The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-04-19

1t Is now nearly two years since the repose
of the country was disturbed by the conSum-
nation of the last Of those great schemes bv
which the South has sought to extend and
perpetuate Slavery. The passage Of the Kan
as-Nebraska Bill at once re-opencd the con
test, and gave it a new direction Slavery
had hitherto been considered in its moral as.
pect - as an evil to be deplored, as sin to be
denounced. 1t was judged from an emotion
al, rather than from a logical standard Our
sympathy was demanded for the slave, our
condemnation for the master. But in time
the country grew weary of this. Convention
al Anti-s'averv eloqncnce was no where ap-
plau,lcd As of DID, and Garrisoni,n fire brands
fell harmless to the ground. black and s,no-
king Ike the stick of a rocket. This meth
cd of procedure had one lamentahlc defect -
it was powerless to effect p-a'tica! result.
cruelty were di>be!eved: our Uncle Toms
were considered imaginary. our LrGrccs, the
nightmare Of a heated bran. If Mrs Stowe
bale us weep at scenes OF cruelty, Mr.. Ad-
ans asked us to laugh at his pictures Of " o,-
" fat negroes" The conviction grew strong
or with every dav that such discussions were
calculated to produce little substantial good
When, however, a proposal to annu the
Compromises of 1920 and to open TO the chan
ces Of Slavery a wide cxtcnt Of tcrri'or,
which was declared, by &c less high autnori-
" than hat of Mr. Webster, to be secured "a
freedom by lrr.reaiaJic laws, was preached
in the Senate OF the United States, and push
ed through Congress by the votes of North
ern Democrats and Southern Wings, and tn,
bold, unscrupulors exercise of Executive in
lluence, i; was felt that the time had come
when it was necessary, and imperative upon
every patriot, to oppose the political power
of the country against the daring rncroach
mcntS OF the Institution Of slavery Th"
question was taken ont O! the moral, am!
,,laced in tie political world 1t became an elc-
ment Of political power, which can neither lie
ignored nor kept out Of political discussion
As a tnct this is every where ack now lodged
AS lamentablc fact by some, as the dawn of
brighter day by others. Consequent up
on the passage of the Kansas Nebraska Bill!
Lave followed, in the words Of the President.
Some acts prcdulicial to good ORDER in
tae language o! Truth, forcible u>urpation. bv
oath-bound Southern lespera!ocs, OF the
rights OF sovereign iadepcndcn. people,
and Presidential Messages and proc;amations.
insulting to the North, revoltin. to the good
sens" OF the nation, and dan rcrous to the lib
erty and perpetuity Of the Union
Thus has the issue been forced upon the
country. and every State election held with
in the last year clearly indicates that the
people are ready to take sides upon it. ':.a to
enter upon the Presidential contest with The
rcnvIctloa that it must be a struggle for po-
litical power as the only means whereby an
Oligarchy Of three hundred thousand slave
holders can be prevented from controlling
the destinics of twenty millions OF treemen
This is demanded as a right not as a conces-
sion. To obtain it the North will disregard
no constitutional provisions, annul no COM
acts, interfere in no State o. municiraI insti
tutions. enter into no controversy, and preach
no crusade against any sectional doctrine or
custom. Nothing inconsistent with the Ee~-
pctuity OF the Union s asked; but simply
that the wealth and population Of the Free
States shall be represented in our National
Government, and that the FEDERAL authority
shall not be perverted into an engine for the
extension of Slavery, and the disfranchise-
ment of legal and peacable citizens. The
call for Convention, published above,
defines explicitly the principles and policy
by which we ask to be known. Around them
will rally a great and increasing partv-a
party full Of the life and vgor which charac-
terize the people Of the United States-rep-
r-.enting the spiri, and zeal OF the nation.
and rejecting the enterprise and the religion
oi us citizens. Our readers know bv heart