Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-02-24

The following Is lhc report of the speech Of
Gen. \. J, Hamilton Of Texas, at the recent
Union convention Al Manchester, y. II.
He said tul, from bo}nool il had been among
bis dreams that be should some time visit that
p5rliur of ,he country, with desire TO see ana
KNOW more OF lis country men but he had never
contemplated that he should be there because Of
the Necessity Of leaving hi, hone on account Of a
rebellion against the Government. lie was no!
uere TO speak Of himself There wasa higher ~
tere,t, q noJler subject, which should engage
their attention. lie would SPEAK OF the condition
Of the county, tie cause, when led to 1t, and The
means which ouid be employed TO redeem Tie
country from il preseel condition. Nl.hin the
last TWO YEAR. be had purchased a right TO speak
oil bis country without apology, at price that
not All men were willing TO pay. We all know,
he continued, tie subject matter OF the quarrel
i Il very, aad Il is the one assigned by those en-
gagged 10 the conspiracy. Some of those who
bear a most conspicuous rart IN this rebellion, IN
The capacity OF public agents for the so-ealled
confederate government, assert in the face Of the
iaos OF history aud the knowledge OF the civilized
world that slavery had io,hmg to do With the
trouble between the two sections.
But We know there Was no Other subject upon
which any considerable portion Of the people Of
the South could have been sufficiently excited as
TO talk about disso.y.ng the political relationships
which existed between them and the other otaies
of tie American Union. will 20 llrther lnd
~ there wls never a moment since secession was
proposed when the reo le OF the South had iher
hearts in il, or desired to sever their political re.
Atlorships with YOU. lie was Wiling to hazard
his eternal salvation upon the truth of what he
lu,,ered-tha. four G0hs of the people Of the
South, meaning negroes as well as white men,
were for the Union, We are, however, IN the
midst Of revolution that never had Tor It's object
the redress Of real existing grievances. Nnat
then, was its oti-c, One was to create gov
ernment not only separate from the United States
Government and not subject TO It, but govern
ment Of an entirely different character, which
would be within the coarol and absolute power
Of a few Tor the double purpose OF securing The
perpeluity Of controlling and managing 1t IN The
hands of those who were ambitious for IT, but al
the same time which would afford them the
power to protect lhei. pct and darling institution
slavery from the natural enoroachments OF th'
democratic element OF the country. The speake
proceeded to adduce evidence in support OF hi
propositions by detailing the course OF Secession
ia the South and quoted John Randolph to illa,
trate the progress Of the democratic idea, and tn
tendency Of the vast masses of people in the olde
States to 90 to the more ;hnly settled regions o
the South.
Slavery is not able to stand against the noturo
: an,apon.sm Of free labor. Mr.. Seward never vi
tered ruer sentiment in his whole lie tha
when he said there was an iuepressbc conflict b,
tween free and slave labor, but those of the Sout
discovered it years before as well as the New lor
!, Statesman. The letter Of prominent rebel, Nj
/ Sprllt, was quoted, who wrote to MIR. Perkins
Louisiana, member Of their hrst revolution eoi
q venton at Alabama, that the South we're to pr
vide agaast this natural anlag g,nism, not again
war 10 tie halls Of Congress, or in the STATE
" ere slavery does not exist. They were not wa
" ring against any feeling which exists among Il
people OF the North, but against the great pri'
le ciple which is inherent in free governments, az
0. which will be felt to the overthrow Of slavery,
e they do not provide againsti The leltes also a
n yccited the opening OF tha slaye-,rade, and A
N they must have slave atistocracy. Ii was pu
le lished in one Of the leading Southern papers, al
F" republshcd in oil the principal public lourna