Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-02-03
THE DISUNION FOLLY;
A SPEECH DELIVERED BY
II ON. II HENRY WILSON

ii " ~ II II n X l w IL OO ~
In the United States Senate. jan 25. 1860.
Mr. WILSON Mr. President When the Republic en-.
tered the family of nations. il proclaimed kings and
princes, 10 mobiles and privileged classes oiing ee-
men and logy bondmen, The equality Of man. Passing
now through the cightyfourth year Of national life,
America presents the gaze Of nations the humiliang
and saddcuinq spectacle Of a Republic which began its
independent existence BY the promugaton OF bill Of
ribt. ss oid a. retior and az ,vde ss humanity d,-
acied by dscordan and angry discussions upon issues
growing ont Of the bondage Of four million men
at'ns 20 t the obligations these connections and res-
uoas epo,e upon aa as men, as citizens Of the states
ana OF he United StltcImakcs the issues Of the age,
The tanscendcn magnitude of which command the pro-
tondest attention " the country. In the crowded city
ana inc lonely dwnF NE public press and inc judicial
tribunal me hall ~ legislation and the temple OF the
living God-everywheregoe on the sirrepressible
aict between the sublime creed of the charter Of nde
pendence and the aggressive spirit of slavery between
the institutions Of freedom fathers founded and the
system Of human bondage which darkens the land,
casting its balefu shadows the Republic obscuring
It's lustre, and marring its symmetery and beauty.
Within ffeen States Of this democratic Republic,
which commenced rs career BY utterng the ideas OF
equality and liberty that i've in the throbbing hearts OF
The tuuu mssses. and nurse even the waverng hopes
Of hapess bondmen amid the thick gloom Of rayless op
the image ol God. held In perpetual bondage By
ineyora5c laws sanctioned by the mereess force ofpub
lie opinion, these millions denied the rights Of
hood and degraded TO the abect condition OF chaue.
hood. To Them the h1lowed relations Of husband and
wfc parent and child held, not by the sacred right
u common humanity out BY the will Of mSstera Ih'
laws, the cusiuus the public opinion which have sunl
these millions from the dignity Of humanity down 20 the
degradation OF chattela, have founded and developed
privileged class which now controls the slavehodinr
States. This class rules these fifteen States abro
eating In support of ia interests, the nborn, inbred
constitutional right of freedom OF speech and freedom ~
thc In those States the power Of this class j.
oyershadowing, resistless, complete.
Over the Federal Government this class, this slave
power has achieved dominion The slave power this da'
holds the national Government in all its departments 10
absolute suhiugation- In this Chamber, where sit tn
representatives OF sovereign Commonwealths, that pow
retains uuhroken sway. That power bids the Supren
Court utter its dccees aud that high tribunal obeys H.
imperiuve commands hat power holds the PresideI'
in the hollow Of its hand compelling him to declare tina
slavery exists in Kansas by virtue Of the Constituion
Mat the master has the rignt TO take MS slave INTO u
Territories rs property and have It protected there NJ
der the Federal Constitution - that "neither Congres
nor the Territorial Legislature. nor any human power
has any authority annul or impair this vested right
That power summoned the aspiring Vice President
his own Kentucky 20 give his assurances "tha this
stitutiona right exists ;" that I'VE must hold 10 tn
principle must stand by IL aud ''if II cannot be e.
forced for want Of proper legislation to enforce H. sqf
cient legislation must be passed. Government Is
failure That power laws Its iron hand upon the repr
seniatiyes Of free and proud Commemorative IN n
Chamber and in the other, compelling them to dsavo
ihelr own recorded opinions, 70 accept me moin5uo,
dogma that "neithcr Congress, Territorial Leg
ature any human power has any authority 70 ann
or impair the vested right Of the master to have J
slave protected property in the Territories under n
Federal Constitution Well might the Vice PIesden
in view Of the recent triumphs and the imperial sway
the slave power, proudly say to the Of his natl
Kentucky, "we stand in a good position - 1--WE hay
the Executive have the laws we have the COURT
and that is great advance from where we stood &
years ago
TThe Senator here gave sketch Of the progress ofsa
very in this country, beginning with the first mporatio
Of slaves at Jamaica, In 1920 he showed that its earl
extension was wholly due to tho policy Of the moth
country, against the frequent protests OF the coonist
But when independence was gained, emancipation wen
forward rapidly in the Northern States and had man
advocates in the leading minds Of the South, many
whose expressions Mr. Wilson quotes. He refers ais
TO their measures looking to the ultimate extinction
slavery and contrasts the feeble tenure Of the institution
at that day with It's vast extent and political power a, ih'
present day.l
Sir, this expansion and growth Of the system Of A
slavery, this development OF the slave power during
the past seventy years, have wrought wonderful change
complete revolution, in the sentiments and opinions
Of the public men who control the councils OF America
What contrast between slavery in America In 1889 and
slavery in America in 1850 Then it was weak now 1,
is strong. Then its influences over the nation were i'm
pntent il holds the Government in its iron grasp
Then the public who dictated the policy Of the Gov
ernment. deemed It 10 be moral, social and political
evil which humanity and religion deplored; row is re-
garded by the who control the Government as pos
tive good, benifcen system, great moral, in the
W'tus OF ue senator iVh hississpPi N,, pio"HD 50,
blessing the slave" Then, prohibit it in the
rtories deemed alike the right and duty Of the Gov
ernment now the avowed doctrine Of the Administr9-
ton of the Government is that the Shareholders have the
right to carry their slaves property into the Terrific
ries and hold them there property by virtue Of the
Constitution, and that neither Congress Terrific
annnI or impajr ths vested rght Then to cherish as
living faith, the creed that "a created equal,
70 believe slavery to be evil to believe, with Henry,
that time would come to abolish this lamentable G.
ly written IN the book u fate than that this people shall
be free, brought neither prescription from power nor
indignies from the people now these sentiments bring
upon the public man the prescriptions Of power, the rdi
cue and eproach Of presses in the interest Of power and
subject the American citizens whose rights are guarded
By constitutional guarantees in the slave States TO the
insults and degrading ndignites Of lawess and brutal
mobs. maddencd BY the lnaticsm Of slavery TO arrests
imprisonments, fnes and punishment. Then the peo-
pie Of America coudded their Government to the
ship and guidance Of statesmen known by their
acts and recorded opinions be unaerably opposed to
he IA flp Of
sion into the vast empire Of the northwest now, the
public men Of America who inherit the sentiments and
! opinions of Washington. Jefferson, Madison, Adams
Jay Hamilton aud their ilustrious compeers. who would
the territorial possessions Of the Republic to
free institutions for ALL admonished, in these Cham
bers that they viii not be permitted in the slave States
T. arow their sentiments or to advocate the election to
the PresdencyJn 1850 OF candidate representing their
poicy aye that the election Of such candidate viii be
| cause for the dissolution Of the Union.
J hat slave power now compes public men. nurtured
and reared amid the Influences Of free institutions TO
hasten with alacrity 70 disavow past sentiments and
pnions TO accept the dogmas OF the slave propagands,
and 10 join in hunting down old comrades. That power
has established In the slave States relentless despotsm
the freedom Of speech and Of the PRESS and Of
respondence through the mails. That power will not
permit American citizens entertain utter, print
circulate sentiments and opinions concerning slavery,
which ayowod by Jefferson. Henry Mason and the
Ereat Of Virginia Of the Revolutionary even
/ by MoDowol Summers and Randolph, in the conyen-
tion Of 1880 The American citizen, living under Con-
sttuton which guarantees free speech, holds that right
subject to arbitrary laws to the iaess acts Of brutal
mobs George tzhugh one Of the apostles OF slavery.
author uf q work " The FAILURE OF free society
which he the doctrine that slavery BLACK OR
wHfrE, is right and necessary, declares, with re-
gerd to the right Of private judgment. freedom Of
speech freedom Of the press and freedom Of religion.
that the South takes care to tramme these sterner
rights $50 caed) quite eectuay, by austcre pub
lie opinion Louis Napoleon does by law, or by mere
voton - that we propose TO deter from applying
the the Of Southern institutions. Chat i
by discussions recurring Fundamental principles
first. by moral suason or moDition next by tar and
! feathers, and. that falling, by the halter"
Sir, Whist humin'iug spectacle does the Republic
present the gaze of mdnind! speak not Of the
millions of beings sunk from the lofty level Of common
humanity down To- the ahoc submission Of unreasoning
beasts Of burden Of the laws thar shrive the mind
and debase the soul Of the hondman but speak Of the
deeds Of avessuess aud nhumaniy against free Amer-
citizens-decds which shock every manly bosom
Tho mails lily bring intelligence OF the lawess deeds
of brutal mohs Of the indgnes perperaed upon free-
guilty Of crime unless IL be crime In 1851 to
cling 10 the opinions Of the fathers Of the Republic The
Post ooo Department the Postmaster General tells US,
'pervades every channel Of commerce and every theatre
OF human enterprise and while visiting as does kind
y every hresdo minges with the throbongs OF almost
every heart IN the land In the amplitude OF its beneh-
concc 10 ministers all cmes and eteeds and pursuits
with the same eager readiness and with equal llness OF
fidelity" The Post OlHce Department, in nearly half
the States the meny Of the stupidity prejudice
Of postmasters maddenet by slavery snatcsm and the
correspondence Of the and the public journals may
be examined seized and destroyed by these Of
despotsm and this may By, and IS done under the open
tncon Of the Aduinisirh ton. Families banished
nom their hearfhs and houes. Free colored men
aI.a ~. .f Il