Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-03-14
re THE DECLARATION OF TNDEPEND
ENCE A SHEER ABSURntif
LETTER TO THE RI. REV RTSH"f oF ice
DIOCESE or VERMONT

,.i,>,, s,aIIz upscatned thrnnGh the land
A set OF proud, rcbetIpns men have @ald IN e.
fec,. roe ,gW rule or RUIN, and Calling INTO play
=, a.ioo %. te s"4s reckless
hand IF traitors are en"F'R ;" "''"' thro" thls
noble fabric of constitutional ''n@TsE when was
bv the hiec" 80 - and whifh
has ever spread over "nH a" ""~~', over me
and mine, the glorious shield of i'll otectioh.-
7, ia one of those historical crises "hich tr'es
,be natrio,ism of every man. Of what sort II Is
ar as the Reyolutinh naa AIS torIea so does Ihis
aoooh have men who take c0unssI ga their C wv
o.a;os and avarice raIler imam ot tbeir patriotism
AID conscience men who are wIinng to see the
orir,t of freedom cru he'd out, the constitution
annverted, the con.titutiopally expressed will OF
the people thwarted, and the will of an oppres
sive oligarchy ruling in its stead
S1ch men are neverq quite at -.-5e tllt they have
called in the Word of God TO cover up their ser
vile and reasonable spirit. For this purpose
thew have found in you ready and willing in.
strument For the time a weak and struggling
diocese is forgoten-nO matter how ats people
NAV be outraged in their sentiments aud princi-
oles-no matter how the cause Of Christ may
j., ere be jeopardlzed-no matter how many block
of Stumbling may be paced before the sheep
war derng there, no no matter only let OPP
nression be sanclifed. slavery glorlned, aud the
cause of southern trade and political subserveucy
| encouraged Were | addressing thi, 10 you as a
| member of the Ep scopal Church might grieV
ou>ly complain OF these things. But for the pur
nose of the present discussion II IS no concern
| Of mine II concerns not me that you have been
| utiong would consider your line of duty IL
| matters not 10 me that 70 he sake of gratifying
| the partizan zeal OF strangers you have aIenafed
| from your IL huehce those committed to your
| charge, and whom otherwise you mi.h have
lately brought within the told OF Christ. l. mat
| rers not 10 me, that for the sake Of unfolding II
| corrupt parry, you may have paraiy zed the nd
| vancement OF your Church. 1 ad1r S. you sim
| ply American ciilZ Il in support OF AmerI
| can principles. Your tier published in tnr
| kutland Courier, he ded with tie significant iu
| terrogatofy, Are all men Tree aud equal" con
| 3idrr one OF the bOllest att-cks upon American
| INSTITUTION ever yet Il adj by an American crtl
| z"n Ii Is an attempt 10 dlsproFe the exi~teuc,
| II imam right. ana TO ju-tfy the worst form
| tyranny. IL makes liberty delusi H. It CASTS
| CONT mpt on the Fathers OF the prpuhHc u
81, at the de- arutlou OF our Independence i,
| strikes the frame work OF tue American Gov
| rrnm mt, It underuInes The foundations of ctyIl
| iber Fut IN all thi, You are logical and con
| >i-tent. You are sagaC.ous enough tu see tina.
| he mOnstrUuS claim, and assumptions OF the
slave power can he established only ~ the ~ n,
| If II that Americans should hold most dear
! Other pro slavery men pave been ssgaclous
| eruug TO see this, bur few boil enoul h 10 lead
| IN the onslaught. 10 that proud distinction ,ou
ran lay claim. None are verify u stand h,
| vnur side unless / he that distlnau shed S-uat,,
| who makes Us northern IaLorers nothing tut the
| 'muI sIils OF society
| Y1u, 10 the first place, attempt TO contruyerr
| hat dOrIrne COZ tained IN the Immortal DccIkra
| non OF Irdepend= which says " All meuIar,
4 II 4
certain Iualtenahte rights, among which are lite
| liberty and the pursuit at hap Ine,s" We have
| always had sort of general impress ion that IA,
| Fathers of the Revolution kuew what IN y were
bout. and hat they were neither kua,e nor To- l.
aId 1t becomes Us to examine With toleiabis care
| the attempt To prov them euCh.
| To make out what they call " self videnl
ruths" TO he only sei evident lies. you SAY tiier,
| - great difference among men, bOth ia body
| md mud one man hetug weak another BEN.
strong, one man being h,yaig another only mud
| erufeig endowed me ch.nI having the scruluI .
aud another beng healthy aud vigur,fu>; aud you
X patIaie these Diff reHces w1Ih much fulfue-s
| ~ If they reaI. d rctuu.tIou OF the priucf-
pies upon which fureta hers based Their i,l,
pendenCe. Now, by such statements as these
Ou mean, il you mean anything, II convey the
| dea tAat the Declaration makes all men equal
80 this respect, that Is eHttrey aitke 5Oal aud
mind. 1 he eiOrc, when you re Il The laiu, To-
Z
| men, you would hav" 1t appear th ~ the u, ara
| ion holds the reverse, mahiHg al minds exactll
| Ike, having the same power ut PERCEPTION aid
r4s.''', hs"intf tO gSIto apiitty tc pUeiis
| 10 compO mu-Ic, or to N Ike inventions. And
| >hen you are at the paIus 10 demonstrate LIe
diversity OF physical powers, YOU wash 10 make
ttappear that the 5uers OF thu Deca rdflUu heidi
all to lie equal IN TINS res &C., VIZ ,uulliy
rous, equally tall, equauy stout, ,qIait
healthy, that all men have au q 'a abntly IA
! uunIng fast or ia eating and drinking. aud So
on through everE physical actIDn Now, sir. YOU
know very we'll every school boy IN the land
| knows. that The authors and slgHers OF Iiat SOL
| nm instrument meant nothing of that ii d.
| HoB know very well that such a meaning Was
| never gwen 10 II or claimed for il: AMI. sir |
IN surprised, no 10 say shocked that any Inau
| with any reputation 10 preserve, IN addressing
| he pubic Ga these serious subjects and IA these
| serious times, should he found gu lty of such
| netutoElng AS Ills. You stand guilty. Of an ~
| tempt to contrU' ert that sacred Declaration. hy
| attaching to II d meaning which ever, >aue man
| Knows never belonged 10 1t. You ,taAd conyIcr
ID Of at Effort 70 mlSead and hcfp-s The nd lie.
| mind. by d mlscunstIuction SO gross as TO have
| lou defeuctieSs against the charge OF culpab.e
! ignorance or wl'ui perversinn
Let Us now turn 10 the true meanInl, of this
:lorious charter OF American liberty and see b,,y
"oli>h and tutle such attacks urouu Our
| a'hers were ahou, TO declare themselves indie.
! I" Htttit 'fl 'tlt pNtFNUtff 70 WIN n hitherto
| they al past allegiance. TO insrIfv frI, ,gti7n
they fourd il fer back to The treat
| PRINCIPLES up, which all .rovrrnnprrS are
| tJuI ded. They therefore el3u- cintc the i,reht
| ruth that ~ men are created CquI aud en-.
| lowed hy their reatOr with certain iualiprahle
| |lghts' Thai IL, 10 every human hem, t. 81 ON
| God hath -Ivrt, reason and lie he hath ,,iyen
| rain right necessarily pertai. ny 10 tnst lite
and that ~ their claim TO these rights every cu-
| nan creature - tQUAL. hey then nIrufi. IN as
| 'monL these rights. life, liberty aud the pnr,uIt
IT happiness. They claim u ut in these funda
mental rights OF humanity one mtn IS The equal
| 1t another. no matter though one NAV he born
| n howell IN America and tIe Other NAV he h ,rn
| IN palace on the Soll OF England. ye that the
| te God as given the former is as sacred 10 hun
- tie InH OF me latter IS to him thai The body
| 1 limbs OF the former were given for hi, use a.
we're those of the latter for his and that the
american, poor though he may he, has an eguui
lght with he l"rdly EngIishman to use osr lac
| ptfles. with which he IS endowed t. work OUT his
| 1apniness for time well a. eferuitv And this
Doctrine is rue. 1t II dncIrine which owes II i,
| rtcngHltion to the preceprs OF that Divine each
| r who taught "a the Fatherhond of rod and rha
brotherhood of man. 1t i durtrine that. pre-
| 1ouS t. the Declaration, hid hepn acknowledged
| " christian Jurlsts and philosophers Bur il -
alike the prize and glory of America that she
| 1rst publicly acknowledged the great rruth and
| made IL II part Of her 5stem. Chri>ttan'ty h "a
!" ""fK upon government tor 1890 years befD' Q
| my nation could bu upon this christian fob,
latIOn. Aud ,ir, YOU ghould never cease 10 thA rk
your Creator that your lot has been cast in a And
| where this truth is ack n0wIed2ed
This Cove nment, actIg upon this principle
| took you, foreign born child into IFS embrace
| recognized YOU member of the human faui
Y, aud therefore entitled TO its ri.his lff red
| 80 de>p o'ic restraint to be exercised over ven
hut by 'quat privileges aud eguuj laws cleared khe
| way before YOU, hat you IN ght move in dhis
| world with life and limbs and use the faculties
given you, as should deem most conducive to
your we'll berg and happiness. Through the
| operation Of those principles you have BEEN able
70 rea,h position of honor and influence, and