Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-24

WIS WOulu ever Do prOpOseu hnu III Tepy ~
might be asked, II the growth and tho past and
the present. history Of slavery could have been
toreseen, whether in that case the Constitution
As ii was could have been adopted This proves
nothing, save that the world moves, and is not
| precisely in the position now 1t was then. Then
slavery Was expected Immediately to die out,
aud Madison, and many other southern men in
Congress sought to cripple it, taxing the intro
1ucJon OF slaves, which under the Constitution,
could not be prohibited until 1908 When
1903 arrived he law was already on The statue
| book to interdict the further introduction of
slaves at the first possible moment. We all
know Madison, in drafting the Constitution,
,tudlousy avoided any words that would fur
niah 10 future generations evidence that slavery
had ever existed IN the young Republic lie at
east honestly looked forward 10 the time when
It would oil disappear, leaving no blot behind.
Nobody ioresaw how it would disappear, and
perhaps no ono expected in the hour Of its most
colossal growth, and protected By fresh and inn
pregnabe securities, that it would commit sui
eide. But that is ls fate. 1t leaped into the
Red Sea, ard, like Pharaoh and his host, Il will
be droSned--a is te that would make the morn
ing stars OF our Constitution sing for joy and
ohall any of US mourn ard refuso to be e0mlsrt-
ed
10 What end should slavery be continued
| Manifestly only that one bali Of tbs slave States
may breed and sell their slave stock to the other
half In one bali Of the slave States that was
the only way In which slavery could be made
productive. may bo mistaken, but bel ei7e
this 30 have been 30 and it ha, been far from
crsdlla5lo % us as nation. do not wish
b deprive any state oil legitimate prosperity
AMI there is not ono slave STATE which, ten
years after slavery shall have been abolished,
will not nave more taxable wsalth than they
ever dreamed Of before.
IL Is urged with some yehemenoe, il not el0-
quence BY tho gentlemen from Nsw York Mr..
Brooks and from Ohio Mr.. Cox that We
should first send commissioners South Offering
terms oil ? ace 90 the basis OF the Constitution
~ it was, and then, il that shall be refused,
as they know very well il would be, they do not
exactly promise a homogeniety IN the North,
but they intimate that the rebels would be very
naughty % reject such a proposal, and they
might venture 10 tell them that their project Of
Independence would fail They 10 not say that
even then they would continue Grant, sherman,
and Ihomos ~ the field, OF vote for this amend
men;. IN al seriousness, did moi the rebels
break with us when they had the Constitution
AZ It was7 How, then, could they come beck
and accept nov what they girded ur their l0ias
20 fight against? Tins wosld sadly initiate
against the idea of the gentleman from New
York, that eight million people could not be
conquered They would nov give uI slavery
80 rave their own necks from the common doom
Of rs5es. Gen. Sheridan has quieted the rebel
army q the Shenandoah ten Thomas has an
nihiaihted the army Of the tennessee Gen.
Grant hdes his Hme, sbundanuy sure OF his
prey and Cen. sherman mnrshes whero he
pleaseS through the Empire State Of the South,
and the peopio OF Savannah twenty thousand
strong, not more wise or more ready than the
people Of scores OF other southern cities under
the call OF their mayor, have resolved that the
war, so far az they are concerned, is at sn end.
They urge the State TO lollJw ITS example.
Let mc record the voice Of the ci,l7et. meet
ing in Savannah
" Whereas, by the iortune- Of war and the
surrender OF the city by the evil authorities,
Savannah passes once more under the authority
OF the Unitsd States and whereas We believe
that The interest OF the city will be Test subserv
ei and promoted by full aud free expression
OF our views in relation to our present oond:
tion We, therefore, the people OF Savannah,
IN lul meeting assembled, do hereby
" HeSouef /, That We accept The position,
abd in the language Of the President Of the
United States seek to have peace by laying
down our arms and submitting to tbs national
authority under the Constitution" leaving all
questions which remain to he adjusted by the
peaceful means OF legislation, conference, and
votes
"Rtso'red, 2 That, laying aside all differences
and buryins bygones IN the grave OF tho past,
we will uss our best endeayors once more to
bring back the prosperity and commerce we
once enjoyed.
-" Rsolvd, 8, That We do no, put ourselves
IN the position Oi conquered city asking terms
OF oonquerOr, but We claim the immunities
and privileges contained in the proclamation
and message Of the President Of the United
State, aut in all the legislation OF Congress in
reference to people as wo are and while We
owe on our part sirct obedience to the laws
OF the United States, We ask the protection over
our persons, lives, and property recognized by
those laws
" "RssoIrsd 4, That we respectively request
his EIcellency the Governor TO call ccnven-
tlon of the people OF Georgia, by any constitu
tional means IN bis power, to give them an op.
portuniIy OF voting upon the question whether
they wish the war between the two sections Of
the country to continue,
" Rssolred, 8, That Major General Sherman,
having placed Sc military commander OF this
post, BrgGdier sen. Geary who has, by bis ur-
uanlty as gentleman and his uniform kindness
to our citizens, done ell in his power to protect
them and their property from insult and injury,
It Is the unanimous desire Of oil pressnt that he
be allowed to remain in bis present position,
and that tor the reasons above stated the thanks
OF the cllizsns are hereby rendered 10 him and
the officers under his command,
" Rssorsdl e, That an Official COPY Of these
resolutions bs sent to the President Of tho Uni-
ted States, the Governor OF Georgia, General
Sherman, and to each, the mayors oil Augusta,
Columbus, Macon, and Atlanta
There is 10 hating about this Thsy arc
willing to come hack now, and upon the tsrrs
proclaimed by the President The leading reb-
els will have different and mora selfish policy,
but ono lar less acceptable to the people.
The organs Of JET Davis at kchmond an.
nounee that the time has come for them 60 save
themselves by gyinsup slavery They propose
to put the negro into tho Inst ditch rather than
20 there themselves They will throw this
Jonah overheard II France ami Eaglaad wi.
only guaranty to them separation from IA.
II the people Of the South do not at present love
Us, they saye It least learned to respect us
there !, little danger to DO apprehendei By rs
lromiorelgn rivals who, having rsked their hate,
vii not risk their love
10 shOw that the rebels themselves are at last
conscious OF being on the road to RUN, give
an extract from lato copy Of tho Richmond
Seminal, as fOllow,.
" We think that our late rsverses have done
much towards preparing tho minds of our peo-
pie for the most extreme sacrifices, II they thall