The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-12

anything but weapon, an insrumentalty,
through which the peculiar and partial inter-
ests Of the South might be propagated and
to see that slavery, unless it could control the
Government, must sooner or later be so hedgcd
about that it would become valueless. He sought
for some refuge from this inevitable doom, and
he found 1t in the restilent hercsy of State
Rights. Suppose two litigants after having tried
the question of the construction of the deed un-
der which one or the other Of them claimed title
to farm, should last begin to fight for the pcs
session of the land ,-sn't it quite clear that the
land, the farm ITSELF would be the real thing they
were contending for, and that the abstract qucs
ton of the construction Of the deed would have
no Significance, be nothing, apart from theautject
matter, tire real estate, about the ownership Of
which the real controversy had sprung up? This
seems 10 proposition too plain for argument;
and we cannot think that it is anything but u
superficial view Of the political contests in this
country, or of the present arbitramento OF arms, to
seek for Its cause in any opposing " theories Of
constitutional construction apart from the nstl-
buttons and interests for which those g theories
were invented, and that Mr.. Lord, in attacking
these I" theories'' is only attacking the symp-
tom, and not the disease is applying an external
application, plaste1s and saves, .or what can
only be cured by some decisive internal remedy.
!. The other error in this part of the sermon, is
in setting MIR. Garrison up IS the representative
man of that i" theory" Of the Constitution OPP
posed to Mr.. Calholn's. This is IN error in
fact Mr.. Garrison has never held,--at least
not till since the war commenced-to the theory
that the Constitution, or the Federal Govern
ment under it, could be employed in an attack
upon slavery ir the States. In this respect he has
entirely agreed with Mr.. Calhoun instead of
being hostile to him. The difference between
the two men has been in their views Of slavery,
and not in their . theories" OF Constitutional
law. And it has been because Mr.. Garrison
agreed with Mr.. Calhoun that slavery had guar
antics in the Constitution, that Mr.. g. has never
taken the oath of a!lcgiaDce TO support that
Constitution. lie has believed it to be y " COW
enant with death and an agreement with he'll,
and therefore he would not agree to be bound by it.
MIR. Garrison IS not, many OF the word, the
representative man, the champion of the inter
probation Of the Constitution which has been
arrayed against Mir. Calhoun's - theory - but
Daniel Webster was, and his great Constitutional
argument in the United States Senate in rlply
to Hayne has, ever since lta delivery, been the
textbook, and political faith Of the ant-StaEe
Rights party, wherever il has appeared.
We are inclined to think, however, after a
careful reading Of Mr.. Lord S sermon, and feel
ing here and there through it the direction of
the undertow, the current that seems to run
with strong flow in favor of letting slavery
entirely alone, -although there is one mild
counter current on the surface-that Mr.. Lord
means to be understood that the action of the
party, or the leading-men of the party com.
monty known as the political party in the nation
hostile to slavery, and in the last campaign
called the Republican party, in its assaults
upon the arrogated rights Of slavery, has been
consciously or unconsciously" following th,
lead of Mr.. Garrison, in advocating the teen.
radiation " of power in the General Govern
ment, for the purpose of unconstitutionally as
sailing slavery in the States. His sermon wa.
certainly so understood by many who heard it
and the conviction has been only strengthens,
by perusal. If he did not mean so he GER
: tainly spent much time and labor to annihilat
a very Insignificant party, and one which ha
scarcely any political followers in the country
Indeed, so much comfort did those hostile t,
Republicanism extract from the serm on tina
they have bought large numbers of the pape
containing it, for tho purpose of its circulation
: as all anti. Republican political tract
, But, as we are slow to believe that Mr. Lord in
tended thus to libel the Republican party, or an
: of its recognized leaders, we shall content our
selves on this point with respectfully asking hin
0 this question, offering, of course, our column
@ for reply Do you think the Republca
9 party as party, or through it, recognize
h leaders, contributed to bring about the col
= fict in which the nation is now engaged b
@ the advocacy of any " false theory" of til
Constitution and if SO what was that " fal.
= theory? plain answer to this questio
,e will furnish key to much that isn't Ell
H.. trely plain in the discourse, and we belle,
IL e ~