Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-03-07


case, it was decided that the legslstion of Con-
gress excludes all State legislation on the sub.
ject Free State Legislatures, therefore. very
generally prohibited their officers from aiding
or assisting in such business. If this shows a
lack of comity it was in pursuance of this de-
cision of the Supreme Court. 1t is true, also,
that the rigors of the fugitive slave act of 1850
multiplied and intensified such statutes. If,
however, in doing this, State Legislatures have
transcendei the object aimed at, and any of
their statutes conflict with that section of the
Consti ution of the United States which de-
Glars, that "no person held to service or labor
in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping
into another, shall, in consequence of any law
or regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor" they should be repealed with
out debate. 1t is never to be forgotten, and
especially not now, that the Constitution and
the laws of the United States which shall be
made in pursuance thereof" is "the supreme
law of the land" "anything in the constitution
or laws Of any State to the contrary notwih-
standing"
One Of the propositions of the committee, as
offered by the distinguished gentleman from
Massachusetts, is to provide an amendment to
the Constitution which shall forbid any possible
future interference with slavery in the States
where it exists. Such, unquestionably, is the
true meaning of the Constitution now. know
of no party having the remotest intention of
giving it any other construction. The Repuh-
lican party, of all others, bound themselves in
the most solemn form by the fourth resolution
of the Chicago platform, thus;
"That the maintenance invoate Of the rights Of the
States and especially the right of each State to order
and control its domestic institutions according to
its own Judgment exclusively j. essential to that bal.
ancc Of power which the perfection and endurance
q ,l. Tho
lawess invasion by armed force Of the soil Of any
State or Territory, no matter under what prctext, rs
among the gravest of crimes
That is explicit, and among cool men would
be so regarded. Unfortunately, all men at this
time are not cool The resolution unanimously
adopted by this House on the l,h of February
last is even more explicit Every member, Re-
publicans inclusive, for once in harmony.
"Resoired That neither Congress nor the people or
government Of any n-savehodng State has the
constitutional right to cgisatc upon, or Interfere with,
slavery in any slavcholding State IN the Union'
Surely, after this, the possibility of deception
must be considered ehectually throtllod. Only
those who desire to be cheated can be cheated.
have been unwilling to consider any amend
ment to the Constitution, lest a master work
should be botched by journeymen; and have
tolerated the idea at this point alone, not be-
cause thouSnI IL hccessull, put tlht, IL az
cepted as an adjustment Oh present ulihcuities'
1t might by perpetuatlng part OF our present
Notwithstanding it, if you pleaSe-per-
petuate the whole. But | have, as yet, had no
assurances that this will be taken in any larger
sense than of good so far as it goes" To Sc
clre my support, it must be taken as full and
final settlement. To that end, guarantees
against the hereSles ot secession woulu De III
dispensable,
know OF no one VINO CLAIMS or ueslte' inc
constitutional power TO interfere WI, WIN inc 40
mestc institutions ol any State. whenever lht
affirmative OF that doctrine snail be maintained
1t will be in some remote age, when all Stat'
rights shall have become extinct, ana the Spiri
OF the people so tanned as 10 oe ready 10 suo
mt TO Imperial despo'tm' men the reue'a
Government may as GaNily estaoISh sia'er! "
iree state as 10 aooilsh u IN a save STATE.
Inc particular form whlch this proPoS'uor
has assumed appears to me Objectionable, ant
} unnecessarily complicated; ana all lhos al
which makes discrimination between states
should he stricken out but II me substance
ol such declaration could serve the great pur
! pose OF cohclIlatlon IN the present eNlBe"cIcS
the country would go 10 tne extreme VIE
OF Hberalty IN ordcr TO give II my assent W.
are ellher III iaNor oi ultimate interference WIZ
slavery IN the states where II exists OF We "''
= against IT. Now, against lt-tho"Sh we ma.
! consider II surplus age-Wny may we noI pa
the subject beyond even the power oil Wli'iu
Misrepresentation AS mere mattGf oil t@l:'e @
| | would not vote Tor II; but would DC Wl'iih!
+ to sacrifice taste for the Union ne PROOF
Y abundant mat southern men nave lhuulSeu AM
, do indulge, IN serious charges II not real up
/ prehensionS, on this point; and the meaSut
S proposed would carry healing on It's WINGS
t appears to me to be one that may be tenderc
e without sacrifice. presume, however, II WI
5 fail to receive that support from gentlemen :
e the South which would indicate that II Is sum
cient for the evils complained OF, and theh
Il will he useless to offer as remedy wnat III
It patient avows Will be lung out OF the Wihuo"
n and may properly be abandoned Shou'd IN
y seeding States stand aloot, 1t would be val
:. to attempt to give efficacy to tins measure
l. its only acknowledgement cooperation
it would be wanting.
= II it be SAID that this would be surrehdI
IS OF any principle, ask how we nave alread
n solcmny abjured it, 1t is not, unless, you II
e tend to accomplish an unconstitutional ehd u
Is constitutional means, and the chahce ol uoli'
Il that eyen can be computed by tracing out u
i process. AS 1t requires three-iourths OF an u
4 States to carry any amendment OF the 0ohs'
< tuition, with hlleen slave States sure TO No
against it, no amendment authorizing nterie
l. ence with slavery in the States could succee
t, until the whole number OF States amounted
sixty, and OF these it would require the enu
anta nj |