Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-04-11
,erun 1RRrpREss1p1r CONFLICT

md slavery, a howl of Indignation was uttered |
by the, entire democratic press OF the country.
From that day to the present the Republican
party, of which Mr.. Seward is representative
man and was a conceded leader, has Jeen charged |
with design of promoting this conflict and
ofperpetuating constantly widening breach
between the Slave and free States. 1t is to no
purpose that the Republicans disavowed any
such design, that they claimed only to leave
slavery where the consultation left it under the
Interpretation of such statesmen and urists as
Washington and Jefferson, and Marshall and
Story; the charge has been reiterated until
some have ccme to believe it proved. We
shall not waste our own time and that of our
readers in any extended argument to show the
falSity of this assumption, nor of that correa-
tive assumption Of our opponents that the Re
publican party is justly responsible for the
present divided and distracted condition of
the country which is equally untrue.
AS RepUbGcen and in the light of histor.
cal truth we hold that the status of slavery in
the United States has materially changed with
in the last quarter of of century that the
advocates ard supporters of that institution
have set up new claims and demanded new
tests which, had they been made during the
first half century of our national existence
would have been secuted by all parties and all
sections as inadmssbe. The democratic par
ty holding the reins of government power and
patronage through the superior management
of southern politicians have generally been
ready AID willing to make all the concessions
required as conditions of success. But the
time at length arrived when the people of the
North refused any further tests. Hence the
success of the Republican party. That new
tests have been applied and new demands been
made is sufficiently proved by the statements
of the secession leaders.
In speech delivered at Savannah, Georgia.
on the DIST of March, Alexander II. Stephens,
Vice Prcsidcn of the Southern Confederacy and
.one of the most conservative of all the states
men of the Confederated States, says that the
immediate cluse Of the late rupture and pres
ent revolution is the proper status of the negro
in their new form of civilization. He quotes
jefferson as saying that this question was the
crock upon which the old Union would split"
aud adds
He was right. What was conjecture with
him is now realized fact. But whether he
fully cnnprehended the great truth upon which
ythat rock. stood and stands, may be doubted
The prerdil'ag ideas entertained by him and
most Of die leading Statesmen at the time of the
formation Of the old Constitution, ,cere that the
eiSldUemem of the african ,oas in rioidtion Of
the la,cs Of mature; that ras 1rong in prin-
cipLe, socially, morally, and politically. 1t
was an evil they knew not well how to deal
with, but the general opinion of the men of
that day was that somehow or other in the or
der of Providence the institution would be
evanescent and pass away This idea, though
not incorporated in the Constitution, was the
prevailing idea at the time. The Constitution,
it is true, secured every essential guarantee to
the institution while it should last, and hence
no argument can be justly used against the
constitutional guarantees thus secured, because
of the common sentiment of the day. Those
ideas, howeverywere fundamentally wrong
They rested upon the assumption of the equal
ity of races. This was an error, 1t was
sandy foundation, and the idea of government
built upon'it: when the storm came and the
wind blew it fell
Such Mr. Stephess view of the opinion of the
-statesm n ofthe earlier period of our national
history, and tits clearly and accurately stated.
Slavery was rot only believed to be wrong but
,.he door for its utter extinction wi hout doing
violence to our form of government was left
purposely openly the representatives of the
.slRve"l.elding interest which largely predomina-
ted at the time oftht formation and adoption
OF the constitution. In further proof Of the
great change which has come over the spirit
of TIE Save power we quote Mr. Steyens's
statemcn, 81 tie basis of the new coniederady
In direct connection With the paragraph above
quoted lie says
"Olr new government is founded upon ex
actly the opposite Gdea IDS foundations are
laid It's -coine6 steue vests upon the great
truth, thitthc negroes not equal to the white
man; that slaNery-ssboRHaton to the supe-
rlor race--s His natural and moral condition
lApplause.1 This, sgr 4Sew. government, is the
first in the history of the world based upon this
great ply steal, philosophical and moral truth
Tins Truth has been show lr-ihe process of its
development, Ike all othe,-hulhs in the vari-
GUS departments OF science. 1T has been so
even amongst u.s. Many who hear me perhaps
can reeoiiect well that sliis trath was not gen
orally ADMITTED, even within their day. The
errors oi'the past generation still eung to many
as late as twenty years aga
The testimony of many ether prominent act
ers in the steps which Nave ledtc this secession
movement is bat cumulative proof in point
1T all goes to. show that there is !, conflict be-
tween free and .lavc labor that is indeed irra-
Pressibie It has produeed dasm that is
widening and deepening and which cannot be
5ridged by the steDnsummate statesmanship.
Ibetwo can noaonge rivetto sethsr AIDE by side
in harmony. OHe or the other of the Two sys-
TENS must predominant and become the ruling
element in .onr government. The democratic
party as party is acting in unison with their
chosen ollies--the slave power of the country.
The Republicans take The groundtha wherever
slavery does not exist by Virtue Of local law it
it shall not be extended. This great question
is now 70 be decided; this important problem
is to be solved. God grant that the right may
prevail.
"HAyE WE A GOVERNMENT P"-The differ
enee between chow to do it, and show not to do
it" is well illustrated by the way an which mat
tiers are now managed at the Treasury depart