The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-21
Ex-Governor Fletcher's Speech.

hen the House last night took up the JOIN
resolutions in relation to Slavery, Gov. Fetch
er submitted the following remarks, which
anti-slayery readers will not fail to read will
deep interest
Mr.. SPEAKER Il have not often asked tn,
attention of this House, for | saw around MT
able and experienced legislators, to whom, will
pleasure and with profit | have respectfully lis
tened. would ask the forbcarance of the HOUSE
that may give expression to some views in re-
latl0n to the resolutions now before the House
There are sentiments involved in these reso
lutlons which no freeman, at a time like this
has right to treat with Indifference.
We are informed that Scion, the celebra ted
legislator of Athens, enacted law for the cap
ltal punishment of every citizen that should re-
main neutral when subjects of great magnitude
divided the people of that Republic He con
sidered that the declining to take an active and
decided part, on great and critical occasions,
indicated such cul pable Indifference to the vital
interests of the commonwealth as could only be
expiated by death. blame the rigor of that
law, but the principle developed, and upon
which tue law was founded, is an important
one. believe, Sir, that no citizen can sit ST.
lent spectator of an enormous evil that threat
ems the ruin of his country without partaking
OF guilt; but that it is the duty of every cit-
zen, however humble and defective may be his
services, to stand forth and exert himself for his
country With this conviction need not apol-
ogize for taking part on this occasion.
The first resolution asserts that Slavery is the
source OF our great National calamity Can
any one doubt this? American Slavery is des-
potism, and despotsm is the deadly antagonist,
the arch foe of human liberty-it is despotism
unalleviated by single redeeming principle
This serpent has laid coiled up in the bosom of
our country. Its nature and essence is hostility
to our free institutions. This has been the cank-
er worm gnawing at the heart of the Republic,
and, like milestone around it's neck, dragging
1t down to ruin. These antagonistic, iarrinc
interests, that exist in our country, can never
be harmonized,
me Heterogeneous mixture of missionaries
and democracies made up the American Union.
"hat strange compound of liberty and dcs-
potlsm Can such hostile and repulsivc Gle
ments remain long in contact without rroduc
ing an explosion? 1t is impossible it should be
othcrwsc Now Democracy and Dcspotism are
arrayed face to face like Gabriel and the arch
aevll, they have come to the desperate conflict.
Inc trumpet has soundcd-thc armies have
rushed to the feld-the vain cry Of peace is
hushed-fght we must upon one side or the
other--in such struggle there can be no ncu-
trallty. Union meetings, where they pass round
sugar-p lums and candy must give way for artil-
lery to march along. We have a cruel deadly
enemy that We must meet with deadly wcapons.
1t IS impossible that Shareholders can exist
reaceably in Republic, founded like ours. upon
the natural and inalienable rights of all men
upon the will and votes, the industry and in
telllsence OF the whole people, The Stakeholder
Is an arstocrat by the very nature of his life.
LIS interests are pltted against those of the poo
PIE, ana he flndS no terms strong enough to ex
press his hatred and contempt for free, intell
gent labor, and for those institutions which &C.
cure the rights and interests Of all Here. Sir,
Is inc bitter root . named in the resolution.
Every branch Of industry, science, art, liter
'ture, education and religion have hourishcd
"hcre they have been committed in good faith
% inc soil OF freedom. Slavery, like stagnant,
Infectious pool, sends out its exhalations Of bar
'enne:s and death. We may trace all the ire
nenoous evils that afiilct our country to this
our source: This is the infectious fountain
nat Sc, sends torth the polluted, deadly stream of
eoeilioh ana trcason-the mad, desperate at
empt to destroy our liberties and overthrow
he government and the Union.
Inc Slave power has sought to pag our
rec mouths, and stop the beating Of orr
rec hearts by shutting out the lfe-brc,t, ne
liberty, and told us II we refused to submit
hey would sundcr the Union Has not thc
'orth bowed too submissively before the Grim
nd bloody shrine of this Southern Molocf >
he North has borne insult, abuse and injury
Nth more mute doclity than did BALKAN s an.
MAJ, That spoke out on the third oiftnse.-
layery has plunged our Country into former {
lSiorious wars, where thousands OF precious !
yes were lost, widows and orphans multiplicd. {
nj a tram OF enormous evils endured all at /
nc bchest OF Slavery. Let this war be for the |
illinS ana burial OF the pampcrcd, cruel mon c
cr that has long waved his bloody sccptre over t
illlions OF passive Slaves, black and white. who c
spirltless acquiescencc have licked the chains @
1at bound them. Let mighty stone be placed t
no sealed at the door Of its scpuchrc and good S
zen or angels will never roll it away.
IL Is slavery that makes this Nation shake u
nucr the tread OF mighty armies, and that .
lp)ects us to all the horrors of war Slavery e
ageo the war against anti-slavcry, and moth t
e out antl-slayery can successfully meet and .
'pe with It, The first resolution asserts also b
lat Slavery or the Republic must die. In nv d
ldgment that is the only alternative we must n
moose one of the two. i,
The Chief Magistrate of the Nation noblv u
TERED TINS sentiment, in that great senatorial Il
'ntest In illinois, After quoting the proverb tt
lat "a house divided against itself cannot e.
and, he said : Z" believe the Government q
'nnot endure permanently, half Slave and half e
rec do not expect the house to fall but do L
;pect it will cease to be divided, it will become 81
l one thing or else the other" Dcspotism "
I'd Freedom cannot be assimilatcd let not the b
ga be INDUCED for moment, as a solution Of il
10 problem which now presses so heavily upon p
). Many historical analogies might be adduccd Il
,fr,no + A.