Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-02
Old Rip Van Wrinkle, alias Gen. De Witt
Clinton.

son, and the other from the inimitable Times OF
Sleepy Hollow on Lake Champlain, have about
the same jingle, and to us about the same sig
nifcance. Old Rip had been asleepsome twenty
years, during the metamorphosis of the Ameri-
can Colonies from King Georges control to
free and happy Republic. Gen. De Witt has
been asleep during the transformation Of YER
mont from the slow progress of old Whiggery
to the high position of Republicanism. Both
at waking, equally wondered at what they were
pleased to call strange in their surroundings;
but Rip had the advantage of having fairly
walked up, while De Witt is still half sleeping
amid the " wee sma' hours ayont the twal >
We fear Mr.. Marsh report has g walked him
too soon, and he should slumber again. But
to leave old Rip, one thing is certain tho Times
has mistaken the latitude in which it is holding
forth. 1t has not sufficiently shaken off the in
feeting miasma of Texas. A fact or two will
illustrate our idea. As soon as it received Mr..
Marsh report, and the resolutions and bill ae-
campaigning it, itpoured forth volley Of its PEE
culiar dogmas, passionately beseeching the Leg
.islature to kick it out as unworthy of Vermont.
From that labored article we take the following
extracts:
+" The t-ndency of things, in Vermont, has
long been to,run the slavery question into the
ground. Our really conservative and
unagsressive State is in immensely bad odors
among our Southern sisters. No
where in the Union, we have long been accus-
toned to assert, is there less desire to encroach
upon the constitutional rights of the South,
concerning Slavery. than in Vermont y
But hostility to Slavery is a little rampant in
the Green Mountain State, and none of its an
nual Legislatures arc without some philantbro-
pists, or ambitious humanltarians, who are ailx-
ious to hit the a. institution" dig, and " reaf-
firm, the principles of the Declaration of hide
pendence," in Vermont. The thing does not
seem to be necessary, but is nevertheless, prac-
ticed. Astssion of Legislature pHhout special
enactment, in the way of Resolution or Bill,
against Slavery, would be novelty, not to say
a relief.
We have conviction that Vermont is RIGHT
g on the record, " and that it would be "safe "
to let the topic rest for year or two. The
only really practical thing, in this direction, in
the present Legislature, is the bill of Mr. Everts
of Rutland, prohibiting the practice of Slavery
in our State and that bill has passed the
Senate, and will doubtless pass the House. The
bill of Senator Nicholson, which has been dis
missed in the Senate, was well enough, 50 far
as it admitted our constitutional obligation to re-
store fugitives from service, and we agree with
him that it is properto cucumber the restoration
with such " conditions az will be likely to
prevent mistakes :" but it Is entirely unneces-
sary. The difficulties it seeks to Impose upon
attempts to reclaim fugitives, already exist
Though not in legalfo The South
} has right to hold slaves, and Vermont don't
propose to interfere with that right she only
insists that she don't admit any such idea as
slavery, and exacts the most obstinate proof
before she will permit any human being to BE-
taken from her jurisdiction, on claim that he is
a slave anywhere else. This she will do by
force Of her public sentiment, Independently Of
any law.
The bill, therefore, of Mr. Nicholson. and
the Report, Resolutions, and Bill of Mr.. Marsh
1.-THE former in the Senate, and the latter in the
4 House)are, practically as idle as the wind
The only effect is, not to render more certain the
anti-slavery sentiment of Vermont, but unneces
sarily to erdsperatc the ill feeling towards her
Of her Southern sister States. We do not re-
a greet, therefore, the defeat of Mr.. Nicholson ;,
bill, in the Senate, and shall not regret the de
feat of the Resolutions and Bill of Mr.. Marsh
in the House. We are content with the posi-
g ton Of Vermont, as it is. We do not heliev,
! that Bills or Resolutions can improve it. Or
g the contrary, we believe that they are Z" run
. ming the thing into the ground" Neither Mr.
Marsh nor Mr.. Nicholson is a better, or firm
e er anti-slavery man, than nino-tenths of tn
n members of the Legislature, and we are conf
~ dent that Legislative sanction Of the projects o
" either would do no good. Our notion is to lie
our State have little rest from these uncaled
o for g agltations." They do not add to he
l. moral strength at home or abroad. We ar
v obliged to hope that the whole of Mr.. Marsh
y labors will fail to receive legislative endorse
ment-and on the simple ground that they ar
u unnecessary. They are, in substance and effec
nothing more than what was was done, veal
ago, by the old Wing party of Vermont"
Now there are some laughable things in thes
y extracts. drumming the thing into the ground,
4 says the Times; Immensely bad odor at tn
j" South, -" Rampant" still it thinks Mr. Evert
y bill just the thing which by the way di
y not pass the House. 1t thinks all the dlfliculti
10 sought to be imposed now exist, though not
. legal form, and would be met with ifattemp
"' were made to capture slave. If 1t exists
i" all, as we have always commended it did, VIII
~ object to saying 50 in legal form? 1t says til,
VI Mr.. Marsh's Bill contomplates the same in sui
stance as was done by the Wing party years ag
Nv Then we think something must now exist in /
II gal form And if done by the Wing party wi
~ y, not the Republican party do it? But there a
~ some Inconsistencies in the Times remarks, al
. welet them pass. The act is passed, and has +
ceived tht Governors signature, and what mu
~ the Times think when it compares the sixth Sc
~ ton of that bill as first reported with the sau
Il" section as passed? 1t strikes us that the inf
~ ence OF the Times is not admitted, or else ii
~ bill would not have been amended by the S,na
~ 30 us to make it much stronger, as is there see
az The Times and Phenia will do well to lea
a. lesson from the action of the Legislature up,
40 the questions of Rum and Slavery.
w --------@.~-p-----
The Watchman has peculiar way Of dod
:. ing things when it hardly knows which side
~ take. So with Mr.. Marsh's report upon Slay
ry and the bred Scott decision. 1t says
of When one gives violent blow to a ST
~ nended weight at rest, driving it to the exte
IT, Of ITS tether, the recoil carries it the same
p lance in the opposite direction, minus the Ii
in from the resistance of gravity and air; SO no
.. when the Federal Executive and Judiciary ha
we gwen tremendous blow to the nicely-adust
de Constitution, driving it in tire direction
lte Slavery, the rocoil should naturally and inc
he tably carry it just as far towards Freedol
:, minus the resistance of conservatism. '