The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-10-23

H. I|UH II N.I.lN.l.
m.HiH aW.aa O.. aaFa Do sa>,r u. -raa auHh-
Uri WHiaD fFul m Che community IL
10 understood tlat several urw volunteer
companies are TO- tnr process " organization,
boz different parts Dt Che eintu, and that APP
'plirHlim flT greater legislative encourage
mrut loF ihis class NJ nilitia than Is nov
given, 10 likely 10 be- made at The present
session. ] have Thought ID proper % take
this rather heightened notice Of our militia
history, and Of the results Of our previous
legislation, ln order 10 bring this subject hIllY
helare you trust you viii give the matter
cnrcial and judicious consideration, and
that whatever action sou may take will be
such as vii be permanently beneficial 90 The
soldier and 10 the community.
feel Il my duty 90 call your attention 70
q,T lave ou the subject Of lho attachment Of
prDpnUy on masne prneess, aud especially 10
that feature Of them which gives prlorIty %
tIo first attaching creditor. Whatever may
have boon the effect of this law al 90 early
dpy when credit was comparatively limited
present operation 10 Ia my Judgment, un-
favorable % the business interests Of the
community, IL operates harshly upon the
honest debtor, by offering premium a. such
creditor % shall attach and deprive him Of
the possession Of his property, and perhaps
ruin his business and u 10 unjust 10 credit
uu, by allowing the mott greedy aud unscru-
pulOus one 20 obtain his whole debt from an
insolyentl 20 tho entire exclusion Of all 9th
ers. II furnishes also 10 the dishonest debt
or convenient mode Of defrauding his cfed-
iiurs, by procuring hls property 10 bo eecUrcd
70 himself bya fictitious attachment ! would
therefore earnestly recommend the passage
Of an act that shall provide for the equal dis.
tulution Of the proceeds Of property attached
among all the attaching croditon'
Forming portion of the general govern
mcnt, We are deeply Interested in the meas
urcs aud character of ~ administration, and
q few words IN reference ~ them viii not, 10
Is believed, b. deemed out Of place IN this
communication,
The marked general feature Of the national
government for several years past, has been
its entire disregard and abandonment Of some
Of the most important principles, which we're
considered ~ political uyi0ms 10y the trainers
of the constitution, and acted upon m such
la the earlier aud purer days 81 the govern
ment, aud indeed down 90 very recent
period This has been more particularly
manifested la reference 10 the subject Of slay-
cry, Thus, the principle Of non-inlcTcnlion,
which applied the obligations Of common
honesty and lair dealing between individuals,
10 our transactions with other governments,
has, with view 90 the extension Of the area
of slavery, given place TO the dctcstablc doe
trinc that national convenience forms q sul-
hcent Qualification for q iorciOle appropria,
ton to 1,rr- uwr-uae Of foreign territory and
is people and In accordance with which doc
trinc, cnuntenance aud encouragement have
been given 10 the laVleW invasion Of such
territory, aud the most barbarous and cruel
robbery and murder Of 10 unoligndlng in
hnbilants. The power Of congress TO exclude
slavery from the territories Of the United
States, which had been exercised without
question, hy frequent aud repeated enact
ments from the foundation OF the government
down 10 1913. has hsssa recently trrlarUd n
be without the pale of the constitution, and
the extraordinary doctrine Il now promul'
gated that the constitution, and the extraor'
binary doctrine il now promulgated that the
constitution itself legalilcs slavery IN the
territories, aud that congress has consequent
~ no authority 10 prevent It's introduction.
This doctrine of the present executive OF the
general government IL sought 20 bc confirmed
and established by the opinions of MINORITY
of the judges Of Tie supreme court of the
United States, the highest judicial tribunal of
our country. or these opinions Of the
Judges the legislature Of this state at the
last session expressed 10y resolutions their de.
eiied condemnation, IN Which condemnation
fully concur. With a strong hibiiuaL reY,
crcncu for judicial authority, when exercised
within its appropriate sphere for the dclcrmi-
nation of individual rights coniess have
not high regard for IL when sought TO be
extended to political questions. The history
Of our parent country furnishes many exam
plies Of judge, learned and eminent, whose
extra-judcial opinions were sought and OBJ
tanned 10y the government for the purpose OF
crushing Gut the rising hpirt OF liberty
a., I,,1..l I,V Vha character
of the judicial crmine, II is to be lamcntcd
that Judges, Of distinguished legal attain
mcnts, have often been found giving countc-
nance TO oppression aud wrong 10y ingenious
and fanciful constructions, aud that English
liberty has been fixed upon It's present firm
foundations, not 6y re aid Of judicial Efforts,
hut ny overcoming them. There is reason 10
hope that the extra. judicial opinions o,
the majority Of the judges in the bred
Scott case. contrary as they are to the plain
language of the constitution, 20 tho facts of
history, and TO the dictates Of common hui
manity, viii meet the fate which has attended
those Of the judges in the parent country,
and that liberty will be eventually established
in Spite Of them.
The extraordinary pcrscvcring excrtious
which, during the past year, have been made
by the chief magistrate Of the nation to pre-
vent lUC ltNplN vi hhuhhh lIbul fNNlNNllR
slavery from their soil, by Imposing upon
them constitution which he we'll knew they
lon,hcd and abhorrcd, furnishes new and
alarming evidence Of the aggressive character
of the slave power which controlled him, and
shows that the principles Of justice and of
popular sovereignty stand no more in the way
of its demands for political domination than |
do those of the constitution. The near APP
pronch TO success, by congressional lcgisla-
great majority Of the people Of Kansas, is
to excite strong distrust in the con- |
tinucd success of our republican institutions |
for if the principles Of right and justice, by
the influence of government patronage aud |
party discipline, can be thus outraged aud |
overcome, our boosted democracy will be but |
another name for despotism. 1t is, however,
matter of just pride and eongrutulation, that
these efforts TO impose slave constitution