The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-04
Plain Talk from a Southerner.

The Hon. Andrew Jackson Hamilton, one Of
the representatives in Congress from Texas in the
last Congress, and now Union refugee, addressed
an immense audience in Brooklyn, Thursday eve
ming. Col. Hamilton was opposed to seces-
sion, and has maintained his Loyalty to the Repub-
lie, amid the dangers which have continually
surrounded every one who dared utter Union
sentiment in his State He recently escaped
| from New Orleans, and from there came to New
York. We regret that the length of the speech
forbds our publishing it entire. 1t is earnest, and
penetrated with the convictions Of one who has
seen and knows what the inspiration of the rebel
lion is. Respecting its cause, Col. II. said;
1t is, perhaps, we'll enough to inquire why this
happened. | cannot better develope to you my
own views of the causes that led to this, than by
| calling your attention to what one OF the leadlng
spirits engaged in this great rebellion against the
authority of the government said-a Mr.. Spratt,
| of South CaroliDa-who addressed cOmmunlCa-
ton al great length and with consummate ability,
with all the argument which the school OF phllos-
ophers to which he belongs could bring to bear,
on the question of the proprety of essentially
changing the principles on which the government
! of the Southern States thereafter to be based,
as contrastcd with the government of the United
States He said he was very much ashamed OF
any Southern statesman-ndeed, there was no
man who deserved that name-who would pre-
tend that the secession or revolution was caused
by any aggression on the part of the people of the
non-saveholdlng States on the rights and inter-
ess Of the people of the South in regard to slave
property? He said it was chdke to talk about
It's being the cause. He said it was still less be-
cause of any act OF aggression on the part Of the
United States government. What, then, was the
reason? He said it was because OF the difference
in the organization of society North and Sout!n
In the non-savehodng States every man beng
freeman, it resulted that the aOorjng classes
had power IN the government, and it required but
little argument, he said, to prove that, when that
was he case, the government was in the heels
of society. He said that when, on the other
| hand, government in the hands OF those who
directed aborit was then in the head" of society,
where it properly belonged, And now, said he,
after having cut loose from the North, after eradi-
eating the evil, have we succeeded in achieving
the object Not at all. He was complaining in
this letter that the Montgomery Convention had
failed to meet the object desired b. those who in
augurated the revolution, because it had not pro-
vided afiirmatively for reopening the African
slave trade. He said it would involve the neces-
slty of another revolution that the evil still
in their midst, as the laboring man would still
WELD the power in the new government, and, said
he, "From the premises have laid down you
will perceive hat slavery and democracy are in-
compatible" (Applause) He paid high COM
pment to the great New York statesman, now
Secretary of State, (Mr. Seward), and said that he
never uttered greater truth than when he de-
clared there was an rrepressible conflict" be-
tween slave labor and free labor. (Applause
He said that in this additional, this second revo.
luton that would be forced upon them and which
might be booder than the present one, they
would get rid OF the last and least remains O.
democracy, and that his plan emphatcally was
slave aristocracy. Now, if that was but the sent
ment of one Southern man, addressed to trusted
agent OF the State of Louisiana, then sitting
member in the Convention, there might be bu
little practical significance in it. If it had beer
reprobated by the public press in that section, Of
condemned by the public voice, there might b,
little significance in the fact that such sentiment
were promu gated to the world. But when vol
bear in mind that tina; letter was reproduced il
the leading prints Of the South, and spoken Of il
terms OF commentator, ana tnat up TO TINS h0u
no man has lifted his voice in criticism ag4ins
any of the positions there assumed, then it Is sig
nihcant | have heard the echoes of those senti
ments in the streets, in the hotels, in the parlor
and at the festive board Men who, two year
ago, were regarded as loyal are heard now sd ing
"Well, repubcansm is failure. Weare reall
astonshed at ourselves for ever thinking that
could succeed. We now realize the fact that VI
must have a stronger government"
If thus it be true that slavery is the cause c
this rebellion if the object OF the STAKEHOLDER
be dstrust OF leaving power in The hands of tn
non-slaveho ders If the danger of slavery was 5
great as to justify them in their devotion to tn
institution 10 destroy the United States, then
say that have changed my views in regard t
that institution, and have sundered my allegiance
if ever had any, TO slavery. loud and cor
tinued appause) Fellow citizens, | have had t
60 through no gradations in this change. Nc
will the men who compelled me to leave my Stat
be at all disappointed when they hear what
have said here and will say elsewhere adv;s