Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-12-28

r IL INTO Its original elements, do it on a mer,
r suspicion that the republican party may
! somehow affect their rights. Now, wha
doctrines do we hold detrimental to you
Are we the settlers forth of any new doctrine
Under the Constitution | tell you, nay
ihere is no principle held to-day by the
great Republican party that has not had the
!, sanction OF your government for more than
seventy years. You have changed your
opinions we stand where we used to stand.
we stand, en- the slavery question, in the
place formerly occupied by the most reyered
statesmen OF this nation, every one Of them
Washington, Jefferson, Monroe, Adams,
jackson, and Polk inclusive; and that re-
vered statesman, Henry Clay, of blessed
memory, with his dying breath asserted the
doctrine we hold to-day. Why, then, are
we held up before the community as yiolatOrs
OF your rights 1t is late in the day u ac-
cuSe US OF harboring these opinions. Then,
what doctrines DO we hold that are com
plalned Of You don't complain OF our lib
erty bills. You don't complain that Mr..
Lincoln is a violent man, and will probably
do any injury to you. The senator from
Georgia (Mr. lverson) told US that he had
no apprehension Mr.. Lincoln would do any
act IN violation Of the Constitution.
Mr. Iverson said that he had said no such
thing
Mr. Wade said be understood the senator
to say so, and he understood the grievance to
| be that the chief magistrate, with the power
of government, could do away with slavery
in ten years.
Mr.. Iverson said be oaid the republican
party might do injury. He thought Mr..
| Lincoln would violate the constitution when
he could with impunity.
Mr.. Wade.-It is of no great consequence
what the senator said | say that Mr. Lin
coins character, from his youth up, has
| been such that you have no right To draw
the inference that lie will trespass on the
right Of any man, and if you harbo- any
other suppOs!tion 1t IS in consequence Of un-
warranted prejudice, nothing else. | have
listened to arguments here for about a week.
They are in very general terms, very loosely
drawn, and do not know where to meet you
at all Is there anything in our platform
detrimental to your rights, unless that in
modern times you set up different construc-
ton of the Constitution from ours ? We
follow in the beaten track, but you have
switched of, as it were, upon another track,
and assert your doctrine to be orthodox, that
is all
Mr.. Powell (dem., Ky.) called the sena-
tors attention to the case of Gov. Dennison,
and asked if he justified it.
Mr.. Wade said that lawyers and judges
might differ. lie thought Gov. Dennison's
course founded on decision given by Judge
Stansburv of Kentucky, and on a precedent
set by the Governor of Kentucky.
Mr. Powell wanted the senator to answer
his question.
Alr. Wade was not t9 be catechisei on a
question of law.
My. Powell said he despairei Of getting an
answer. lie wanted TO know if the senator
was in favor Of rigid enforcement Of the
fugitive slave law.
Mr.. Wade said he did not know as he was
a witness in this case.
Mr. Powell said he al 9 resolution 10 of-
fer.
Mr Wade declined TO give way to be cate
chised any longer.
Mr. Powell SAID ne should not have calod |
tor specifications if he didn't wand t. be |
catechised
Mr.. Wads.-I have shown that the douni-
nant party hayo nothing 70 complain of in
point Of legislation. TIE republican party
N the North and il Ohio in particular, hold
the same opinion, 50 far as know, with re-
gard TO this peculiar institution that is held !
by all civilized nations in the world. We /
don't differ in sentiment from England, |
France, Germany, OF Italy, or any other |
civilized nation on Gods earth. | tell YOU
frankly YOU will never find community who |
are ia love with your peculiar institutions.
Now, the senator from Texas told me that |
cotton was king, and could 07errulc, hy its .
influence O do but use his words) anJ com
pei men to come d0wn-that it had subjects
IN Europe. | will say to that senator that
they are IcJcllous subjects, and are talking
very disrespectfully Of their king. They tell /
you they sympathize with those YOU. call
black republicans. Therefore, | hope we
shall hear no more Of the toast that Cotton
is King, and is going TO oyerrule all nations,
and bring them under its t0otstool. 1t never
will be done.
But have our southern friends any oom-
plants to make Of the Republican,platform?
tell YOU frankly that we did lay down the
principle that we would prohibit, if we had
the power, slavery from invading another
inch of free soil territory of this govern
ment stand there to-day have argued
it to half million people, probably, and
they stand there--and they have commits
stoned me to stand there forever and, so
help me God will. l say to you, while
we hold this doctrine to the end, there is no
Republican, or convention of republicans, or
paper, that pretend we have any right in
YOUR states to interfere with your peculiar
institutions. On the other hand, our plat
form repudIates the idea that we have any
right, Or intention even, to invade your con
stltutIon in your own states. Now, what do
you complain of ? You are Sgoing to break |
up this government. You are going to involve |
Us in war anC blood out OF mere suspicion |
that we shall t.Nnscend that which we stand |
here to vindicate How would you be justi-
fed in the eyes ,,ot' the civilized world to take
so mOnstrous 4 position, and predicate 1t on /
a mere suspicion We don't love slavery. !
DIDN'T you know it before to-day Every |
thing remains as it did year ago. But all |
at once. when we meet here, / find all gloom, |
and gentlemen rise up to say we are on the |
eve of breaking up this government. Seven |
or eight states are going to set up hostile |
government-and they look imploringly over !
to us, and say ''you can prevent 1t. What |
can we do? You have not condeScended to |
tell US what you want done. If we should |
give up the verdict of the people, and take |
up your platform, | don't know but you |
would be satisfied, aud l think the senator |
from Texas (Mr. WigtalD rather intimated,
and the senator from Georgia (Alr. lyers0n) |
rather more than intimated, that if we |
would take what is exactly the Charleston |
platform, ca which Mr.. Breckenridge was
placed, and give up that on which we gained |
our victory, you would grudgingly and hesi-
tatlngy be satisfied.
Mr.. lverson said he wished the senator
would read his speech before he quoted so
much from it, lie had not said they would
be satisfied with any such thing.
Mr.. Wade read from Mr. Iverson's speech,
as in The Gio6e. that he supposed there would
be no overt act on he part of Mr.. Lincoln,
but the power of the government would be
so executed against slavery that it would
lot last ten years, and continued : Then you
are not going to wait for any overt act, but
ere going to proceed upon the suspicion that
probably he might. l have disavowed any
intention on the part Of the republican party
to harm hair on your heads. We hold to
no doctrine that can possibly work you any
inconvenience. We have been.faithiul to all
the laws 1t is not, then, that Mr.. Lincoln
is expected to do any overt act by which you