Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-29
Green nlt. fireman
MONTPELIER VT.
Tue .dny Morning, July 30, 1861.
Replies of the Minority Of the Border State
Congressman, aud OF Mr. Maynard to the
President Address
WAsHlNeToN july Is. 1862.

WAsHlNGToN, July Is 1862.
Mr. PRESIDENT The Undersigned, Members
OF Congress from the Is rider States, IN response
to your address Of Saturday last beg leave to
say that they attended ii meeting on the same
day the address Was delivered Tor the purpose Of
considering the same The meeting appointed
a commlt,' reporta response - your address
That report Was made Oh yestel ~ ana the ac'
ton Of the majority Indicated c.ear!y That the
response reported, or one III substance the same,
would be adopted and presented to you.
lnasmuch IL we cannot, consistently with our
own sense Of duty to the country, under the ex-
isting porils when surround us, concur IN that
response, we feel IL to be due " you and TO our
selves to make to You a briei and candid answer
over our own signatures.
We believe that the whole power Of the Gov
ernmeat, upheld and sustained by all the inhu
ences and means OF all loyal men in all sections,
and Of all parties 10 necessary to put down the
rebellion and prceerye the Union and the Con
stltution. We understand your appeal to US to
have been made Tor the purpose Of securing this
result. A very largo portion Of Tie people in
the Northern States believe that Slavery Is the
lever power OF tbs Rebellion" 1t matters
not whether this belief be well-founicd or not.
things rs they are, AMI not As We would have
them be. In consequence Of the existence Of
this belief, we undcr4and that an immense pres
sure is brought to bear for the purpose Of strl-
king down this institution through tie exercise
Of military authority. The Government cannot
maintain this great struggle if the support and
influence OF the men who entertain those Opn-
ions be Withdrawn Neither can the Government
hope for early success if the support oil that eIe-
ment called. conservative be withdrawn.
Such being the condition Of things the Pres
iden appeals to the Border State men to step
forward and prove THEN patriotism by making
the inst sacrifice. No doubt, like appeals have
been made to extreme men in the North to meet
Us hall way, in order That the whole N raj,
political, pccunlaIy, ana physical force Of the
nation may he firmly and earnestly united in
one grand effort " save th3 Union and the con-
stltution
Believing that suo1 wetJ tht motives that
prompted your address, and such were the results
to which il looked we cannot reconcile it 10 /
our sense Of duty, 10 this trying hour, to respond
IN spirit 81 iault finding or querulousneNs over
the things that are past We are not disposed
" seek Tor the cause .! present mlsiortunes in
the errors ana wrongs OF others VINO now propose
20 unite with us in il common purpose. But on
thn other hand, We meet your address IN the
spirit III which 1t Was mace, and, AS loyal Amer
leans, declare to you and to the world that there
is no sacrifice that We are not ready to make to
save The government and Institutions Of our
fathers.
That we, few Of US though there may be.
will permit no men, from the North or from
the South, 10 20 further than we IN the accom-
plishmcnt VI the great work before us. That,
in order to carry out these views, we will, so
far as may DO IN our power, ask the people OF
the Border States calmly, deliberately, and
fairly to consider your recommendations. We
are the more emboliened 10 assume this position
from the fact. now become history, that she
leaders OF the Southern rebellion nave offered
to abolish Slavery among them az "a condition to
foreign Intervention in favor OF their lndepend-
ence as nation.
If they can give up Slavery to destroy the
Uulon, we can surely askour people to consider
the question Oh emanci patton To save the Union.
With great respect, your obedleut sery'ts,
JouN ". NoELL, WrLLlAA9 BGo">,
SAN. \. CASEY, JACOB b BLAIR,
GEO p FISHER, W. +. WILEY.
A j CLEMENS,