Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-07-25

possible event? You prefer that the constitution
al relation Of the States to the nation shall be
practically restored without disturbance Of the IL
stitution; and, if this were done, my whole duty,
in this respect, under the Constitution and my
oath Of Office. would be performed. But it is not
done. and we are trying to accomplish it BY wal
Ine incidents Of the cannot be avoided. II
the war continues long, it must If the object be
not sooner attained the institution in your states
VIII be eztingnishei by mere friction and abra-
slon-by the mere incidents Of the war. 1t will
De gone, and you will have nothing valuable IN
lieu Of it. Much of is value is gone already
Much better for you and for your people to take
the step which at once shortens the war. and Sc
cures substantial compensation for that which Is
sure to br wholly lost in any other event How
much better TO thus save the money which else We
sink forever in the war How much better 10 do
It while We can, lest the war ere long render us
pecuniArily unable to do it How much better
Tor you, as seller, and the nation buyer, to sell
out and buy cut that without which the war could
never have BEEN than to sink both the thing to be
throats
do not speak Of emancipation az once, but Of
deeision at once to emancipste gradually. Room
IN South America for colonization can be obtained
cheaply, in abundance, and when numbers shall
be large enough TO be company and encouragement
Tor one another, the freed people will not be so
reluctant 10 60.
am pressed with difficulty not yet mentioned
one which threatens division among those who,
united, are none too strong. An instance Of it Is
known to you. Gen. Hunter is honest man.
He " as, and | hope still lie, my friend. l valued
him none the less for his agreeing with me in the
general wish that all men everywhere could be
freed. He proclaimed all men free within certain
states, and l repudiated the proclamation. lie
expected moregoOd and less harm from the measure
than l could believe would follow. Yet in repudi-
ating it gave dissatisfaction, if not ofense, TO
many whose support the country cannot afford to
lose. And this is not the end of it. The pressure
in this direction is still upon and is increasing
By cOnceding what now ask you can relieve me,
and, much more, can relieve the country in this
important point
Upon these considerations have again begged
your attention to the message of March last. Be
fore leaving the Capitol, consider and discuss it
among yourselves. You are patriots and states
men, and as such pray you consider this propo-
stion; and at the least commend it to the con-
sideration Of your states and people. As you
would perpetuate popular government for the best
people in the world, beseech you that you do in
no wise omit this. Our common country is in
great peril, demanding the loftiest views and bold
est action to bring speedy relief Once relieved,
its form Of government is saved to the world; its
beloved history and cherished memories are vindi-
Gated. and its happy future fully assured and
rendered inconceiv ably grand. 10 you, more than
happiness and swell that grandeur, and to link
your names Herewith forever.
To this address of the President two writ
ten replies were made, one for the majority
of the Border state men, twenty in numbCr,
and one for the minority, seven in number.
The reply of the majority is long pettifog-
ging sort of a document. Ii begins with
setting forth how ready the representatives
OF the states OF Kentucky, Virginia, Nilsson
n and Maryland have been to aid the Presi-
dent by voting men and money to support
the cause of the Government, notwithstand-
ing they had to face measures very disagree.
able. and to hear doctrines very abhorrent to
them and their constituents. They then q
into a calculation of how much it will cost
to buy ali the slaves, not those of loyal men
only, at $500 head, and to send them out
of the country, or, as they put it. to send
out of the country 100000 worth OF
labor and leave that amount of debt instead
In the next place, inasmuch as Senator
Wickliie proposed an amendmen, that an
appropriation OF half million for the work
Of state compensation should be attached to
the resolution recommended by the Presiden;
and adopted by Congress, and the senat.
would not vote for it, they say they consider
ed the proposition as little better than d
sham and SO they would not vote for 1t. In
the next place they maintain the Tgh 70
hold slaves, and that is enough in their view
to justify their repellIng ali propositions to
yield it. Moreover, they do not see that the
resolution as passed without their votes has
done anything, and therefore, say they, it
would have done no good for them to vote
for it.
The rebellion rests, they say, on the deter
mination of minority in the slave states to
break down national rule and put in its place
state domination, and on belief of all
the rest that the free states are aiming to de-
prive them of their property and rights, and
So they fight for self preservation. By what
infamous system of lying they have got this
notion-not only the 100000 Shareholders
but also the millions who never owned a
slave-they do not stop to explain, nor do
they allude to the atrocious revolutionary
violence by means of which a vast population
South, loyalty and peaceably disposed, have
been forced, at peril of their lives, to side
with the rebellion. They have the usual
reference to the 'pestilent agitation" of the
Slavery question, and give the President con-
siderable advice on the subject However,
though they believe the passage of the reso-
luton has done harm instead OF good, If it
should ever appear that the yielding up OF
slavery is essential to the preservation of the
national unity, and distinct and tangible
propositions for compensation shall be made,
so that the slave-holding States or people
will have only to consider whether they will
or will not accept them, they will then take
the subject info consideration, and do what
shall seem to them proper.
The minority talk much more reasonably.
Satisfied of the peril of affairs, and not being
able to see why, since the rebel leaders have
offered to abolish slavery, If thereby they can
secure foreign interference to aid them in
destroying the Government of their country,
it is not quite as admissible to do it to save
the Government, they say they are ready to
do all in their power to advance the wishes
of the President. Their reply closes as fol.
lows
Believing thvt such were the motives that
prompted your address, and such the results TO
which it looked, we cannot reconcile it to our
sense of duty, in this trying hour, to respond in
spirit Of fault-fnding or querulousness over the
things that are past. We are not disposed TO seek
for the of present misfortunes in the errors
and wrongs of others who now propose to unite
with US in a common purpose. But, on the other
hand, We meet your address in the spirit in which
it was made, and, as loyal American, declare to
you and TO the world that there is no sacrifice
that we are not ready to make to save the Govern