Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-03-08

win the Offenders.
Postcrity will decide in all the recent cases
where political responsibility for public dsas-
tiers must fail ; and posterity will give little
heed to our instructions. 1t was moi until the
gloomy reign of Domitian had ended, and lib
erty and virtue had found assured refuge under
the sway of the mildcr Ncrva, that tho histori-
an arose whose narrative of that period of try
amy and terror has been accepted by mankind,
The Republican party being thus vindicated
against the charge of hostility to the South I,
which has been offered in excuse for the
menaces of unconstitutional resistance in the
event Of Its success, feel well assured that it
will sustain me in meeting them in the spirit Of
the defenders of the English Commonwealth
" Surely they that shall boast as we do to he
also have the courage, to remove, constitution
ally, every Governor, whether he be the SUI
preme or subordinate may please their fancy
with ii ridiculous and painted freedom, fit to
cozen babies, but are, indeed, under tyranny and
servitude, as wanting that power which is the
root and source of all liberty, to dispose of and
econ0mze in the land which God hath given
them. as members of family in their own home
and free Inheritance. Without much natural
and essential power of free nation, though
bearing high their heads, they can, il due es-
TEEN, be thought no better than slaves and vas
sails born in the tenure and occupation of an
other inheriting lord, whose government,
though not illegal or intolerable, hangs on
them as lordly scourge, not as free govern
ment."
The Republican party knows, as the whole
country will ultimately come to understand,
that the noblest objects of national life must
perish if that life itself shall be lost, and
therefore it will accept the issue rendered. It
will take up the word Union, which others are
80 willing to renounce, and combining it with
that other glorious thought Liberty, which
has been its inspiration 30 long, it will move
firmly onward, with the motto inscribed on its
banner, " UNION and LIBERTY, come what may,
in victory as in defeat, in power as out of pow
er, now and forever"
If the Republican party maintain the Union,
who and what party is to assail it? Only the
Democratic party, for there is no other. Will
the Democratic party take up the assault? The
menaces of disunion are made, though not in
ts name, yet In its behalf. 1t must avow or
disavow them. Its silence, thus far, is porten-
tious, but is not alarming. The effect of the
intimaton, if successful, would be to continue
the rule of the Democratic party, though a mi
nority, by terror. 1t certainly ought to need
no more than this to secure the success of the
Republican party. If, indeed, the time has
come when the Democratic party must rule by
terror, instead of ruling through conceded pub
lie confidence, then it is quite certain that it
cannot be dismissed from power too soon.-
Ruling on that odious principle, it could not
long save either the Constitution or public lib
erty But shall not believe the Democratic
party will consent to stand in this position,
though it does, through the action of its repre-
sentatives, seem to cover and sustain those who
threaten disuniOn. l know the Democracy of
the North. know them now in their waning
strength. do not know possible disunionist
among them all. l believe they will be as
faithful to the Union now as they were in the
bygone days when their ranks were full, and
their challenge to the combat was the war-cry
of victory But, if it shall prove otherwise,
then the world will all the sooner know that
every party in this country must stand on
Union ground that the American people will
sustain no party that is not capable of making
a sacrifice of its ambition on the altar of the
county; that, although party may have
never so much of prestige, and never such ira
ditional merit, yet, if it be lacking in the one
virtue of loyalty to the Union, all its advan-
tages will be unavailing and then obnoxious
as, through long cherished and obstinate pref
udices, the Republican party is in the capital
States, yet even there it will advance like an
army with banners, winning the favor of the
whole people, and it will be armed with the ma
tiOnal confidence and support, when it shall be
found the only party that defends and maintains
the integrity OF the UnioL.
Those who seek to awaken the terrors of dis
union seem to me to have to hastily considered
the conditions under which they are to make
their attempt. Who believes that Republican
administration aud Congress could practice ty.
ranny under a Constitution which interpoSes 60
MANY checks as ours? Yet that tyranny must
not only be practiced, but must be intolerable,
and there mast be no remaining hope for con-
stitutional relief, before fOrcible resistance can
find ground TO stand on anywhere.
The people of the United States, acting in
conformity with the Constitution, are the SUI
preme tribunal to try and determine all political
issues. They are as competent to decide the is
sues of to-day as they have been heretofore 80
decide the issues OF other days. They can recon-
slider hereafter and reverse, if need be, ejudg-
ment they shall pronounce to day, as they have
more than once reconsidered and reversed their
Judgment in former times. 1t needs no revolu-
ton to correct any error, or prevent any danger,
under any circumstances.
Nor is any new or special cause for revolution
likely to occur under Republican administra-
ton. We are engaged in no new transaction,
not even in new dispute. Our fathers UNDER
took great work for themselves, for US, and
for our successors-to erect FREQ and Federal
empire, whose arches shall span the North
American continent, and reflect the rays of the
sun throughout his whole passage from the one
to the other of the great oceans. They erected