Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-01-24

lovingly enthroned in the hearts our people,
than they arc this very day. At no period, has
this nation more enthusiastically admired and
lauded the peerless wisdom of our fathers as
embodied in the Constitution, the Palladium of
our national sovereignty.
Whence, then, comes. this fearful orisisP
Senator Seward has declared, clearly and ac-
curately, that it is "the election of President
of the United States, who is unacceptable to a
portion of the people," But is such an election
an uncommon occurrenceP When have we
elected President who was not unacceptable
to a greater or smaller minority of the peopleP
Was Mr. Buchanans election more acceptable to
a large portion of the people than Mr. Lincon'sp
And has it come to this, that the sovereign peo-
pie may not declare their choice of President,
in accordance with the legitimate forms and re-
qurements of the Constitution, lest it should
become an objectionable offence, casus belli,
on the part of the unfortunate minorityP After
more than fourscore years of unparalleled ma
tional growth and prosperity, under the auspi-
ces of our Constitutional government, making
us politically one of the great powers of the
world, are we prepared to surrender the first
great, inviolable principle of our national SOW
ereignty, that. the people are the source Of all
ldcfM authority?
1t is this vital principle infused into our polit-
ical organization which makes it an anomaly in
the history of the world. 1t is this fundamen-
tai, heaven ordained right of the people, that
distinguishes us from every other government
of both ancient and modern times.
Its seeds were sown in our Declaration of In
dependence and our political greatness, our COM
mercial prosperity, our social happiness, free
dom of thought, of speech and of action, are
the grateful fruits which hang in abundance and
freshness on the fair tree of our national liberty
The only ingredient OF bitterness, in the cup of
our national blessings, has ever been the accursed
institution of domestic slavery. This institu-
ton, so antagonistic to and so inconsistent with
the principles set forth in the Declaration of In
dependence, was lamented by none more than
by that noble band. the Southern patriots of
the revolution. Never from their lips was heard
one syllable of attempt to justify slavery, rather
regarding it as a reproach fastened upon them,
but destined sooner or later to be banished
from the world. Such was the conviction of
Jefferson, to the very close of his life. At the
age of seventy-seven, he gave his countrymen
this solemn and emphatic warning: "Noth-
ing is more certainly written in the book of
fate than that these people are to be free" The
spirit which characterized James Madison's
whole life, upon this subject, may be learned
from the following noble sentiments: "ltis due
to justice, to humanity, to truth, to the sympa-
thies of our nature, to our character as a peo-
ple both at home and abroad, that the colored
part of our population should be considered inthc
Hghtof human beings, and not smere property
But now, in the place of such humane and
patriotic teachings at the South, we have mod
ern school established, in which are taught the
damnable hereses of notification, secession, re-
bellion, slavery extension that color operates
as forfeiture of Euman rights; that dark
skin and crispy hair transforms human beings
into property, chattels beasts; that slavery i:
sanctifed by the Bible; that it is not curse
but blessing that Providence has ordained
that one race shall toll under stripes, to support
another in Incidence and lying upon bed O
| roses From this very school, this stygian hot
| bed of the most dangerous and destructive an
tagonsms to the permanence of our Union, hav'
issued the whole vampire brood of our presen
troubles, forming the most fearful crisis in ou
| history.
My fellow citizens, there is no safety, no Sc
curity, no reliable permanence to our nationa
existence so long as we bind ourselves in an,
way, or to any extent, to show the least respec
for such doctrines as are taught in this moderi
school of fireaters. On the contrary, with al
loyalty and devotion to our constitutional obi
cations, the whole moral force of the people il
the free States, must be exerted to antagonize
counteract and oppose the spread of such here
tical teachings. We have no right to quenc
and "cr1tsh out" freedom of speech upon thi
subject
Dare we do it, and meet the solemn deman
to which we must respond in the high chance
ry of heaven?
Shall we with one breath acknowledge tha
the great central idea the transcendant glory
our Declaration of Rights, consists in the ar
nouncement, that all lawful government
founded on the inaienable rights of man. an
with the very next breath attempt to crush ol
the free expression of these noble sentiment
lest freedom should taint the air and kindle Ii
fires of rebellion?
So long as freedoms watch-word is Libert
or Death, so long must we contend for the do
trnes of the founders of our government, an
above all, the solemn teachings of nature an
of natures God. We hesitate not, then, to d
clare that the conflict is an irrepressible one an
will be pushed on, not Vi et dImiS, but with Il
great moral forces, with which the inalienab
rights of every man invest him-forces whiC
all the fireaters on earth and in hell combine
cannot successfully Opposes; for our cause is Il
cause of truth and right, of humanity and
God, and will prevail. WALNUT STREET.