Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-01-17
THE VITAL POINT OF DIFFERENCE.

vor;ed nc the localities and dispositions of the
seceders, while neither argument nor reason is
o;ven by some of the more ultra OF the seces-
sionists. Virginia wants to secede because I'M
der the new administration she is quite likely
to lose portion of the fat offices that have been
heretofore for a long period at the disposal OF
her politicians. She wants dual executive SO
that she can still furnish an occupant for the
Presidential chair. Louisiana wants free trade |
so she must go. Mississippi and Alabama are
afraid that their peculiar institutions" wont be
sufficiently protected by Republican admins
tration, so they are about leaving. South Car
olirm went because she has been determined to
20 these thirty years, but she has had no OPP
portunity until now. Toombs, Thompson and
Floyd are mad, and so turn traitors after having
lost caste as honorable men. And so on. It's
both uncalled for and useless to recount all the
real or fancied reasons for secession.
The cotton states are bound to go any way,
and three of them have already declared their
INDEPENDENCE of the Union. 1t is of no sort OF
use to consider their claims. But the border
slave states hesitate. BY their institutions and
associations they are strongly connected with
the cotton states. But secession with them is
a costly luxury, hence they are more reluctant
TO leave and more willing to compromise
Their people, too, are of more conservative
disposition than those of the cotton states, and
generally are less governed by the impulses OF
passion and prejudice than their more southern
neighbors. They have, also, become better ac-
quainted with the people and institutions OF the
free states, and their knowledge of the sources
of our superior prosperity and development has
led them to believe that slavery is not the only
basis upon which material progress is based
A majority of the inhabitants of the border
states are ardently attached TO the Union oil
these states, either from patriotic impulses the
traditions of the past and security of the pres
ent. or from motives of self interest. They have
but very little, if anything, to gain by dissolu-
tion. but very much to lose The insecurity it
will give to a large class of their property is
counterbalanced by no positive advantage to
the remainder. 1t is mainly for the sake of this
class of men that the north have been willing to
listen for moment to any such thing as COM
promise. 1t is to concate them that we have
proposed additional guarantees for the safety
and security of their chattels, by consenting to
more full declaration of their rights and priv
ileges under the constitution.
We have listened to their demands, and what
are theyo Vice President Breckenridge who
may be considered tolerabiy fair representa-
tive of the sentiment in those states, in letter
written on the 9th instant to the governor o
Kentucky, advising him to convene the legsla
ture, reiterates in his own language the point
of the compromise prepared by MIR. Crittenden
and demands in the name of the south that tn
Constitution shall be amended so as to proyid
That Congress shall have no power TO abolisl
Slavery in the forts, dock yards, and othe
places under its jurisdiction in the Southern
States.
Nor to prevent the transportation of slave
from one Slaveholding State to another. nor t.
any Territory where Slavery may exist, whethe
the transportation be coastwise or inland.
Nor to abolish Slavery in the District of Co
lumbia, while it exists in Maryland or Virginia
nor without the consent of the inhabitants, an
compensation to the owners.
And in regard to the territories:
That in all the Territory now held or herea
ter to be acquired north of the latitude SO dee
80 min. Slavery or involuntary servitude, eS
cept as punishment for crime, shall be pre-
hibited, ,chHc in all Territory nor held or her.
after to be acquired south Of said line Of lat
tude, Slare,y Of the african race shall be recoS
nized and protected; in both cases, the prohib
ton on one side of the line, and the protectio
on the other, covering the period Of Territori
existence.
These provisions, the resolutions propos
shall be made part of the Constitution, an
together with the features now in the Constitl
ton relative to the representation of three-ffti
of the slaves, and the return Of fugitive slave
shall not be subject to future alteration. A
subsequently modified they contain, among oil
er things, a very proper declaration that citizel
ship and suffrage shall not be conferred on pc
sons in whole or in part of African descent.
All of these demands excepting that relatin
to the Territories, are conceded by the Mort
The Republican party has always disclaimed q
intention of interfering in any manner with 81
very in the states where it exists, and it HI
no sort of desire to NEEDLE with it either
the District of Columbia, or in any of the teri
tory controlled by the general government witt
in the limits Of the slave states. To NAL
TINS punt SliOHBSii II Poesio't, anu HnUTc SILL
factory we have no doubt of the willingness
the Republicans to give constitutional guara
ties to that effect.
The only point of difference, then, is in rel
ton to the management of the Territories bu
in our judgment, this variance is vital tt
South claim that the Constitution, as interpr
ted by the Supreme Court, gives protection
slavery in all the Territories belonging to 4
United States, but, for the sake of peace al
the Union, they are willing that slavery shi
be prohibited in all the territories north of
deg. 30m, but they must have a constitution
guaranty that in all the territory south of tn
line, noD owned or hereafter to be acquired 81
very shall he protected This is the claim S
up in behalf of the South?
We think we know enough of Republics
principles and are sufficiently acquainted wi
the feelings and dispositions of the rank al
file of the party, to say confidently that III
claim icM neper be dilo,ced. We as firmly
lieve that large majority of those who, in t
north at the recent election, voted for 9th
than Republican candidates, are as inAexit
opposed to any such basis of settlement as a
IL 4. II.