Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-11-29

Mr. Fletcher Of Cavendsh said
Mr. SPrAKER II have not often asked The attention
oi This House, for around able and experienced
Legislators 20 whom, with pleasure and with profit
have respectfully listened would ask the for6carauco
Of he House that may give expression 90 some views
IN relation 20 the resolutions now before the House
There are sentiments involved in these resolutions
wnoh no freeman Al time like this has right 70 treat
We are informed that soon the celebrated Legislator
Of Athens enacted law for the capital Punishment "
every citizen that should remain neutral when subjects
q great magnitude divided the people Of that Republic
ho considered that the declining 70 take active aud
decided pert, great and critical occasions indicated
such culpabc indifference TO the vital interests az he
commonwealth as could only be expilted by death.
and upon which the law founded is an important
one believe, sir, that citizen st silent spec
ator Of evil that threatens the ruin Of his
country without partaking Of guilt; but that IL is the
duty of every citizen, however humble md defective may
be his services 70 stand forth and exert himself for bis
country. With this conviction need apologize for
taking part this occasion.
The first resolution asserts that slavery n the source
Of our great National calamity Can any douh, hii
American slavery s despousm, aud dcspotsm ii the
deadly antagonist the arch foe Of human bcry-it Is
despotsm uuallevated by single redeoming principle
This serpent has laid coiled up In the bosom 0f coun
try It's nature and essence is Hostility 90 free in
sttutions. This has been the canker gnawng AZ
the heart Of the Republic and like mill stone around
ia neck dragging Il down to ruin. These antagunistio
jurng interests, that exist In country be
hsrmonizcd
The Heterogeneous mixturo Of arslocfaces and dem.
oeracic' made up the American Union. What strange
compound Of liberty and despousm Can such hostile
aud fepulslfp elements long without
producing az explosion II is impossible 1t should be
otherwise Now Democracy and Despohsm array
cd face 10 face like Gabriel and the arch devil they
have come 90 the desperate conflict. The trumpet has
souudedthe armies have rushed 10 the feld-tho vain
cry Of peace Is hushed-hght upon one side or
the other-in such struggle there can be no ncuaniy
Union meetings, where they pass round sugar-nluns
and candy, must give way for artillery march nl1ng-
We have cruel deadly enemy that we must meet with
II Is impossible that Shareholders can cxiat pcaoeably
in Republic, founded like ours, upon the nat r and
inalienable rights Of all men-upon the will and votes,
the industry and intelligence Of the whole people The
Stakeholder is atistocrat by the very nature Of his
life His interests are pied against those Of the peo
pe and he finds no terms strohg enough TO express his
hatred and contempt for free, intelligent labor and for
those Institutions which secure the rights and interests
Of all Here, sir is the "bitter root named IN the re-
solution.
An branches Of industry science, literature eda-
cation and religion have h1urshed whore they have been
committed in good faith to the soil Of frecd0m slavery
like stagnant infectious pool sends outfits exhaatuns
Of barrenness and death We may trace M The remend-
evils that atct country 10 hs foul This
is the infectious fountain that sends forth the polluted
deadly stream Of rebellion and tresson-ihe mad, des
perae attempt TO destroy liberties aud overthrow the
government and the Union
The Slave power has sought TO gag free mouths,
and stop the beating Of our free hearts by nhuttng
the ehreah OF liberty, and told refused 10 sub
nit they would sunder the Union Has not the North
bowed too su6missyey before the grim and bloody shrine
Of this Southern Mooch The North has borne insult,
abuse and injury, with more mute dociY rau dI
Baaam's ANIMAL that spoke out on tho third oii
Slavery has plunged our country into former ingorous
where thousands OF precious lives lost widows
and orphans multiplied and train Of enormous evils
endured all at the behest Of Slavery Let this be
for the killing and burial Of the panipered, cruel
that has long waved his bloody scepo millions
Of passive Slaves. black and white who in sprissa
quiescence have licked the chains that bound them. Let
mighty stone be placed and sealed at the door Of n
sepulchre and good angels will neyerru away.
1t Slavery that makes this Nation shake under the
tread Of mighty armies, and that subjects 90 all the
horrors Of war Slavery waged the war against anti
slavery and noting but anti-slavery can successfully
meet and cope with It, The first resolution asaeri8 asp
hat HeuuOlic
that is the only alternative we must choose one OF The
two.
The Chief Magistrate Of the Nation nohly uttered
this sentiment in that great senatorial contest in Il
nos AftsI quoting the proverb that "a house divided
against Itself cannot stand, he said 81 believe the
Government. cannot endure permanently, half Slave aud
haf Free do not expect the house to ,l but docz-
thing else the other" Despotism and Freedom can.
not be assimiated let the idea be INDUCED Tor
moment as solution OF the problem which nov presses
so heavily upon us Many historical anaoges might be
adduced in confirmation Of this position Destroy Slave
ry, be destroyed by IT, is the voice that calls TO
from the Ages and from high Heaven In this crisis
destiny II is vain to say that the has nothing 10 do
with Saverythat It is only foT the support Of the Gov
eminent against the rebellion Let it be for the estruc
on Of Slavery that caused the rebellion. Iuasmuch
the into which plunged is proslavery war,
the part Of the rebels, let 1t be an aniisayey
the part Of the Government Then II would commend
itself TO the friends Of Freedom everywhere 70 the SYM
pathy Of all Christendom and TO the favor Of God Has
the Southern Confederacy Of traitors planted itself
squarely and unequiyocaly upon Slavery as the corner
stone and shall speak less clearly aud boldly in be-
half Of Liberty Heaven forbid Let the lines be
drawne the great and true issue be set forth before
the gaze Of the world Slavery is the vulnerable point
in the armor Of foe-ct the blow be aimed there.
Is Il the purpose in this awful conflict TO restore all
things the condition in which they just be-
fore the open commenced, and let the old irepFes-
she condic 20 on and we continue copartnors ia the
guilt and horrors Of Slavery Heaven save from the
insane attempt TO organize the platform Of Des
potsm and Freedom-tha fatal rock on which We have
split What has Slavery done that it should be spared
and treated tenderyi What Is there sacred, b
lovely, in its character that men reluctant 10 have It
perish Is II said that 1t is for law that
would spare Slayey-that II has legal existence
deny il. believe the little nuifyng Tebeous state of
South Carolina cannot show on her books statute for
the establishment Of Slavery. What she had do not
aside contracts that have in them any trace
tncturc Of fraud crime Slavery supposed to be
legal in England for long period but Grenye sharp,
after seven years of hard toll in examining the Const,u
ton and Laws Of England, convinced the highest Court
and procured from Lord Mansfield in Y that glorious
decision that slave sets his foot upon the
soil Of Britain he is free desire TO cherish reverence
for those great principles Of justice and humanity with
which all law is desposm. Let US beware lest un-
der the pretext Of rendering unto Caesar iho things that
are his, deny to God The things that are His.
would to Heaven we hada Mansfield upon our bench Or
that the ermine robes Of Justice might no longer be
stained by decisions and constructions against the rights
Of man.
The history Of our Republic consists In the working
and the conflicts OF the principles Of liberty and oppres-
sion. The political existence Of country is based on
the inalenable rights Of man
The Constitution, in my judgment isa warrantee deed
NJ liberty, 10 every coming within It's limits. DID
those who sanctioned the declaration, coming fresh
I'M
slavery constitution II the trainers were sincere m
wishing 10 promote the purposes they avowed nothing
could been further from their intention, than 90 ad
nit anything into the constitution that would perpetnae
slavery. What heavier charge Of Inconsistency and
treachery could be alleged We Il o. the memory
Of those yeueratcd men eNoneTAte them from such
charge. should not be inclined 10 such consruc'
ion will be consistent with their principles TOR "hich
they pledged their lives fortunes aud sacred honor
The colonies could sgalize slavery ny ue laws OF
England and by The fundamental principles Of our gov
eruIneut legal character could not be conferred sup
nnso ii had ffns OF Law, would il not aubver the very
bnsis OF law and government The acts of PAra-
,ent OF which our fathers complained had all the forms
OF law but they subreed the fundamental principles oi
tight,
Tat us turn the tables flr moment aud imagine that
by some construction OF what called law, consu
tuti1n the wives and children Of these members were
liable 10 be dragged into slavery would there not be-
such an uprising as never bcf1fesuch sefcm
of exeeration as never burst from mortal hns. The
name Of every man who could whisper on apology iot
such a construction would be set Ia that hostic 1885, al
the head OF which stands Judas lscari0t
In my view slavery has no legal existence li A'e q,
the Internal regions; there. where 10 Nuf nNh ana
brought up IL may he constitutional. would go he"f-
en- il was sent back It's native home sha we poor
fugitive escape from his prison house only 20 u .tsa
hack into the hell Of slavery No! put muaAel mto
ns haud and bid him fight for the h1iue' OF N' 'o1H
tryl - ,,...i. ,.
Let petition go up from the Green hnanaias % tne
Federal Government asking for the Au1lt"a OF i, lgAe
that goyernrd our immortal Harrington ihlnk ihe
Nor,h will soon decide that the pecuief institution has
~ A,h,cb ~ white man is bound 90 resiect Tho
resolution asserts that the spn OF hutfN e'ohe can
thteiu a lupp