Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-02-18
THREA rs or DiSS0L U7ION

first began to deal in threats as a chief element
of their politics. During all this time the po-
litcal sentiment of the North has abored un-
der kind of stultifying duress, being afraid to
act with freedom lest the Union, the ark Of our
covenant, the hope of liberty and the dignity of
man, should be destroyed by band of despe-
radoes. Acting upon our glorious hopes through
the medium of our fears, the lowest and most
bclittling of human attributes, and combining
in collusve efforts against the unsuspecting and
therefore the unorganzing spirit of free opin-
ions, they have confused and deranged our no
tons and habits of sef-government, and ham
pered and crippled us in those measures which
are necessary for its progress and conservation,
We have been taught to fear the consequences
of every step we take until We are almost afraid
to take any step at all. Or in other words, for
the purpose of enabling domineering oligar-
chy to rivet the letters upon the slave in the
South, we are deprived of liberty of action in
the North.
This constant cry of dissolution of the Union
is no imaginary evil; it springs from real
source. The South well understand the dam
ger to the Union arising from the fostering Of
slavery; for the object of the Union was for
the support and perpetuation of free institu
tons, to which system of slavery is wholly
averse. Whilst, therefore, they are threatening
dissolution as the result of Northern aggression,
it is in fact the inevitable consequence of their
own persistence in keeping up system which
is contrary to our original compact The terms
of this compact or partnership are well under
stood by everybody they were for the secur-
ing the blessings of freedom to our common
country, in the pursuit of which slavery was
universally regarded rs an inherited evil which
was to be tolerated only to be got rid Of in due
time, not as a "blessed institution to be prop
agated and cherished. The object of the com
pact was for the securing of liberty not of slay-
cry and it is nothing but audacity in the South
to substitute one in the place of the other and
then accuse Northern aggression of the danger
to the Union which such perversity must inc
vitably give rise to.
But although one of the parties may fail to
keep the terms of the compact the other are
not acquitted of their obligation thereby. The
perpetuaton of free, popular and Republican
institutions was the original agreement between
the parties and the agreement must be carried
out. 1t is not alone the people of the United
States who are interested in the matter, but the
whole world-oppressed humanity wherever it
is found, has rights and interests at stake; and
those representatives of the people who waver
at the present moment in face of threats from
the advocates of slavery, do not comprehend
the duties of their position. At time when a
manly, free and decorous expression Of opinion
in large part of our national territory is dam
gerous not only to ones liberty but even to his
life, it is not moment to quail before, or COM
promise with, the source of danger. Our Un-
ion is virtually gone; and it remains with us OF
the North to see that our liberties are not ship,
wrecked also. A weak and hysterical party
must be called on decisively to surrender the
power by the perversion of which these liberties
are being endangered.
The South have appeared determined, thus
far, to make the surrender of power the occa.
sion of revolution; but they have at length
reached that point where the practical conse-
quences of such step begin to be seen in theil
true light; for revolution would not stoI
among the mere chafy matters that are stirred
up by our usual small, political excitements, but
it would descend TO the very roots of things
and reach the interests Of humanity at theil
lowest depths, both OF the black race as well a,
of the white. STILL though she sees the chasm
yawning under her very feet, there is something
SO nfatuating in the possession of power tha
it would not be safe to cntrust her with it again
Nor is it the nature of revolutions to go back
wards 1t is mistaken policy, therefore, t.
endanger us with such result by pretended
views of conservatism for even conservatism
itself, when applied to slavery in its presen
rampant attitude, is not to be desired. Libert
is to be looked to first and slavery afterwards
1t is no time while the conlagraton is ragin,
to be looking to future organizations for savinI
the endangered property.
Besides, it is not alone with the North tina
the burdens of conservatism should always rest
The conservative party of the country has bee
destroyed in order that slavery may be mad
to grow and expand and not as yet has tn
first effort been made on the part of slave-hold
ers towards arresting the ruinous exhuberanc
of their institutions. Whilst slave emigratio
has been towards the South West as that
our free population has been towards the North
West Virginia and Kentucky have taken n
wise, long sighted measures for supplying tn
places of the slaves who leave their territor
with free laborers, and thus effecting gradua
and wholesome abolition of slavery within thei
borders; but on the contrary, they have bee
seeking to exclude free labor, and, throug
notifications of their State constitutions, t
fasten slavery upon themselves forever. Ii
stead of contriving how to get rid of SLAYER
as an evil, they have endcavored by every cor
cevable artifce and ingenuity to prolong its e,
istence as a blessing. They have even place
its continuance upon the hostile basis of 90
balance of powers" and whenever the agitatio
of the subject in Congress has seemed to threate
the tenure of slave-property in the northern tie
of slave States, the only effect has been to clea