The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-15
Southern Notions of Government.

subject to those elements. Less than this IS not
government. The right to govern resides with
a very small minority and the duty to obey IS
inherent in the great mass OF mankind. lie
BO,c's (SOuthern) RerieW.
A downright, strong affirmation Of PROPOSE
ton is often us good as an argument, De Bow
evidently has caught this style. All govern
ment begins by usurpation." De Bow could
have given examples if required. Each ore OF
the seeded States would have, in its recent gov
ernmcnt Of Conventions, furnished him an in
stance. " Nature puts the ruling elements up
permost" OF the fact that the 60 ruling Gle
ments " are generally "uppermost, while they
rule at least, there isn't grain OF doubt
Whether nature, or grace, or providence, or
their own right arms put them in that elevated
position, may admit of more question. - The
right to govern resides with very small mi
norlty," is intensely southern--in fact the very
thing the South are fighting for. 1t is slightly
un-Democratic, to be sure, but that is charac-
terlstic Of the whole slavery rebellion.
But there are other southern notions of gov
ernmcnt beside De BOWS. Buford and Ham.
phries, members of the rebel Congress al Mont
gomery, think the African slave trade a good
foundation to build upon. Hear Baford and
HUMPHREYS
I" African slavery, as fonnd among us, being
consistent with the Bible, essential to the exis.
tcnce Of Republican institutions, and necessary
to human progress. so far from being wrong or
inexprdent. is both right and Indispensable
With these ideas this provision seems at war.
Not to re open the African slave trade, but to
defend State rights from mortal assault and the
morale of our institutions from ndllect asper-
sion, we hope that jurisdiction over this subject
may vet be RENTED to the tribunals to which
it rightfully belongs; and that thus therock on
which the old Union was wrecked may be torev'
er removed. While it remains there will be
agitation and danger And there is no need to
fear that the policy of each State might not
conform to the general sentiment against re-
opening that trade
And we give, also, letter from Southern
planter to u Tennessee paper, which throws
considerable light upon the shareholders ideas
of what a government should be:
My DEAR SIR Il am somewhat acquainted
with the secrets of the seccssonsts, and deem
it important to the people of the whole United
States Government to acquaint them in due
time of the ulterior design of the secession
movement The question is not nor never has
been, the protection of the institutions of slaves
with South Carolina, but desire for change
of Government, and to avoid the effects of
Northern policy upon the products of the South.
as it has been represented to me Ivy one of the
secret agents that has been travelling all over
the country for the last six months incog, for
the purpose of bearing up tho masses in the
border States to the cause of secession.
But to come to their policy First, it is to
adopt the CONSTITUTION of the United States,
under the Provisional Government for one
year, and in the mean time get the border
States to unite with them, and when that is
accomp llshcd--then, at the end Of one year,
to call a Convention Of the seeding States and
to frame Government upon MOnarchical ba
sis-and the Ministers Of the Southern Confed-
eracy are instructed especially to so represent
to the foreign Courts. Republican form Of Gov
ernment is to be abolished, and the last vestige
Of Democracy to be destroyed under the new
order of things.
Bat the seccssiopists are to Withhold this in
tention from the people until the new Govern
ment can be organized in such way as tc give
it strength to secure its objects. If any shall
doubt this disclosure, If it were possible to COM
pei, by any means, the leaders of secession to
make oath as to the truth of every word above
remtted, the people would find crcry ,rord
true.
| did not promise secrecy of this disclosure,
although it was doubtless implied. But deem
it important to the whole country that it should
be in due time exposed Bya
SOUTHERN PLANTER AND A UNION MAN.
And this is the kind of rebellion, revolution,
that we arc 'old, even by presses that claim to
be Republican, and in favor of Freedom, must
not be resisted because the rebels once kept
SO step to the music of the Union Will some
one tell us what a sGovernment should punish
if it does not punish treason?