Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-01-03
NO COMPROMISE OF PRINCIPLE

There are not wanting those at the North
who think, or profess to believe, that declara-
ton from Mr.. Lincoln would allay the storm of
passion at the South; and who further say
that if the Republican party will only make
suitable concessions to Southern demands all
will be yet be well. For the purpose of cor
recting that opinion and of ascertaining what
concessions are demanded of us, we quote the
following paragraph from recent letter from
the Hon. Henry w. billiard of Alabama, hith-
erto one Of the most conservative of men and
confessedy one of the ablest Of those who are
in the secession movement He says:
at is supposed very generally that we apprehend
some immediate mischief from Mr.. Lincon's admins
tration; some direct and plain interference with
rights and we are appealed to by our northern friends
to wait for some hostile demonstration on his part
are reminded that his character is conservativethat
he will the law provided for the return of fugitive
slaves faithfully executed; that he does not propose
TO interfere with slavery in the states where it exists
that his cabinet will be uneXceptionable and that
a majority Of both Houses of Congress will oppose
his measures Now all this may be conceded, and yet
if the whole southern mind could be brought to yield
implicit faith in these assurances, still the attitude Of
the southern states would remain unchanged. 1t is
not any apprehension of aggressive action on the part
incoming administration which the southern
people to resistance but II is the demonstration which
Mr. Lincoln's election by such overwhelming maiOri-
ties affords, OF the supremacy of sentiment hostile
TO slavery In the nons'aveholding states of the
Union"
In other words he and his confederates advo-
cate secession because the North, the home of
freemen and the empire of free labor, is con-
stantly gaining in population and wealth faster
than the South. Now what is proposed as the
remedy for this evil? What are the North re-
quired to do that they may olive in peace" with
the South. LIST, Make Slavery national by so
altering the Constitution that it shall expressly
recognise property in Slaves. 2nd, Extend the
Missouri Compromise to the Pacific and furnish
guarantees that all the States that shall hereafter
be admitted into the Union from territory south
of that line shall be Slave States. Sd, BY an
amendment to the Constitution make it practi-
cally impossible for any existing Slave State to
to become free State without the consent of
all the other Slave States. The first two propo-
sitions are insisted upon as basis of comprom-
Use by all the States which talk of secession or
complain Of grievances The other is deman-
ded by the most ultra portion of fre-eaters.
Here then we have the bill of fare to which
we are invited. The Republican party in every
State will, we feel fully assured, spurn any and
every attempt at such an adjustment of our
difficulties. Each one of these propositions is
inadmissble Nor do we believe that any other
basis, having for its foundation a surrender in
whole or in part, of the principles which the
party has laid down as the basis of its political
action, will be for moment be even tolerated.
The truth is, we have already had sufficient
experience in Congressional Compromises to
know that they settle nothing, can settle moth
ing. The repeal of the Compromise of 1920
has been the immediate occasion of our present
difficulties. If that compromise was not suf
ficiently sacred to be regarded as settled what
other can be. No; let us settle what we can
now and not put off to some future day troubles
for ourselves or our posterity. The "irre-
pressible conflict" has already commenced, and
II may better be determined now than at more
inauspicious period in the future.