Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-03-19

y
head shall be fit for the helmet, and every
hand fit for the sword, an every mind ready
and qualified tor counsel. 10 attempt to ag-
grandizc country with slaves tur H. juja'r
itants, would W. to try tpmHkna llrg' body ol .
empire with feeble sincWS and cmpty veins.
Mr.. President, the expansion oi territory
to make slave States will only fail to h'
great crime, because it is imrracticubIc, and |
therefore will turn out to bo Il stur"ndous
imbcciity \ free Republican Government, |
like this, notwithstanding all its constitu- |
tional checks, cannot long resist and coun- |
ter-act the progress Of society. Slavery, whcr- |
ever and whenever, and in whatsoever form |
it exists, is exceptional, local, and short |
lived. Freedom is the common right, inter |
est, and ultimate destiny, of all mankind
All other nations have already abolished, or
are about abolishing slavery. Does this fact
mean nothing? All parties in this country
that have tolerated the extension of slavery,
except one has persisted for that error
already. That last onc-thc Democratic
party-is huwying on irrctricyahy, toward
the same fate. All administrations that
have avowed this policy have gone down dis
honored for that cause, except the present
one \ pit deeper and darker still is open
Inc to receive this administration, because it
sins more deeply than its predecessors
There is meaning in all these
facts, which it becomes II, to study
well. The nation has advanced another
stage it has reached the point where inter
vcntion, 10y the Government, for Slavery and
Slave States, will no longer he tolerated.
Free labor has at last approhondcd it, rights,
ITS interests, its power and its destiny, and is
organizing itself to assume tho govern
ment of the Republic. 1t will hcncofurth
meet YOU boldly and ros,lutcly here, it will
meet YOU everywhere, in the territories and
out Of them, wherever YOU may 20 to extend
Slavery 1t has driven YOU back in Califor-
mia and in Kansas it will invade You soon
in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia. Missouri
and Texas. 1t will meet you in Arizona, in
Central America, and even in Cuba. The
invasion will not be merely harmless but
benefcent, if you yield seasonably to its Just
and moderate demands It proved 81 in
New York. New Jersey. Pennsylvania, and
the other slave States. which have already
yielded in that way to its advances You
may, indeed, get start under or near the
tropics, and seem safe for time, but it will
he only a short time Even there You will
found States only for free labor to maintain
and occupy. The interest of the white
races demands the ultimate emancipation of
all men Whether that cOnsummation shall
be allowed to take effect, with needful and
wise nracontions AGAINST sndden chance and
disaster or he hurried IN Inv violence is all
that remains for You to decide. For the
failure of YOUR system of slave labor through
out the Republic, the responsibility will rest
not on the agitators YOU condemn, or the
political parties You arraign, or even alto
gether on yourselves, but it will hc due to
the inherent error of the system itself. and to
,nd ro.i.. ,ho dcsti,,. ,,t ,,rd &c tbo e.
can tb,n t[,t n tbn ,bito'r,,os Tbo ,rhit,
rxa,, ,,','1 ,t,;.,.','.;,,. tI;.
bnaI i. ,Io,r lie an,, ~ stn, a,il 49,,
oo..;.;,s a.,, fraI IT,, ,,.. ,';ii l..,
!, r. ,o,,r, !, hn ,.ilI 'I,Ii,.o fla, ,.',,',,,,
..r.
.,;,, i; c,,,. r .I,,.o ,.I I..
e.. i ~, hi,1.,,,.I "'',' ~,
sn,o ,t "'' si,,;no1 I;a, ,,,s t;',
farar " foa 7,I',r .nnd fr,o S.n,o. rh, c,i
20 'o H. y. ., ''i I l,i,,I Nv IN
the fate of Mexico, although sore >iooo, and
severe pitched battle, interviewed Lrfnro tb,
capturc of the carital of the Aztoc,. Tn,
defeats Won have rncountrr,J i'm CaliCrni.
and in Kansas determine the fate of IN,
principle for which Won have been contend
tnr II /, for Yourselves. mo-. for lis. f.. de-
eide how lnnr and thr,u,h what r,rtho,
mortifcation. and disasters the contest shall
bo rrotroct,d. before Freedom Shall onin,. he,
already assured triumrh. would hayc II
ended now and womb have fine wound, a.
be done by Offering further r.i.t,nr,
nor by any evasion or partial >rrron
der nor by forcing kansas int, m,
Union as Slave State. ac;,iu.t h.r vii
leaving her to cast off slavery oGcrv.rI. -.
best she NAV nor hy conrolIin,e Mimi.
al
costume Of Territories AT tbn ,I,,o, nr C,n-
grc,s, until the people of Kansas. ar tbrn
true defenders here, shall he Lrou,bt tn di.
honorable COMPROMISES. 1t can he don.,nl,
by the simple and direct admission of tLc
three new State, "a, free state, witl,,n,
Qualification. condition, or conrr.,,,i.- .,ni
by the abandonment oflll Grthar ,,tt,,,,,,.t ~