The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-11-21


- shall we speak less clearly and boldly in behal
/ of Liberty? Heaven forbid Let the lines be
h drawn-let the great and true issue be set fortl
h before the gaze of the world. Slavery is tho
vulnerable point in the armor Of our foe-lct
e the blow be aimed there.
e Is it the purpose in this aN full conflict to re-
h store all things to the same condition IN which
: they were Just before the open war commenced,
q and let the old g rrepressible conflict go on,
: and we continue co-partners in the guilt and
i. horrors of Slavery? Heaven save us from the
: insane attempt to organize anew on the platform
of Despotisn and Frcedom-that fatal rock on
which we have split. What has Slavery done
] that it should be spared and treated SO tender
: ly? What is there 30 sacred 80 lovely, in it's
character, that men are reluctant to have it per-
. ish? Is it said that it is a reverence for law
that would spare Slavery-th that it has legal ex-
| stence? deny it, believe the little nulli-
flying rebellious State of South Carolina cannot
show on her books a statute for the establish
, ment of Slavery. " hat if she had ? do not
courts set aside contracts that have in them any
trace or tincture of fraud or crime? Slavery
was supposed to be legal in England for long
period, but Granville Sharp, after seven years Of
Laws of England, convinced the highest Court.
and procured from Lord Mansfield in ~ that
glorious decision that so soon as Slave sets
his foot upon the soil of Britain he is free. l
desire to cherish a reverence for those great
principles of justice and humanity, without
which all law is despotism Let us beware lest
under the pretext of rendering unto Caesar the
things that are his, we deny to God the things
that are Ills. | would to Heaven we had
Mansfield upon our Bench, or that the erminc
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 oppression. The political existence
of our Country is based on the inalienabe
rights of man.
The Constitution, in my Judgment, is a war-
rantee deed of liberty to every man coming
within tits limits Did those men who sanctioned
the declaration, coming fresh from that baptism
OF fre, the Revolution, make pro-slavery Con-
stltutution? If the trainers were sincere in
wishing to promote the purposes they avowed.
nothing could have been further from their in
tentlon than to admit anything into the Consti-
luton which would perpetuate Slavery. What
heavier charge OF Inconsistency and treacbcry
coulo De alleged. We owe it to the memory of
those vencrated men to exoncratc them from
such charge. Should we not be inclined to
Sucll construction as will be consistent with
their principles, for which they pledged their
lives, fortunes and sacred honor.
The Colonies could not legalizc Slavery bv the
laws OF England and by the fundamental Iprin-
clples OF our government, legal character
could not be conferred. Suppoee it had the
forms OF law, would it not subvcrt the very ba-
sls OF law and OF our government? The acts off
Parliament OF which our fathers complained had
an the forms of law, but they subverted the
fundamental principles of right.
Let us turn the tables for a moment and i'm
aSine that by some construction of what WAS
called law, or Constitution, the wives and chill |
Qfen Of these members were liable to be dragged
into Slavery would there not be such an I'm In |
rising rs never was seen beforc-such a scream
OF execration as never burst from mortal li,s
LIE name OF every man who should whisper an
apology for such q construction would be set in
that spostate list, at the head Of which. stands
the name Of Judas Iscariot.
In my view slavery has no legal existence This
side OF the internal regions; there, where it was
porn anu brought up, it may be constitutional.
l would to heaven it was sent back to its native
! nome ohall the poor fugitive that escapes from
MS prison house DO dragged back into the hell
o! slavery No! put musket in his hand and
oid hun night for the liberties Of his coun,rv.-
Let a petition so up from the Green Noun
talns to the Federal Government, asking lor tn,
% ~ o. the RUE that governed our immortal
harrington. L think the North will soon decide
'""t Inc peculiar restitution has no rights which
a "hlte man Is bound to respect. The rcsou ,
s'on asserts That the spirit Of liberty alone can
r",Pp'y .ne proper enthusiasm to meet this crisis
Ina: ID 'ne eP'rt that in every age has led on TO
o,'ouS uecds: IL was the love Of liberty that
beat high in the bosoms of our Pilgrim Fatbers
Under Its influence they broke aWav fr,m tho
pndcaring associations Of family and home from
IN" iartst portions OF the old world. and buast.
"a with the storms of ocean and with the pcr,Js :
d Tie wilderness 1t was the love of liberty
nat sustained them and their defendants amid
,,unerings and sacrifices that have no parallel
l nc army OF the revolution wasslimulated in that .
unequal contest by thrilling appeals to the love
u iosity' NO 1orbldding aspect could turn the /;
'ye OF our fathers from the glorious object of II
heir tolls. civil and religious liberty. Tho :.
planters OF this f'lr garden towed good seeds. -
,u' an enemy sowed tarcs. lie, the army Of free !"
ION De the angeisto gather and burn. Her, =
hey planted the tree of liberty, thew shielded
Is tender germs from the rude blasts that bea, ~
lpon 1t, they moistened 1t with tears and with !,
nc blood OF brave hearts that we might gather =
DC iruit OF Its branches, while those who plan,- "
"a IL lay mouidering beneath its shade. while +
ne 'eroaht zeal remains upon that tree of lib .,
rty' let US rally to its defense and preseyation "
me men Vi the revolution, burning with this =,
acred passion, proclaimed to the astonisLeJ
World the beaven.born truth that all men ara
'orn Tree and equal, and that all men have an p
nallenable right to liberty. In defence of that az
'rInciple they lavished their blood and tbr;rl :,
reasure, resolved to stand or fall with il Thew Il