Mr. Cass) may say,
in response to the senator from Mississippi, (Mr.
BrOwn,) that Slavery cannot 60 into the terri
tory under the Constitution without legislative
introduction; and permit me to add, in response
to both. that Slavery cannot 60 there at ALL
Nothing can come out Of nohing and there is
absolutely nothing in the Constitution out Of
which Slavery can be derived, while there are
provisions which, when properly interpreted, =,
make its existence anywhere within the exclu-
sive national jurisdiction impossible.
The offensive provision in the bill was in It's
form legislative anomaly, utterly wanting the
natural directness and simplicity of an honest
transaction. 1t did not undertake openly to
repeal the old prohibition of Slavery, but seem
ed to mince the matter, as if conscious of the
swindle. 1t is said that this prohibition 6 being
inconsistent with the principle of non-interven-
ton by Congress with Slavery in the states and
territories, as recognized by the legislature of
1850, commonly called the Compromise ueas-
ures, is hereby declared imperative and void -
Thus, with insidious ostentation, was it pre-
tended that an act, violating the greatest com
promise of our legislative history, and setting
loose the foundations of all compromise, WIS de-
rived out Of n compromise.
Then followed in the bill the further declara.
ton, which is entirely without precedent, and
which has boen aptly called "a stump speech
in its belly" namely: " it being the true intent
and meaning of this act, not to legislate Slave
ry into any territory or state, nor to exclude il
therefrom, but to leave the people thereof per-
fectly free to form and regulate their domestic
institutions in their own way, subject only tc
the Constitution of the United States"
Here were smooth words such as belong to q
cunning tongue enlisted in bad cause But
whatever may have been their various hidden
meanings this at least was evident, that, by
their effect, the Congressional prohibition o
Slavery. which had always been regarded as q
seventold shield, covering the whole of Louis
lana territory north OF 36 degrees 80 minutes
was now removed, while a principle was declared
which would render the supplementary prohibi
ton of Slavery in Minnesota, Oregon and Wash
ington, imperative and void" and thus oper
to Slavery all those vast regions, now the rude
cradles Of mighty states. Here you SEQ thu
magnitude Of the mischief contemplated Bu
my purpose now is with the crime against Kan
sas, and shall not stop to expose the conspira
cy beyond.
Mr. President, men arc wisely presumed tt
intend the natural consequences Of their con
: duct, and to seek what their acts seem to pro
mote. Now, the Nebraska bill, on its very face
openly cleared the way of Slavery, and it is no
wrong to presume that its originators INTENDED
the natural consequences of such an act, AM
sought in this way to extend Slavery. 0
r course they did And this is the first stage il
:, the crime against Kansas.
o But this was speedily followed by other de
o velopments. The barelaced scheme was 500
+ whispered, that Kansas must be slave State
e In conformity with this idea was the government
{; of this unhappy territory organized in all it
c departments; and thus did the President, b
n whose completely the Prohibition of SLAYER
@ had been overthrow, lend himself to ne,
II complicity-giving to the conspintors leas
Q of connivance, amounting even to copartncrshiI
d The Governor, Secretary, Chief Justice, Ass(
l. ciate Justices, Attorney and Marshal, with
ss whole caucus of other stipendaries, nominate
1T by the President and confirmed by tho Senat,
were all commended as friendly to Slavery
p No man, with the sentiments of Washington
e, or Jefferson, or Franklin, found any favor nc
is it too much to say, that, had these great pa
5. riots once more come among us, not one of thel
10 with his recorded unretracted opinions OH Slav
ut ry, could have been nominated by the Presder
A. or confirmed by the Senate for any post in tn,
OF territory.
le With such auspices the conspiracy proceede,
~ Even in advance of the Nebraska bill, secret 8
in cieties were organized in Missouri, ostensibly
r protect her institutions, and afterwards, und
- the name of " Sell-Detensive Associations" ar
lp of " Blue Lodges" these were multiple
throughout the western counties OF that Stat
en- before any counter-movement from the Mort
IL 1t was confidently anticipated that, by the a
ed tivity of these societies, and the interest
1T shareholders everywhere, with the advantage d
OF rived from the neighborhood of Missouri al
les influence of the territorial government, Slave
nd might be introduced into Kansas, quietly b
1t surely, without arousng a conaict--that +
m crocodile egg might be stealthily dropped in t
I'D sun-burnt soil. there to be Matched unobsery
wv until it sent forth its reptile monster
M But the conspiracy was unexpectedly bake
The debate which convulsed Congress, had st
'ly red the whole country. Attention from
- sides was directed upon Kansas which at on
th became the favorite goal Of emigration. I
nd bill had loudly declared that its object was Z"
,al leave the people perfectly free to form and re
,r' ulate their domestic Institutions in their o,
le. way" and its supporters everywhere CHI
1t lenged tho determination of the question
m tween Freedom and Slavery bya competion
m emigration. This, while opening the terrific
yet Ito Slavery, the bill also opened il to emigral
IN from every quarter, who might by their vo
Of redress the wrong. Tho populous North, stu
lid by sharp sense Of outrage, and inspired by
noble cause, poured into the debatable land, a