Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-07-24
REPLY OF THE MINORITY.
Washington, July Is, 1856:

Mr.. PRESIDENT - ne Undersigned, MEM
bers of Congress from the Border States, in
response to your address Of Saturday last,
beg leave to say that they attended meeting
on the same day the address was delivered
for the purpose of considering the same. The
meeting appointed a committee to report a
response to your address. That report was
made on yesterday and the action of the ma
jorlty indicates clearly that the response re-
ported, or one in substance the same, would
be adopted and presented to you
lnaSmuch as we cannot, consistently with
our own sense of duty to the country, under
the existing peris which surround us, concur
in that response, we feel it to be due to YOU
and to ourselves to make to you a brief and
candid answer over our own sign stur s.
We believe that the whole power OF the
Government, upheld and sustained by all
the Influences and means of all loyal men in
all sections, and Of all parties, is essentially
necessary to put dow. IT, ,abellion and pre-
serve the Union and Co,sttution. We I'M
derstand your appeal to us to have been
made for the purpose of securing this result.
A very large portion of the people of the
Northern States believe that Slavery is the
''lever-power of the Rebellion" 1t mat
tiers not whether this belief be well.founded
or not. The belief does exist and we have
to deal with things as they are, aud not as
we would have them be. In consequence of
the existence Of this belief, we understand
that an immense pressure is brought to bear
for the purpose of striking down this institu-
ton through the exercise OF military au herity
The Government cannot maintain this great
strugal if the support and influence of the
men who entertain these opinions be with
drawn. Neither can the Government hope
for early success if the support of that element
called . conservative be withdrawn.
Such berg the condition of things, the
President appeals to the Border State mer
| to step forward aad Proso theIr patriotism by
making The first sacrifice. No doubt, like
appeals have been made to extreme men il
the North to meet US half way, in order tina
the whole moral, political, pecuniary, anC
physical force of the nation may be frml,
and earnestly united in one grand effort t
save the Union and the Constitution. sill
Believing that such were the motives tina
prompted your address, and such the result
to which it looked, we cannot reconcile it t,
our sense of duty, in this trying hour, to re
srond in spirit of fault finding or querulous
ness over the things that are passed. w,
are net disposed to seek for the cause of pres
ent misfortunes in the errors and wrongs o
other who now propose to unite with us in
common purpose. But, on the other hand
we meet your address inrthe spirit in which
it was made, and, as loyal Americans, declar
to you and to the world that there is no sac
rifce that we are not ready to make to saw
the Government and institutions of GU
fathers. a#.f <@H*
That we, few of US though there may be
will permit no men, from the North or from
the South, to 90 further than we in the &C
complishment of the great work before us
That in order to carry out these views, w
will. so far as may be in our power, ask th
people of the Border States, calmly, delber
ately, and fairly to consider your recommen
dations. We are the more emboldened Il
assume this position from the fact, now be
come history, that the leaders of the Southern
rebellion have offered to abolish SLAYER,
among them as condition to foreign inter
vention in favor of their independence as ;
nation. ~.
/ Ifthey can give up Slavery to destroy tn,
Union, we can surely ask our people to con.
slider the question of emancipation to save thu
With great respect,
vF sasg Your obedlent servants. ass
JOHN w. NoELL, WILLIAM G. Brown
SAM. S. CASEY, JACOB S. BLAIR,
i GEORGE 2. FISHER, w. F. WILEY,
/ A. j. CLEMENTS. -