Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-03-01

of the Select Committee of Thirty three,
Hon. E. P. Walton Of this State delivered an
able speech against the recommendations of
the majority report, from which we take the
following.
THE CASE STATED.
The events of the last 90 days show that
the Federal Government is still an expert
ment and, perhaps. as doubtful now as 1t
was when Washington declared in his first
inaugural address, that &C the preservation of
the sacred fire Of liberty, and the destiny of
the Republican model of Government, are
Justly considered as deeply, perhaps as final
w, staked on the expei iment intrusted to the
hands of the American people 1t has sue
cessfuly resisted all assaults from without,
and stimulated within growth OF civiliza-
ton, material wealth, and moral power I'M
paralelled in any nation or age of the world.
1t has multiplied the population by ten, and
its productive power by more than ten times
ten it has extended its domain from ocean
to ocean, and brought the scepter OF CONNER
cial supremacy within its grasp; and for the
freedom of its people, the novelty of It's pol;t-
zeal machinery and the brilliancy OF its results.
it has commanded universal admiration and
respect. And now, while at peace with all
abroad and but for the wrctched, and we may
hope temporary, consequences of maladmln-
lstratiOn Of the Government, prosperous at
home, we are threatened with an instant and
utter failure of the experiment which Wash
ingtOn inaugurated, and with the instant and
utter wreck Of the empire which he founded.
1t is national death it IS death to our power,
security and grandeur; it is death to our
national name and fame and a million
deaths, it may be, through anarchy and civil
war.
TIE COVER SMENT WAS FoREwARNED OF TIE RE-
BELLIoN.
The Government here had ample warnings
of the designs of the conspirators and but Tor
the neglect of the Executive, the secessions OF
this day might have been as harmless as were
the notification of South Carolina in 1882
and her secession in lo52. The Pres
ident was warned by avowals Of the
secessionists and as early as October last
he was specially warned by the highest
officer of the Government IN military rank,
and the peer of the highest in the world IN
military reputation, OF the dangers TO which
the country was exposed, and OF the remedy
within his reach. Warnings were neglected,
treason lurked in the Cabinet, under the
very eve Of the President, and reveled through
the Executive Department. The Army was
dispersed in distant Territories, and the Navy
in distant seas the loyal North was disarm-
ed to arm the disloyal South and the Treas
urv was depleted to rob the Government It
self of the means of defense. The preparations
for secession, rebellion and treason, were
effectively ma de, and no where more effect
ivelv than in the Executive Departments at
this capital. State after State has seeded
our forts, arsenals, magazines, hospitals,
post offices, custom houses, minis and money
have been seized the Constitution and
laws of the United States have been violated,
and the power Of the nation defed.
ARETHE Seeding STATES OUT OR n TIE UNION?
1t becomes US first to inquire whether
these States are really out of the Union or
in it. If they are out, our duties are plain.
We are at once TO put them on the footing
Of foreign nations. and | will say, of the
most favored foreign nations for neither
passion nor prejudice shall ever extlngulsh
the generous sympathies and charities due
to children of a common ancestry. If they
are out Of the Union, by a separation that
are we absolved from all obligations due to
them as members of the UniOn-tO protect
them against foreign invasion and domestic
instruction and rebellion, and To respect
and defend their rights as States, and the
rights and interests Of their inhabitants as
citizens Of the United States. Our political.
commercial, postal, and other laws, have no
validity there our courts, and custom
/ L.,
closed, the mails suspended, and our and
their commerce put upon an entirely
different footing. We assume new powers
a to them-the trcaty-making power and
powers of peace and war. To be sure it has
been argued again and again that we have
no power to make war upon a seeding
State, but nobody viii deny our power to
make war upon a foreign State and it be-
ho0yes all concerned to remember that there
Is not q kingdom in the world against which
we ever had, or even can have, stronger or
more Erievous causes Of war than with this
e1temP0re kingdom Of cotton. The seizures
Of forts, ars3nals, magazines, and other pro-
perty Of the United States, by armed men,
under the authority Of the seeding States,
were overt acts Of war. The surveillance by
arms over the navigation of the Mississippi.
Louisiana, are outrages upon cur national
rights for which instant atonement would be
demanded from any other nation, backed. if
need be, by a thousand cannon and 4 million
bayouetS.
No RIGHT 10 ALLOW SECESSION.
The Constitution was designed not only as /
a perfect Union it was designed also for 4
'postcrity,' and therefore as a perpetual /
Union. Section ten Of article one is, /
throughout, prohibition Of secession, be- /
cause It is prohibition to every State of /
powers essential to an independent nation.
The abroGation of the Constitution and
laws of the United States is rebellion. and /
to them by force is treason. i
however long, is but continued
rebellion and treason. s. IA, then, as this
Government IS concerned, until the new
power Of recognizing the independence Of a
'ebeiliOus State shall have been constitution
lily conferred. we are 70 refuse such re-
,OgnitiOn 70 refuse 10 recognize the agents
# seeding or rcbelliJus States to refuse
o enter into Il settlement Of any Of those
rave questions to which have already al
uded and, to the best Of our judgment |
nd ability, we are to maintain the soyer-
ignty of the United States, to execute the
avs, and bring back the rcbeili0us States to =
heir allegiance to the Constitution. and to :
heir late and madly lost estate Of liberty, =
ecurity, prosperity, and peace. =
DOUBLE REBELLION. G.
in all the seeding States find chat the.r Il
can be amended only by enact Il