Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-01-08
"FANA1ICALe AUTHORITIES.

Ina speech delivered at Rochester about three
months since, Mr.. Seward maintained the idea
that the two systems Of labor, seryile and free,
were in their very essence antagonistical, and
that eventually one must give place to the 9TH
er; consequently these United States would Ill
timately be either all slave states or all free
states. To most northern men, not bound hand
and foot politically as strong as the negroes OH
southern plantation are physically this propo-
sition is as simple as any in mathematics, and
carries conviction with its utterance. But there
are men here at the north who affect to see in
this plain language a secret hostility to the I'M
ion, species of political heresy and incendia-
rism that is now for the first time avowed, and
is significant chiefly as marking the progress
that disunionism and reasonable designs have
made during the last few years.
To modern democrats, such as sustain Bu-
chanan and Lecompton, we confess that such
doctrine is novel and appears revolutionary
They do not recognise any sentiment as orthdox
that has not first been submitted to their south
ern masters, and obtained their unqualified APP
proval. They have so long been content to take
their political instruction from such teachers
that they forget there was ever period in the
history of the country when our wiscst states
men and purest citizens expressed theIr Denef
in the evils OF slavery and their expectation that
the time would come when this should be in
deed nation of ireemen. In denouncing Mr..
Seward as fanatic they are oblivious to the fact
that some of the very men whom they would
have us believe are saints in their calendar, were
in their day and generation quite as obnoxious
TO the charge Of ianatacsm as the Republicans
of the present day. Let us compare the above
sentiment uttered by Mr.. Seward with those of
some Of the earlier "fanatics"-men whose
names have not yet quite passed into oblivion,
although their teachings are evidently old-fash-
Toned, antiquated and anti-democratic according
to modern expounders of the democracy.
In letter addressed to La Fayette in 1788
one George Washington furnishes us with an
excellent sample of the doctrine of uniformity
which is so boisterously hooted at by pro-slavery
democrats. He says:
81 agree with you cordially in your views in regard
to negro slavery. have long considered it most Sc
rions evil, both socially and politically and should
Ioce III any thslDls scDelne 10 nj Stntes Of such
a burden.
The Congress OF 1877 adopted an ordinance which
prohibits the existence of Involuntary servude in our
north western territory forever. IcOnsider rise
measure 1t met with theapprOyal and assent of near
ly every member Of the states Immediately in
terested in slave labor The prevailing opinion in Viz
GINA against de spread Of sdre,y m The ne,c terri
to''es, ana TRUST WE SHALL HAVE CONFEDERACY
OF FREE STATES"
A singular similarity to Mr. Stewards idea of
che incompatibility of slavery and freedom in
this country may be traced in the following ex-
tract from letter written by Mr.. Thomas
Jefferson, man of some note half a century ago
"Noing is certainty ,citten in he book Of fate
THAN THAT THESE PEOPLE the slave population ARE
TO BE FREE mar is less certain that The tlro races
equally free, cannot lire IN The same qoreTnlnenL Ma
ture, habit opinion have drawn indelibe lines of dis
tncuon between them. 1t is still in onr power TO di-
rect the process of emancipation and deportation
peaceably, and in such slow degree as that the evil
will wear of insensby, aud their place be yarr pa,s
f0ed up oh free chde hJ0rers. IT, ON tile contrary
1t Is to force itself on human nature must shudder 9t
the prospects held up
Compare the language of Washington and
Jefferson, in regard to slavery in the United
States, with the opinions held by James Buchan-
an, the biggest saint of all in the calendar Of
otlice-holders, that the Constitution carries slave
ny into all the territories of the United States