The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-05-15
apsesh % 20. -. wallon.

in Which be conelusiyely uininfsind mat she
( Slave eyigarfIy Bns effected revolution in
/ fhr ln@ Of the nnd. The speech il elofely
reasoned lhroughout aud ils truths elpGueut-
/ y applied, We enPy M opening and clos
ing paragraphs -
! Mr. CHAHlAN--"I Revolutionary " wa on
epilhrt appalled,, ffh LOuTa hgo.'t tbs Re-
publieans on thin hnor by Rn honorable meH-
I Der from Geofgief NJ. FfifPie,) " a.d fis,l
misunderstood the application ~ the A0Td,
! will take il, and hear IL, and honor II, II
was the honorable little Of the patriots 0f old 4
Il IL embalmed in the hearts Of the people,
and bound, Ia your day and mine. 10 a swim
resurrection IN power. We ave revolutions
~, as they were, against tyranny and wrong.
for liberty aud right But Il Il n counter rev
olution that we have ihauguraiedl IL u
aRaiast that Oiber revolution, OF which the
whole history Of RsnsaA and ihis Leeompton
constitution are the Illustration and example
IL 10 20 roll over that other reyolution, aud "
roll back the Roysrnmtntg o. the nation aud
the States 10 The principles aud policy of our
revolutionary fathers.
We are IN the midst of an attempted Tevo-
lutioni aud Nc have present proof Of iuS
mighty inn oEi, In the fact that A. he certain
result---s hethsT We roll II onward or roll IL
baek--the diAs0luiion Of the Union hns been
I
ed, as suited the purpose or the temper Of the
man and the hour. That contingency, |
think, 10 beyond our control. Higher than
Congress and ths combined powers Of the
Federal Government, higher than State goV-
ernments or conventions, than nulliheaiion or
sserssiof, is the power Of the people, ] will
not anticipate their will Higher even than.
that of the people, j. ths power Of Him Who
fashioneth their hearts alike" In Ills do
main, earth'A gTandest empires are a. dust
and the cras OF their histor--their founding.
climax, fall--are the footprints Of the Al
mighty In Ills eternal round. We may not
aniedate our fate.
IL were enough 10 say that peers in pnvi-
leRcs, responsibilities and rights, must spurn
intimidniionI but, against the power Of
Christian'Efaith and a patriots hope, these
threats Of angry men are lighter than their
breath. will smile nt Iheni-souowfully
smile -
De angry Whtn you will, Il shall have seopei
DO what you will. dish0nor shall be humor.
pcsssius, you are yoksd Nth a lamb
That carries anger the flint hears fire
Who, much enforced shows a hAHty spark,
And straight 10 cold again"
The danger OF to-day, Il seems TO me, is
not Ia dissolution. but rather in that Terolu-
tion whose end is despotiAm. Thence may
come another issue. threaten nothing
predict nothing hut II another isSue ever
comeE. fear IL will he only this; despotism
and Union or disunion, as the sole, sad rem
edy for despotHm. | submit. therefore. that
to-day our great duty ia. 10 take care that by
no blindness or peryersity OF oars shall NC
doom the people to such choice as that.
The attemptcd revolution, Of which eomu
here TO speak, 10 a revolution ia the law Of
the land rs TO slavery, in the powers Of Con-
grcss and the States, in the rghia Of the
people, and IN the Constitution itself II isR
revolution wrought through n new interpret.
alton OF the Constitution 10y the Supreme
Court, With the connishnce Of the President
and his party, and ia defiance OF the entire
history Of the Government, Of Legislative Rota,
judicial adjudicntions, and the universal re-
quiesrnee Of the States and the people. lJr
two-thrds Of century. In short, air, II ia
my conviction that tho Judiciary and the Ex-
! ecutive have been guilty Of rsrRrATicS.
The position thus assumed. Mr.. Walton
maintained by irresistible arguments drawn
from the Constitution, the record Of the
Fathers, and the exposition ofcmiuent jurisis
and statesmen. lie concluded as follows -
Mr.. Chairman, warn the Representatives
OF the South. You count the court upon
yOHT side in this mad party strife. You dream
Of triumph through the courti you dream OF
safety i the court you quote ia words yUu
call them law you try to hind Hs by ttTtf
power. Are YOU safe? What mean these
words "The right of property bl Stare Is
distinctly and expressly affirmed iR the Coil-
sfitHfiOn; II makes no distiRetion between
that description of property and other proper
yP" What is the Interpretation OF your
I President? Slavery eaists by virtue OF the
Constitution What is the actual effect that
has been given, aud that you are fierce still
to give TO this doctrine Slaves, ns property.
not as 'persons," psss from STATES TO IeII1-
tories. DO you no, sec that -propeyfy" thus
passed, by sale or otherwise, iS n commercial
matter between the States? Do you not SEQ
that the court has reversed the opinion o.
Judge Barbour, 10 wit thar slaves, as Hper-
sons, are not subjects of commerce ge Doys
not see that IL has reversed a late decision OF
this very court, TO wit that slavery did not
come within the power OF Congress to rcgu-
late commerce, both external and internal
because il w's "a State IIistitufioH 3" do
you not see, then, that, as property. mldis-
tiRguiShed from other properly. Congress has
the clear right, by specific grant Of the Con-
stitution, to regulate the slave trade "aniong
the several States" and Territories, and "with
the Indian trbes" ]" Ay, do you not see, that.
property, slavery falls within that other con-
Nitutiunal attribute Of Federal Sovereignty
Ethe power TO take private property for public
use, un making just compensation
Representative OF the South, is il not even
so? Ifit be so, then has your strong wall
OF State sovereignty crumbled 10 the dust
then Federal power will right fully touch your
slaves within your very citidels then will il
touch your slares with death. to give your
men TO liberty and life. II i; be so, n single
generation shall not peSs---the half Of gen
Grafton shall not pass--ere your slave system
falls; ere not one slave remains, save here
and there battered wrecks few lone ser
wants, Euperannuatcd and sad, standing by
your linteia, BIKE the totts.ing pillars Of some
7 old Egyptian tempie--the melancholy monu-
ments OF slave holding age. Are you safe
Is his the leiSon Of the Conrtp Is this the