Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-31


gress has no more power % give away the pub
lie lands to the States for any purpose, than it
has to give them money out Of the Federal
treasury. Butgranting, as the message admits,
the right of giving away public lands to new
States for purposes Of education, as "a mere
speculation, &nd the conclusion inevitably fol-
lows, that money may be voted for the same pur-
pose. The President reasoning, read backwards,
eyerturns each of his premises, and shows the
fillacy of his Logic.
But let us look little further into this spec
ulatiye standard of interpreting the Constitu-
Itian. A grant of million of acres Of public
lands to Wisconsin for the support ofsehoos
in that State, may be defended and made con-
stitutional, in Mr.. Buehanans mind because it
will increase the value of the rest Of the public
lands in that State in other words, because it
is good speculation. The question of consti-
tutonality becomes then u mere question Of
the profit andloss, a question to be determined by
events Uaniogic be moreabsurd reasoning more
contradictory and inoonclusive. IF our charter
of rights ia to be construed in this way, made
to say yes or no as the proposition in a specula-
tive point Of view, is good speculation for
Uncle Sam, or otherwise, Buchanan had better
submit al bills to the Bulls and Bears of Wall
street, or to the Board of Trade, for approval,
before giving them his signature.
The Message on this point reasons very much
as g Cd, but not very clcar-headed old lady
did, wien admonishing hes son against the vice
of gambling. She told him he must never gam
ble,z7it was u sin, besides being very wrong
But tiRG CAST young man replied to the maternal
reprooi that he always won when he played for
money. "Ah, my son, replied the good moth
er, eff you were always sure to win, that would
alter the case"
Mr.. Buchanan evidently thinks that grants
of land to States to help learning are unconsti-
tutional and very wrong, but if money can be
made Gus Of it, it alters the case. Does the alb
surdity, not to say knavcry of such reasoning,
need to be further shown?
The argument that the general government is
mere trustee Tor the people, in respect to the
public lands, is no better or more conclusive
than the rest. In fact it is only branch Of
the constitutional argument which we have
Just no,iced, If the trust is declared in any in
strument, it is declared in the Constitution
AndundeI that instrument Mr.. Buchanan admits
that the lands were properly enough given tc
the new States for the purposes of education,-
1t requires impudencc Or imbecility, after such
an admission to insist that the power of Con
grcss to dispose of the public lands is not gen.
eral that the lands may be given for the cdu
cation in Iowa, but not in Vermont.
| We have been drawn into Il moro extended
notice Of this veto message than we purposcd
in the outset. As we wrote the shahbincss Of
the Presidential reasoning forced itself more
and more upon our notice. And we have come
to the conclusion that not even Mr.. Buchanan
can be 50 lemented as not to see how shallow il
all his argument, and how false are all his con
illusions. But the power behind his throne, tn,
Slave interest, has compelled him to thus hu.
initiate himself in the eyes Of an intelligent
people Yet these Slave-drivers ought, in kind
ness and charity to their obedient instrument
to furnish the President with more ingenious
and plausible excuses for crushing free labor al
their bidding. They ought to make for him
at least d decent argument, to save appear
ances.
MIR. Bsshanan wis, no doubt, entirely right
in closinghis message as he did. There can be
no doubt whatever that the evil committed by
him in THIS sitting the noble and beneficial pur.
pose of NJ. Morrll's bill, was amply sufficient
for any One day in our national history. II
was an evil, Il blow against education, that in
its effects will not be confined to one day or one
year, Or one generation, but will be felt in all
coming time, Every day that the project is de
layed by reason of this veto, will multiply this
evil, till Mr.. Buchanan's connection with il
will bring to him well merited infamy. The
patriotic student of the history Of our govern
ment will pause hereafter as ereads the record
to curse James Buchanan, and wonder how the
nation endured his despotism.
Is there man Or boy in Vermont to-day who
would rather be Mr. Buchanan than Mr.. Nor
rill? Il there be, we wish he would stand
forth that We may all see the most foolish, OF
the most slayish son of our free commonwealth
the shammiest of Democrats, the most servilC
ass that feed at his masters crib.
Washington County Court adjourned on
Wednesday of last week.
The trial of John Gleason for the manslaugh
ter of John Courtney of Middlcsex, come of
on Monday, from which it appeared that there
was gathering of Irishmen at the house Of
John Gleason in Middlesex, where liquor wa;
freely used, and a melee ensued in which Glea
son stabbed Courtney in the neck, from which
wound Courtney died about a week after. The
jury returned a verdict Of guilty"
On Wednesday morning the prisoners werC
brought into court to receive their sentences.
Ariel Martin having been called, the cerl
propounded the usual question, shave you any
thing to say why the sentence of the cour
should not be pronounced upon you at this tint
for the murder of Lucus Ainsworth?" The
prisoner not seeming to understand the question
it was repeated He replied II did kill him.
The court said that under the circumstance
he considered it necessary to pronounce thu
sentence which the law imposes, without an,
extended remarks.
"The sentence Of the law is now to be pro
nounced by this court, and that sentence is
That you, Ariel Martin, be hanged by the necl
till you are dead, and that you be imprisoned
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