Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-01-31
"BB NOT DECEIVED"

the general soliciule at the dangers which are now
threatening the peace aud UNITY OF our country, they
desire to give their urgent and emphatic expression Of
tho necessity which to exist for mutual concil-
iaon and compromise, and without discussion us to
the merits of the various questions at issue, believing
that the rerpetuity of the Union of these United |
States as one nation, is Of vastly more importance
than the establishment or rejection of this that sub
iect Of controversy and that the people Of the North
will approve generally, Of the plan of compromise
agreed upon by the ScuutTs and Representatives Of
the border States;
Your memorialists hVu,bly pray that such measures
may be speedily adopted by Congress, for the settle
ment of our present difficulties will embrace sub
stantialy the plan of compromise so recommended
by the Representatives Of the border States, and
which, they believe will restore tranquility and peace
TO our now distracted country"
The above is copy Of Memorial which is
now circulating largely in New York, Boston
and other large places, under the special guar
dianship of Breckenridge democrats We learn
from the Free Press that it has made its appear
ance in Burlington and vicinity under similar
auspices, with no substantial change but the
substitution of the word Vermont for that of
New York. 1t is not unlikely that similar
document may be circulated elsewhere. We
wish to caution our Republican friends against
being caught in stfixing their names to any such
memorial, without careful consideration.
This memorial prays for settlement of pres
ent difficulties substantially upon the "plan of
compromise recommended by the representatives
of the border States" Before we consider the
nature of this plan it is well to look at the spirit
in which it is offered. tits of great importance
to the future welfare of the country that the
border States should remain in the Union
Everything that can be consistently should be
done to effect this object. The Union sentiment
in those States should be encouraged and
strengthened. If all the border States were
determined to remain in the Union at all haz-
ards, their wishes would be entitled to a respect
full consideration, but they could present no va
lid claim for any concession on the part of the
Northern States unless they came forward with
corresponding concessions on their own part
Mutual concessions form the proper subject of
an adjustment by compromise. But the border
States come to us in no such spirit. They have
not yet made up their minds whether or not to
stay in the Union. they give US schedule of
their demands and threaten us with secession
as the penalty for our compliance. They
first take sides with the enemies Of the Union
and then attempt, by throwing their weight in
to the hostile scale, to drive bargain with its
friends. They strive to hold us to treat with
them by compulsion. Compromises are not
usually made it this way.
But waving the form let US look at the sub
stance. What is the plan of compromise rec
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they demand? They demand not only more
than was ever granted before, but insist that a
constitutional guaranty shall be given that this
grant shall be perpetual. They demand not
merely that slavery shall not be prohibited in
territory south of the Missouri Compromise
line, but claim that BY the organic law it shall
be considered as legally existing not only in al
the territory now belonging to the Union, bu
in all territory that shall ever belong to it. The
moment we acquire any territory in that direc
ton, whether it be Cuba, Mexico, or the Sand
witch Islands, slavery would be a legal nsttu
ton there, by the very fact of its annexation, il
spite of its previous condition, in spite Of tn,
wishes and habits of its people, in spite of it
and the Territorial government are prohibited
forever from interfering in any way with its ex
istence This is the proposition. It's no com
promise, but an ignominous concession. vii
it be granted' Never No, Nerer.
la our judgment the Northern States hay
no compromises to propose, no concessions tt
make They are willing to give constitutions
guarantees for the maintenance and protection
eff every right which the South now has or ma
have under Constitution as it now stands
Nothing further than this can in justice be asked
nothing more will be granted. The whole sub
ject of the status of slavery in the United State
has been fully discussed and maturely consid
cred during the last twenty years No questio
that has ever come before the American peopl
has received so thorough a sitting as this, as n
other is its equal in Importance. So discusse
and so understood, in the light of the intellec
the light of the heart and the light of the cor
science, it was decided three months since,
the largest and most intelligent vote ever give
by tree people that slavery in this countr
ought not to be, and should not be extended
The men who gave that vote, with perhaps her
and there an exception acted upon their solem
and deliberate convictions, and if the ouestio
were now an open one it would be decided
the same way. There can be no possible u,
of attempting to reconsider that vote. TIL
Judgment is final irreversible.
ILLINols.-The democratic members of Il
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