Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-12-23
MIR. WADE ON INVASION.

by the democratic Senators. bis home ques-
tion to Senator Iverson of Geo. whether he
thought there was any thing in that book
to make it dangerous to put it in the hands
of any freeman in the South-did not get a
direct answer. After some pause Mr.. Iver-
son said he would net stultify himself by
answering it,that any man of sense could see
what its effect would be.
Mr. Wade said he had looked the book
through carefully and found nothing but
arguments against slavery. Unless such
arguments were unlawful he saw nothing in
the book but what was right and proper for
the consideration Of all men who take an in
terest in such matters. Has it come TO this
in free America that there must be a Gems
orship of the press ins stituted? that a man
cannot give currency tc a book containing
arguments that he thinks are properly
addressed to whole classes of the free popula-
ton Of. the country? The great body Of the
statistical information in the book is drawn
from the census returns and public dOcu
ments in the archives of the nation. Ii ar
guments against slavery cannot safely be
made, that constitutes the greatest objection
to the spread of that Institution he ever
heard Of Ii we really have among us an
institution that we are cherishing and seek
TO spread broadcast over the land, so delicate
in It's structure that a free people cannot
have that information concerning 1t which
thew crave, he said it was an inference more
fatal to that institution than any he ever
heard of before. He proceeded to allude to
the unuttered thunder of disunion meeting
his ears from the southern hemisphere, in
case q republican president is elected. He
felt no alarm from that cause. This Union
will not easily be dissolved Gentlem en-
talk about 1t in very business like way, as
though it was d magazine 10 be blown up
whenever they chose to apply the match.
This fabric has been more than eighty years
in building, and will not be destroyed IN a
dav. lie then spoke of the nayigable rivers.
lines ofriilroads and other interests interla cling
the South and North. There never was 50 great
and glorious a country. We are married
forever, for better or worse. We can make
our condition very uncomfortable, but,
there will be no divOTcement
between us. There is no way in which it
can be effected. but least of all in the con-
tingency mentioned. If you wait till re-
publican president if elected, you will have
waited day too late. Why don't you do
it now when you have the government in
your own hands say to you, he would
be but a sorry republican, who, if elected by
a majority Of the votes of the American peo-
pie, and consequently backed by tnem,
should fail to vindicate his right to the pre-
sidential chair. He will do it. No man at
the North is 10 be intimidated by the threats
Of dissolution which are thrown into his
teeth daily. VIII, do you not do it There
is no law requiring you to give us notice Of
IT. You had better do 1t at once without
making threats. II the republican candi-
date shall be cOnsttutionaly elected to pre-
side for the next four years over this people,
my wo'l for it, presides he will. Who W II
prevent it?
Mr.. Wade ought the most dangerous in
'endarSm was to be found in the speeches of
southern men, when they tell theiI people
that the great party having control of the
Free States sympathize with John Browns
raid. He regarded Brown as insane. and
asi.oa $780, = l:-~-:-~ .nata between the !
man aud his acts. If the State of Virginia
feels .eply at this incursion into her terrific
~. and murder of her citizens, what were
the feelings OF Northern men, few years
ago, whose relations and friends had gone
into a far distant Territory and formed colo
MES there, weak and feeble, and scattered
through that wilderness, when they found 1t
was the deliberate purpose Of great, pow
erful, and all-pervading party to drive them
out. or cOerce them to obedience under instl-
tutions which they abhorred from the bottom
of their souls. They were driven out;
:hey we're murdered in cold
blood their property was destroy
ed They appealed to Congress Tor re-
dress, and they only got insults here instead
of sympathy. When | state this, ! state
what | do know. This Government did at
least connive ut that band of conspirators,
who, armng thea selves lawlessly, with arms
belonging to the Government, invaded that
Territory, took possession ofthe ballot-boxes
drove the citizens away from the polls, drove
them away from their possessions, and exer-
cised tyranny over them; but that took
place a good way off, a2d didn't create the
same excitement as when a similar transac-
ton comes nearer home. In his judgement,
the only difference between that case and
this was, that in the case of Kansas the ir-
vasion was made with no other purpose than
to introduce Slavery there, at all hazards.
and by force of arms; whereas Old John
Brown and his men, with a like unlawful
purpose, undertook to extirpate Slavery from
the State Of Virginia. The Free State men
there got no consolation from the Govern
ment, but one Senator used this language:
'We will subdue you-you are traltors-we
will hang every man of you.
Mr. Wade said he did not go back to these
things for the purpose of Justitying John
Brown and his crew in their invasion OF
Virginia, but only to show why it is that
the men IN the Free States, to consdera.
Bile extent, do sympathise with this old
hero. In the darkest hour OF Kansas, when
her rights were all in peril, and everything
looked gloomy there, and the Federal Go
vernment failed to iuterpose In her behalf,
then il was that old John Brown appeared
on the stage OF action, arming himself as
well as he might, and commenced to do that
Justice to himself and his fellows that the
Government had denied. He did 1t with
herOism and determination that challenged
admiration from his friends, and even res
pect from his enemies He drove the Border
Rufiaus from tn territory, and conquered
peace Mr Wade believed that John Brown
was maGdereu by scenes of blood he witness
ed in Kansas, for he did not think any sane
man on earth would have undertaken the
enterprise be did at Rarper'a Ferry. de
also said ne never had seen single person
who justified Browns raid. for the North
ern people do not sympathise with crime.
TRACT HoUsE FIRE.-Tuesday morning,
large building, No. 6 Spruce street, New
York-owned aud occupied by the Ameri-
can Tract Society, as d repository for books
and tracts, and as a bindery,-was found to
be on fire IN the fifth story, from some un-
known cause. The building was chiefly
saved, but the large stock of books, tracts
and paper was almost entirely destroyed ny
the fire and the flooding of the building with
water. $4,000 of Insurance had been ef-
fected On the property in nineteen different
Offices. The damage is reckoned TO he near
lv equal t. the amount insured.