The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-15
Letter from the West.
ROCKFORD, ILL, March l, 1861.

your part OF the country. 1t was originally
settled, in great measure, by New England
ers, and more by Vermonters than by the
people of any other state. A constant inter-
course is therefore kept up, notwithstanding
the distance.
1t is surprising how short period of time
has elapsed since the first white people set
tied here. A young woman died Of consump
ton, in this city, some two months ago, aged
% years, who, the papers told US, was the
first white child born in the county Of Win
nebago and now Winnebago county, COM
priSing about the same number of towns,and
about the same extent of area as Caledonia
county, has white population of 24,OOO.-
Rockford city is of course the largest town ;
but there are three or four respectable sized
villages. Our population, city and town, at
the late census, was little over eight thous-
and, little over seven thousand of which
are comprised within the city. The increase
tor the last two or three years of hard times,
has been little or nothing. Emigration from
here to the Hest is constantly taking place,
as from your region and considering the
immense fertile regions open to the settler in
Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Dacotah, NebraS-
ka and Colorado, there is no doubt but that
the tide of emigration will continue to flow
in the same direction for generations yet TO
come. This may on some accounts be a
source of regret, but it is as inevitable as
fate.
The operation Of this law is strikingly, If
not painfully, seen in the fact that in the last
decade ofyears, your patriotic little state pre-
sents an increase of less than two thousand
in her population. Superintendent Kennedy,
in table furnished by him, gives you three
representatives to Congress under the new
census, the same as now.
According to the basis Of representation
required by law, it seems to me that you
must lose one member However, hope he
is right.
Senator Douglas once said, on the stump
in Illinois, that Vermont was an excellen,
state to emigrate from. He had reference &c
the politics of his native state. which were
and are very little to his taste.
The population Of this great state, by The
recent census, was 1861 ,23S, very near dou-
bic to what it was in 1870. This is all as
tonshing increase. We gain four member,
of Congress, being entitled to Is. now only
9. | believe the bill distric,ing our state u
new. recently before our legislature, has be
come law.
There are but three states showing great
er population than Illinois, and only tire,
which gave a greater aggregate vote for pres
ident last November. As the new president
is an inhabitant of this state and received
her electoral vote, the present gloomy condi
ton OF our national affairs makes profound
impression upon our people. The impuden
pretensons of the Southern pro-slavery De
mocracy, in exacting new and extraordinary
guarantees for the perpctua,lon and sprcaC
Of the mated institution, are received by III,
republican masses here, as the, should be
with utter loathing and adherence. The ex
traordinary lapse of one of our republican
members OF Congress, Mr. Kellogg, Il, e,inc
ed by his proposition to incorporate substan
TALLY the Breckenridge platform into Tie con
Sti,ution, III respect to al territory South Of
Sc : 80 min, has been most ssna.ly con-
demned by his constituents. His course is
so insane that it is difficult to account for il
The republicans of this state and the other
North Western states are warmly devoted 10
the Union, and tie whole Union. They vo-
ted for the men of their choice at the No
vcmber election, and they have no notion OF
"crookine the bendcd hinges OF the knee" by
way Of penance for doing so. Their con-
sciences approved that great prucplc all
nounced at Chicago, of no slavery in any Of
our territories-thcy elected men pledged to
that priEciple -;hey did their part in procur-
! ing national recognition of that principle
by the result and they are the last men who
will surrender the vantage ground thus Oh
tanned, under threats and violence. They
don't ash pardon for doing right. Should
the policy Of the new administration be in
favor of sustaining this principle. as doubt
less it will be, it will nowhere, not even in
! New England, receive more cordial and
hearty support than in the North Western
states.
! We want no amendments Of The constitu-
ton, least of all such amendments as will
add new virulence to the moral disease that
is proving upon our vitals.
! The democracy here are in a sort of tran
siton state. They know not where to 60,
nor which way to turn. They are of course
not Secessionlsts, and they avow themselves
in favor of a faithful execution of the laws.
They do not hold that any one state or any
number of states has right to withdraw
from the Union at pleasure, and thas break
up the confederacy but there are unmsta-
kable Indications that all their sound views
will be nuliiied by one fatal heresy, to Wit ::
that state in her sovereign or corporate ca
paclty, can interpose between its citizens and
the genela governments and thus shield them
from the just consequences oftheir offences
In other words, they are opposed to secess-
ion, but deny the right to resist it. They
, don't approve robbing the United States of