Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-03-10

varying struggles, which have taxed all her
virtue, wisdom, moderation, energies and re-
sources, and often even her physical strength
and martial courage, to save herself from being
betrayed into the Union as Slave State. Ne
braska, though choosing Freedom is, through
the direct exercise of the Executive power,
overriding her own will, held as a Slave Terri
tory; and New-Mexico has rclapsed Voluntarily
into the practice of Slavery, from which she had
redeemed herself while she vet remained part
of the Mexican Republic. Meantime the Dem
ocratic Party, advancing from the ground of
Popular Sovereignty, as far as that ground Is
from the Ordinance of 1887, now stands on the
position that both Territorial Governments and
Congress are incompetent to legislate against
Slavery in the Territories, while they are not
only competent, but are obliged, when it is
necessary, to legislate for its protection there.
In this new and extreme position the Demo-
cratic Party now masks itself behind the bat
terry of the Supreme Court, as il it were possi-
bly, true construction of the Constitution, that
the power of deciding practically forever be-
tween Freedom and Slavery in portion of the
continent far exceeding all that is vet organized
should be renounced by Congress, which alone
possesses any Legislative authority, and should
be assumed and exercised by court which can
only take cognizance of the great question col
laterally, in private action between individuals
and which action the Constitution will not suffer
the court to entertain, if it involves twenty dol
lars of money, without the overrulng interven-
tion OF jury of twelve good and lawful men of
the neighborhood where the litigation arises.
The independent ever-renewed and evcr-re-
curing representative Parliament, Diet, Con-
gress or Legislature, is the one chief, paramount
essential, Indispensable institution in Repub-
lie. Even liberty, guaranteed by organic law
yet if it be held by other tenure than the guar
dian care of such representative popular as
scmbly, is but precariously maintained, while
Slavery, enforced by an irresponsible judicial
tribunal, is the completest possible development
Of despotism.
Mr.. President, did ever the annals of any
Government show more rapid or more COM
flete departure from the wisdom and virtue Of
its founders? Did ever the Government of a
great empire founded on the rights of human
labor, slide away SO fast and so far, and moor
itself so tenaciously on the basis of capital, and
that capital invested in laboring men? Did
ever Il free representative Legislature, Invested
with powers so great, and with the guardianship
of rights so important, OF trusts so sacred of
interests SO precious, and of hopes at once so
noble and so comprehensive, surrender and re-
n0unce them all so unnecessarily, so unwisely,
SO fatally and SO inglorinusly? If it be true, as
every instinct of our nature, and every preeept
of political experience teaches US, that
:" IL fare. The land. 10 hlstening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay
then where in trriunrf; in ITALY, in Poland or in
Hungary, has any ruler prepared for generous
and coniding people disappointments, disasters
and calamites equal to these which the Govern
mcnt of the United States holds now suspend
cd over so large n portion of the continent of
North America?
Citizens of the United States. in the spirit of
this policy subverted the free Republic Of Mic
aragua, and opened it to Slavery and the Afri-
can Slave-trade, and held it in that condition
waiting annexation TO the United States, until
its sovereignty was restored by combination
Of sister Republics exposed to the same danger
and apprhencivc of similar subversion. Other
citizens reopened the foreign Sla,e-trade in Vi
olation of our laws and treaties; and, after a
suspension of that shameful traffic ior fifty wears
savage Africans have been once more landed on
our shores and distributed, unreclaimed and
with impunity, among our plantations.
For this policy, so far as the Government has
sanctioned it, the Democratic Party avows it.
self responsible. Everywhere complaint against
it is denounced, and its opponents prescribed.
When Kansas was writhing under the wounds
of incipicnt servile war, because OF her ress-
tancc the Democratic Press deridingly said
"Let her bleed" Official integrity has been
cause for rebuke and punishment, when it re-
sisted frauds designed to promote the extension
of Slavery. Throughout the whole Republic
there is not one known diSsenter from that pol
icy remaining in place, if within reach Of the
Executive arm. Nor over the face of the whole
world is there to be found one representative
of our country who is not an apologist of the
extension of Slavery.
1t is in America that these things have hap
poned. In the nineteenth century, the era o
the worlds greatest progress, and while all ma
tons but ourselves have been either abridging
or altogether suppressing commerce in men Al
! the very moment when the Russian serf i.
emancipated. and the Georgian captive. the
| Nubian prisoner and the Abyssinian savage art
lifted up to freedom by the successor of Mo
IIAMMED. The world, preposessed in our be
| half by our early devotion to the rights of hu
man nature, as no nation ever before engaged
its respect and sympathies, asks, in wonder ant
amazement, what all this Generalization means
1t has an excuse better than the world can i'm
agine-better than we are generally conscious o
ourseves-a virtuous excuse. We have loveC
not Freedom so much less, but the Union o
our country so much more. We have beel
made to believe, from time to time, that in
crisis, both of these precious institutions coult
not be saved together; and therefore we have
from time to time, surrendered safeguards o
freedom to propitiate the loyalty of capital ant
stay its hands IRON doing violence to the Union
The true state of the case, however, ought no
to bea mystery to ourselves. Prescience, indeed
is not given to statesmen; but we are withou
excuse when we tail to apprehend the logic O
current events. Let parties, or the Govern
ment, choose or do what they may, the peopl
of the United States do not prefer the wealt
of the few to the liberty of the many, capital o
labor African slaves to white freemon, in tn
national Territories and in future States. Tha
question has never been sufficiently recognize
or acted on by them. The Republican Part
embodies the popular protest and reaction
against policy which has been fastened upo
the nation by surprise, and which its reason am
conscience, concurring with the reason and con
science of mankind, condemn.
The choice of the nation is now between tn
Dem ocratic Party and the Republican Party
Its principles and policy are, therefore, iustl
and even necessarily examined. know of onl
one policy which it has adopted or ayowed
namely: TIE sdrina Of Tie Territories Of tn
United States, II possible, By constitutional aaa
larfM means, from being homes for Slarezy an
Potygamy. Who, that considers where this ma
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