Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-05-27

any aggression on our rights. know tie
lact, and can prove it, that the adhcrents
and associates of such men as Fillmore and
Hunt and Everett and Winthrop, and others
OF that school, all over the North and East
and Northwest. are at the present time per-
fectly sound on the question of slavery.
know they are prepared to aid in the cleo
tion Of a stakeholder to the Presidency of the
United States in 1860, in preference to any
other man, and will join in eecting him on
ly on the ground of non-agitation of the
question of slavery and of the future admis-
sion OF slave States into the Union, without
the least regard to whether they are slave
holding or non-slaveholding.
Mr.. Lawton of South Carolina-Will the
gentleman be kind enough to explain the re-
cent declaration of leader of the great party
of the North (NIr. Seward), who said in his
Eric speech, that the destiny of this country
was either for Slavery or Freedom? How
can the gentleman reconcile that declaration
with what he has just said?
Mr.. Foote-NIy dear sir, take your seat
and will explain it, | am astonished that
the gentleman should ask such question
| have yet to learn that that accursed mon
ster, called William II. Seward, is proper
representative of northern sentiment. know
know it, do.
Mr.. Lawton-I do not
Mr.. Foote-At a late meeting at Washing
~. where three hundred men assembled
D.. IAN from tine North denounced WIN.
II. seward; denounced his ticoric as accufs-
ed denounced the whole higher aw and
openly declared ut they intended to give,
rs frcrmcn and patriots, the strongest guar
anty to their southern brethren at the next
Presidential Election, not to vote for any
man for the Presidency who was not IL slave
holder, and ound to the core on that oues-
ton Applause.
II the democrats there are sound, there are
others very sound too. The Fillmore men
are sound; you know that Fillmore was the
only man who was run for the Presidency in
1856 on IA sound slavery platform. Buchanan
was run on squatter sovereignty platform,
one OF the propositions of which asserted, in
language which no man can question, the
right OF the people uia rerr' ,ry at any time,
by legislation, either to exclude or to admit |
slavery, as they chose Away yonder, on
the shores Of the distant Pacific. mindful of |
the rights of my cOuntrymen, and seeing the |
danger to which they were exposed by that
most damnablc heresy Incorporated most i'm |
plbusly in the ancient democratic creed of |
the country, darei in every part of the
State, in every village and city Of that coast,
to dcnounce the heresy. and to prevent the |
evils which have since arisen to the country
Mr.. Buchanan S letter oiacceptance endorsed
In the most unequivocal phraseology, the
same principle, dangerous as it is.
Mr.. foote expressed himself strongly of
opiniun,t that if the friends of slavery would be
discreet and rely ontheir constitutional rights
alone they would soon have slavery in southern
California, in Oregon, Arizona, chihuahua,
Sonora, and Simaloa. He argued that the
repeal of the act prohibiting the slave trade
would work an injury to the institution of
slavery by chcapening the value of slaves too
much
"lfthe price of slaves comes down then the
pernanency Of the institution comes down.
Why? Because every man values his property
in proportion to its actual intrinsic worth. IF
Il slave is worth s 800 there is higher
appreciation of him than if he is worth so.
Why IS apprehended that Virginia ant The
other m'ddle States are rery much iachnedto
Because STARE iobor is unpro-
ttable. IS an admitted fact, nou, That if
you stop the erporidtion of Sldres from Mary
ldnd, DeLapac and Virginia., these States
lcould be compelled in less than ten or fifteen
years 10 emancipate ther slares. They cannot
work them proftably on farms. Would you
be willing to shoulder your muskcts in vindi-
cation of slavcholding rights-would you be
willing to fight for them and risk your domes-
tic peace and happiness, if your slaves were
only worth IS apiece? Why, every man
sees that that is an absurdity. Therefore,
The permonence Of The system dcpends upon
Keeping the prices high. l, therefore, charge
these men with striking at the very vitality
of the system"
Mr.. II. S. Bennett of Miss said
mississippi would have the slave trade
reopcned, peaceably if they could, forcibly if
they must. If that was treason, there were
100000 citizens of Mississippi whose necks
were ready for the halter. The slave trade
was Christian duty and an act of humanity;
for thereby the Africans were taught the
Christian religion and elevated in the scale
Of social being If petitions to Congress
were not efectual, he was in favor of bringing
Africans here any how, whether as appren-
tices or slaves The only objection that he
saw to it was that the Yankees would steal
half the negroes from Africa, and steal the
other half from the South