Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-09-05

~ ana incidental junction Of tha
army 10 suppress instructions Of ci
tlzens, seldom expected to occur -
This Capitol is surrounded by n Ma
uonal metropolis, and lis streets
lanes, and alleys are doubtless ilec
with misery and guilt, adequate tc
the generation of all sorts of crimes
Yet the laws prescribed for munici,
pal government within the District
ol Columbia are executed without
the and Of the army of the United
States. Neither House Of Congress
nor the Common Council Of Wash
lnglon, nor the Common Council oI
Georgetown. nor the President Of the
United States, nor the Marshal OF
the District Of Columbia. nor vel the
Mayor OF either of those cities. nor
auy court within the District. is at.
'ended 10y any armed force or de-
mchWcnt, or protected even by an,
armed sentinel Why is this so p
l'ls because the people acquie,ce,
and the laws execute themselves -
This case of the District of Colum-
hla IS the strongest which can be
presented against the principle for
which | contend, for the people OF
the District are actually disfranchis-
ed out Of regard TO the security OF
The Federal Government Look in
To the States-into Maryland on one
side Of the Federal Capitol and into
Virginia on the other into Delaware
as you ascend nOrthward. into North
Carolina as you descend the South
ward, into Pennsylvania and into
South Carolina, into New Jersey and
into Georgia, even into Maine and
INTO Texas 60 eastward-go west
ward, throughout all the States,
throughout even the Territories, Min
nesota, Utah Washington, Oregon
aud New Mexico, from the Atlantic
coast to the Pacific ocean every
where, except Kansas, the people are
dwelling in peaceful Submission to
the laws which they themselves have
established, free from any intrusion
of the army Of the United States -
The time was, und that not long ago,
when a proposition to employ the
standing army Of the United States
as domestic police would have been
universally denounced as a prema-
ture revelation Of a plot, darkly con-
trived ia the chambers of conspira-
cy, 10 subvert the Liberties of the
people. AMI TO overthrow the Repub-
lie itself The Republic stands up
on fundamental principle, that the
people, IN the exercise Of equal
rights, will establish only Just and
equal laws. aud that their own free
and epho btened nuhlic oninion ie
Inc Only legitimate reliance Tor the
maintenance aud execution of such
laws. This principle is not even pc
culiar to ourselves it lies at the
foundation Of the government of
every free people on earth. II is
public opinion, not the Imperial ar
my, that executes the laws of the
realm in England, Scotland and Ire
land. Whenever France is free, it
is public opinion that executes the
laws Of her Republican Legislature.
1t is public opinion that executes the
laws in all the Cantons Of Switzer-
land, The British Constitution is
quite as jealous Of standing armies
as police, as our own. Govern
ment there, indeed, maintains stand
ing armies, as It does a great naval
force, but it employs the one, as it
does the other, exclusively for de
fense or for conquest against for
eign States. Fearfu! lest the armed
power Of the State might be turned
against the people TO enforce obnoxi-
Gus edicts or statutes, the British
Constitution forbids that any regular
army whatever shall be tolerated, on
any pre,ence. The considerable
military force which is maintained in
different and distant parts of the
Empire, only exists by a suspension
of that part of the constitution, which
suspension is renewed by Parliament
from year to year, and never for more
than one year at a time. Civil lber-
ty, and standing army for the pur-
poses OF civil police, have never vet
stood together, and never can stand
together. II | am TO choose, Sir
between upholdIng laws, in any part
of this Republic, which cannot be
maintained without a standing army,
or rehnquishing the laws themselves
] give up the laws at once, by whom,
soevor they are made, aud by whut-
ever authority for either our sys
ten OF government is radically wrong
or such laws are unjust, unequal, anc
pernicIous.
Such is the presumption agalnsI
the pretended laws of Kansas, whicl
arises out OF the proposed debate.
shall not, however, 10 so grave {
case, leave my argument to rest up
on mere presumption. Listen 10 me
while recite some of the principa
statutes of the Territorial Legislature
Of Kansas, which the Senate, differ
ing from the House of Representa-
tives, proposes to enforce at the pom
of the bayonet against the citizens 0
the United States:
Z" No person who Is con seisnHoasy oPPosed to th
holding OF slaves, do act Ada tho fght 90 hold slave
In this territory shall be- juror n any cause IN whic
the right ~ hold any person in slavery involved n'
n any In which any injury done TO- o. eommttr
BY ANY slave IN itsue, 10 any criminal proceeding Il
the violation Of any law enacted inf the protection
property, and or tho punishment Of trfms eonmiiiod
gainst the right TO sueh property"
Here is an edicl which subvert