Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-01-10
NEW SERIES, NO. 3.
WERMN $3.50 strictly In advance.
lGNMS, $4,000 at the years end.

governments of Europe. Our cooperative ac-
ton rests in the conditions Of promanent con.
federation, preceded by the Constitution
I Our balance of power is in the separate re-
served rights of the State and their equal rep
resentation in the Senate.
This independent sovereignty of the States
rests with its reserved rights of local selfgov-
ernment, assured to each by their co-equal pow
er in the Senate, was the fundamental condition
of the constitution
Withoutit the Union would never have ex-
listed. However desirous the larger State might
be to reorganize the government so as to give to
their population its proportionate weight in the
common councils, they know it was impossible
useless they conceded to the smaller ones
thority te exercise at least negative influence
on all the measures of the Government, whether
legislative or executive, though their equal rep
resentation in the Senate.
Indeed the large States themselves could not
have failed to perceive that the same power was
equally necessary to them for the security Of
their own domestic interests against the aggre-
gate force of the general government.
In word, the original States went into this
permanent league on the agreed premises of
exerting their common strength for the defence
Of the whole, and of all its parts, but of ut
terly excluding all capablity Of reciprocal ag
gression.
Each solemnly bound itself to all the others
neither to undertake nor permit any encroach-
ment upon, or intermeddling with, another's
reserved rights.
Where it was deemed expedient particular
rights of the States were expressly guaranteed
, by the Constitution, but in all things besides
these rights were guaranteed by the limitation
OF the powers granted, and by express reserya-
, ton OF all powers not granted in the compact
of Union.
Thus the great power of exaction was limit
cd to purposes of common defence and general
welfare, excluding objects appertainng to the
. local legislation Of the several States and those
: purposes of general welfare and common defence
D were afterwards dcfced by specified enumera-
n tlon as being matters only of correlation between
the States themselves, or between them and for
U eign governments, which because of their COM
a mon and general nature could not be left to the
, separate control of each State
!. Of the circumstances Of local condition. in
" terests and rights in which portion Of the
"a States constituting one great section of the
:. Union differed from the rest, and from another
d section, the most important was the popularity
q of larger relative colored population in the
Southern than in the Northern States.
A population Of this class held n@ubection
a existed in nearly all the States, but was more
!. numerous and Of more serious c0ncernment in
# the South than in the North, on account Of nat
n ural differences of climate and production, and
i it was forseen that for the same reasons while
this population would diminish, and sooner or
later cease to exist in some States, it might in
=, crease in others.
- The peculiar character and magnitude of this
q question of local rights, not in material rela-
/. tons enly bat still more in social ones, caused
" it to enter into the special stpuatons Of the
= Constitution ; hence while the General govern.
' ment, as well by the enumerated powers grant
ed to it, as by those not enumerated, and there
oc fore refused to it, was forbidden to touch this
!, matter in the sense of attack or offence. 1t was
l of placed under the general safeguard of the
h Union in the sense Of defence against either in
n vasion or domestic violeHce
- Like all other interests of the several States,
o each State expressly stipulated for itself as for
each and all of its citizens, and every citizen of
q each State became soemnly bound by his alle-
glance to the Constitution, that any person held
~ to service or labor in one State escaping into
4 another, should not, in consequence Of any law
-. or regulation thereof, be dsch irged from such
!. service Or labor, but should be delivered up on
- claim OF the party to whom such service or la-
- Dor light be due, by the laws of his State
Thus, and thus only, by the reciprocal guar
y anty OF all the rights of every State against in
III reference the part of another, was our pres
u ent form of Government established by our
r. fathers, and transmitted to US, and by no other
~ means is it possible for it to exist.
h' If one State ceases to respect the rights of
- another, and obtrusively intermeddle with its
n local interests, if portion of the States assume
If, to impose their institutions on the Others or
sh refuse to fulfill their obligations to them, we
gs are no longer united friendly States. but dis
ut tracted hostile ones, with little capacity left Of
common advantage, but abundant means of re-
IN cprOcal'injury and mischief.
IS 1t is, practically, aggressive interference be-
be tween the States-a deliberate refusal on the
n part of any one of them to comply with Con-
ey Sttutional obligations arising from erroneous
ry conviction or blind prejudice. Whether it bo
at perpetrated directly or Indirectly, in either case
m it is full of threat, and is dangerous to the du
,,e' rability of the Union.
lo Lo CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS OF SLAVERY
no o Placed in the Office Of Chief Magistrate, as
eu ee the executive agent of the whole country to
~ take care that the laws be faithfully executed,
NV and specially euioined by the Constitution to
give information to Congress on the state of the
W Union, it would be palpabe neglect Of duty in
'"s me to pass subject like this, which beyond
J all things at the present time, vitality concerns
Nv Nv individual and public security
:. 1t has been matter of painful regret to sec
-, States, conspicuous for their services in found
''- ing this Republic and equally sharing its ad-
. vantages, disregard their Constitutional obliga-
' tions to it, although conscious of their inabili-
a. ty to heal admitted and palpabe social evils OF
ae their own, and which are completely within
" their jurisdiction.
,he They engage in the offensive and hopeless un-
me dertaking Of reforming the domestic institutions
lly Of other States wholly beyond their control and
the authority in the vain pursuit Of ends entirely
Dis. unattainable, and which they may not legally
ith attempt to compass. They peril the very ex-
of istence Of the Constitution, and all the count
es. less benefits which it has conferred, while the
tv people of the Southern States contne their at
er- tention to their own affairs.
tn Not presumng ofeiously to intermedde with
in the social institutions of the Northern States,
too many of the inhabitants of the latter are
ov permanently organized in associations to inaict
las injury on the former by wrongful acts which
,b- would be caus, of war between foreign pow
ne, ers, and only fail to be such in onr system be-
in cause perpetrated under cover Of the Union
1t is impossible to present this subject us truth
w. and the occasion require, without noticing the
on irrtated but groundless allegation that the
7a South has persistently asserted claims and OBJ
nd tanned advantages in the practical administra-
ur tion Of the general government to the prejudice
of of tho North in which the latter has acquesced.
%, That is the States which either promote or toll
cal crate attacks on the rights of persons and Of
elf property in other States, pretend or imagine,
lb- and constantly aver, that they whose Constitu
Irs tional rights are thus systematically assailed,
are themselves the aggressors AT the present
ct, time, this imputed aggression resting only as it
en does in the vague declamitory charges Of poht-