Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-07-28

port. All this was out saying III PuoiiS'"H "'
had been more definitely communicated IN /
private, viz, that the old democratic leaders.
who had staked their political existence up
on the success of the rebellion and had lost,
the copperheads, who had opposed the war
and banded together the ignorant, the vile,
the venala nd the traitOrous,in an attempt 10
embarrass the government, ana compel 1t 10
make peace with rebel in arms now wished to
transfer themselves and the.demOcratic mas
ses''to tie support OF Mr.. johnson as an ac-
knowledged leader Of the democratic party,
prorided lie would "Tylcrize" his adminIstTa
ton and in the formation of newdcmocratic
union ,State-rights free trade. anti-"nigger
party, allow them to come IN As partici-
pants in its patronage with high seats among
its advisers.
This offer, so promptly made, Is still kept
open. and many persons, we apprehend' are
waiting for some indications as to whether
it Is TO he taken or rejected
That it would be rejected, has been
our opinion from the start Pres
ident johnson must of course be supported
by some party, or be in great danger OF laIl-
ure in the difficult task which lies before
MIN. 1t ) quite possible that he cannot be
sure of the support of some who were (if we
can 20 call them) supporters of Abraham
Lincoln, while it is equally probable that he
NAV count among bis friends some who de-
clined to be called republicans; but he never,
as it has seemed to US could strike hands with
these prompt negotiators, with the Atlas and
Argus, the World with Horatio Seymour &
Co.; for to do so would be to become false to
his whole past history.
The World OF the 9th inst. seems to in
dIcate that these commercial statesmen lin
view of the fall elections no dOubt) are about
to require of Mr.. johnson an answer TO their
propositions Its leader of that day reminds
the President of the generous forbearance"
which it has hitherto exercised toward him,
but warns him that he may vet encounter
It's criticism - 1t calls his attention to the
terms Of their offer, and that discrimination
was made between President johnson and ms
official advisers-the latter were to be DIS
placed OF brought over with him bound.
- But" it saws, Mr.. johnson is IN hIs 18th
month, and for ought that appears, the Cab
met is as firmly seated under him "a under
his predecessor by whom 1t was appointed.
An lndulgcnt country Gt means copperhcad
constituency } cannot much longer consent
to distinguish between the acts Of the admin
istration and the acts Of it's responsible chief. ~
Then 1t goes on TO remind MIR. Johnson Of
what they SAID of President Lincoln in bis
time of trouble, and may say Of hm if their
offer be rejected. Ii suggests the probability
Of the repetition of the old charges Of
" abandoning the principles OF the Consti-
tuition of being ftithlcss u its GUARANTEES,
Of a government Of law and Of the ha5eas
corpus, (thls in view Of Mrs. Surntt's
case. We SUPPOSED. Of tree speech
90 wit, John Mitchell'.), free Press 60
wit, the Richmond Hhig,) and Of free cleo
tons TO rebels and all, no doubt). 1t
gives him ioretaste OF the coming
'' circumstances, b. declaring that the
law had been trampled under foot, Geled
and spit upon ever since Mr.. Johns9n's ac-
cession, and closes by demanding "a re-
moval Of the offending members Of bis Cab
met, and the filling their places with honest.
law-abiding citizens
This seems easy 10 understand. and We
shall now see which of his Cabinet Mr..
johnson turns ont, and which Of the hon
est, law-abiding" copperheads be promotes
to seat among his advisers.
Which first, the Nation OF the STATE!
The Boston Post in late criticism Of the
Faneuil Hall address mixes up matters con-
siderably, Take the following paragraph as
an illustration:
1t could not be forgotten that the States had
existed before the Nation, and by their own act
had given vitality TO the National Government
The existence Of the Nation was the existence Of
the States. If they had all withdrawn from the
Union they would still have existed but the Ma
tional Government would have been defunct
The Nation was bound 10 preserve ITS own life
and # it had submitted to the secession Of the
Southern States, such submission might well
have been termed an act Of felo de Sc, TO that
extent at least, on the part Of the National Gov
eminent. If the States had the right 10 secede,
then the Government had no right 10 prevent
them. If they had not the right, then the act
of secession was simply null and VOID, and no
suicide was committed. So this theory was ex-
ploded, and with it all pretence Of any right on
the part OF the National Government to impose
directly upon the insurrectionary States terms
Of restoration. 1t was absolutely necessary to
admit the continued existence Of the States and
10 hold the act Of secession a nullity. Only on
this ground could the National Government
justify the war or punish the rebels.
There are sundry propositions i'll that e1
tract-some evident truths, some errors, and
several only half truths, that is true with
some limitations and false with others We
notice to-day only the egregiOus error with
which it begins, an error which affects
much that comes after it. Now the f.ct is
that not one of the States existed before the |
Nation. The ''Old Thirteen as often call
cd, existed only as Colome, Of Great Britain
previous to the declaration of Independence. |
They were spoken of as COLONIES" in that .
act, but as ceasing to be so, and as "united .
colonies declaring themselves to be "lree /
and Independent States." They thus consti-
tutcd themselves, taken together, a Nation.
The National life, as distinct power on the
earth, capable of making war and peace, and of
doing whatever other Nations. as indie
pendent soyereignties, might do, then began,
and subsequently, to that the several State
Constitutions were formed. Though the sew
oral Stat, 3 Thus formed considered themselves !