Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-11-11

see that this poor, child-bereft old man,
is the manifest of them all. Bold, I'M
flinching, honest, without deceit OF dodge,
refusing to take technical advantages OF
any sort; but openly avowing his prin-
ciples and motives, glorying in them, in
danger and death, as much as when in
security-that wounded old father is the
most remarkable figure in this whole
drama. The Governor, the officers of
State, and all the attorneys are pigmies
compared to him.
deplore his misforIunes. / sympa-
thize with his sorrows. | mourn the
hiding or obscuration of his reason. I
disapprove of his mad and feeble schemes.
l shrink from the folly of the bloody
foray, and / shrink likewise, from all the
anticipations of that judicial bloodshed
which, doubtless, ere long, will follow
for when was cowardice ever magnani-
nous i? They will kill the man, not for
treason, but for proving them towards !!
By-and-by, when men look back and
see without prejudice that whole scene,
they will not be able TO avoid saying,
what must be the measure of manhood
in a scene where a crazed old man stood
head and shoulders above those who had
their whole reason? What is average
citizenship when lunatic is hero?'
One word more, and that is as to the
insecurity ofthose States that carry pow
der as their chief cargo. Do you sup
pose that if tidings had come to New
York, that the United States Armory in
Springfield had been seized by seventeen
men, New Haven, and Hartford, and
Stamford, and Worcester, and New York
and Boston, and Albany, would have
been thrown into fever and panic il
consequence of the event? We scarcely
should have read the papers to see wha
became of it, We should have though
that it was matter which the Spring
: field people could manage. The though
of danger would not have entered int,
: our heads. There would not have beef
any danger. But in State where thert
is such infammable stuff as Slavery, Their
as danger, and the people of the SoutI
know it; and they cannot help it. / d
, not blame them so much for being atrai
Il there is cause for fear where they hav
such population as they have down a
the bottom of society. But what mus
be the nature of State and domestic in
stitutions which keep brave men at tn
point of fear all their life long?
:, l do not propose at this time, to ez
! press my opinion upon the general sui
ject of Slavery. ] have elsewhere, 81
often, deliberately uttered my testinaas
Reflection and experie3ee only coniirr
my Judgment of its immeasurable evils
1t is a double-edged evil, that cuts bot
wavs, wounding master and slave; a De
! to good morals; q consumption Of the il
j dustrial virtues burden upon societ,
in its commercial and whole econom
arrangements a political anomaly n
stance, and a cause of inevitable degr
dation in religious ideas, feelings and il
stitutions. All other causes of frictio
put together, derived from the weakne
y or the wickedness Of men, are not half
." mischievous to our land as is this giga
= tic evil.
, But it exists in our land. with bro
% spread, and long continued hold +
in extent of our duties toward the slave a.
u toward the master, is another and a sep
a. rate question. Cur views upon the 7
ture of Slavery may be right, and O
Eu
views ofour duty toward it may be wror
At this time il is peculiarly necessary ii
all good men should be divi ely led
act with prudence and efficient wisdom.
MS Because it is a great sin, because it
la national curse, it does not follow Il
'Pi we have right to say anything or
hiS anything that we may happen to plea
Of We certainly have no right to attack
shl in any manner that viii crafty me
eli fancies or passions. 1t is computed Il
-he there are four million colored slaves
ma our nation. These dwell il fifteen
ihd ferent Southern States, with a populat
an- of ten million whites. These severe
States are united to Us, not by any fed
nd al ligaments, but by vital interests, b
ent common national life. And the quest
en- of duty is not simply what is duty tow
ben the blacks, nor what is duty toward
and whites, but what is duty to each, ant
and both united. ] am bound by the q
! law of love to consider my duties tow
of the slave, and ] am bound by the q
ngs law Of love also TO consider my duties
With ward the white man, who is master
S or Both are to be treated With Christian