Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-03-07
State of thu Union.
SPEECH OF HON. J. S. MORRILL,

SPEECH OF HON J. S. MORRILL,,
IN the House of Representatives, Fcb. 10, 1860.
The House having under consideration mereportffoa
the select committee u thirty three
MIR Morrill, said
Mr. Speaker 1t is useless to Disguise, and
traitorous 70 increase the gravity OF the occa
sion Against the Government established by
Washington, rebellion, formidable in it, pro.
portions an portentious in its results. is even
now buckling on It's armor, and with vigorous
diplomacy counting allies. ! am painfully
aware how vain for me would be the attempt
to stay this downward revolution and if [
cannot arrest it, will do nothing to accelerate
its execrah'o need. ! DO not uuderrate the
marital sl.t Of the South and those who
imagine there Is nothing to be dreaded by tho
tocsin that assemblies the North in arms, know
little Of the fire that now lies concealed in
northern ice "Let but single gun be fied IN
this capitol. to use the words Of one Of my
correspondents " and there would not be men
enough left at home to milk the cows" IL is
growing too yldcnt that in each section Of our
country the war dogs only need to be let loose
10 cut the G0rdan knot we have So long an.
successfully struggled 10 unite. Expectant
heroes, the cavaliers and the roundhcads al
ready stand on tiptoe to yindcato their respec-
tive claims on one side the eag,rness 10 com.
Risnce, and on the other the reluctance 10 iere
of, futricdal war. lie that does not pause
ere he scars the pages Of history with such
contest. Is a mailman. II Is not because doubt
the mettle Of my own people that pause but
because know their pluck. Therefore, not IN
til all hope Of the Union shall pass away, will
| whet the edge Of anmosties by initiating the
had cxampleo OF some gentlemen in sending forth
the war whoop, instead Of sober arguments and
reasonable conclusions
Recognizing the tact that there appeared TO
be an organized plan 10 reyolutlonze and break
up the Government, Il conspiracy TO blot out the
Declaration Of Independence and suhvert tie
Constitution, voted III favor of raising the com
mittcc of thirty ,hree, '.ho' = was rrats,s,d IN
order to give those who represented Chat I6rti0n
OF our country loudest in their complaints an
opportunity to be heard to tile utmost latitude;
aud not because any real grievance was visible
TO mt-awayS excepting that some men were
about to 60 out OF Office, and others W re- about
to come IN. ! would consider the compl int, ii
a single individual and could not Therefore. re.
Jet unheard those OF whole States TheR,ure-
sentatiyes from the dlssalected section were each
our equals, and respectable in numbers, and
therefore, It they proposed il. entitled to the
right OF bong heard | do not regret that vote
lhs opportunity has been granted and vet, I
confess while there Is a fertility of aIprehtn-
slons, no real grievance has been made manifest.
Var admirable and complex form of govern
ment IN all It's operations has exhibited as little
friction, as little of local hardship as any eve
devised by the wit of man.
II is undeniably true that if the late election
had resulted IN tie defeat of Mr. Lincoln. no
revolution would have been preciptatcd. and
no new guarantees to slavery would have been
required at our hands But while we have
oeen victorious IN the campaign. we are invited
70 submit 10 what nearly two thirds of the pop.
ul"r vote OF The Democratic party itself rejected
Tor one million three hundred sixty five thous
ana nine hundred and seventy six Democrats in
voting Tor Mr.. Douglas, voted against the PRO.
lection OF slavery in the Territories and only
eight hundred and Iorty seven thousand nine
nuhdreo and hlty three for Mr. Breckenridge. IN
laYor OF It, Under these circumstances the
demand made is a humiliation to which no mar.
~ can submit In 1920 the Missouri Comnro.
mise was established, and its repeal was never
agltated by the North. In 1928 John Quincy
ADAMS was defeated on charges of extrayagaoce
although the expenditure was not one sixth Of
"hat we now witness but tn North submit.
TED In 1882 General jackson was reelected
on the ground OF hostility to the United Suites
bahK ana when the bank went down. all oc.
guessed In 18Th Mr. Polk was elected hec,uso
ne was IN favor of " the remuneration of Texas -
ana y extending the area of freedom" and
"heh Texas came in with four slave States ex-
tended on Its banner, even then there was M
reDeiilon' In 1913 the Wilmot proyso was
defeated but no secession followed, In 1854
'ne MISSOURI compromise was repealed and
ye' tne Union stood '~0' Notwithstanding this
combined blunder and crime. In lSG0 Mr.
Lincoln was elected because he was onnosed
TO the extention of slavery into the Territo-
rieS, and opposed to the general maladminis-
Tation OF the Government for the last eiyht
years That verdict of the oeople cannot be-
reversed, except by the people themselves four
years hence trust it may never be reversed
Meantime 1t must be accepted by all oldcr low.
ing constitutions obeying men. II the S,ntb
u u not mean to abide by the resut-only bv
the principle of" head win, tails van los
they should not conrtcd the issue, nor made tho
appeal to the ballot box Having partioimteJ
m the election, it is too late to reject the YER.
net They will find consolation in the hest of
looEs' : The patient abiding Of the righteous
hall be turned to gMdness. .
Whateyer fate may beitde our country. tho
party has much to redeem itsof
ION the odium Of the present crisis, and I