Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-02-23

moved steadily onward. In the news that the
men of California had chosen freedom, Calhoun
heard the kneli Of parting slavery and on his
deathbed he counselled secession. Washing
ton, and Jefferson and Madison, had died des-
pairing Of the abolition OF slavery Calhoun
died in despair OF the growth Of freedom. His
system rushed irresistibly to-is natural deve-
opment. The death struggle for California was
followed by q short truce but the new school
Of politicians who said that slavery was not
evil, but good soon sought to recover the
ground they had lost, and confident of securing
Texas, they demanded that the established line
in the territories between freedom and slavery
should be blotted out The country, believing
in the strength and enterprise and expansive
energy of freedom, made answer, though re-
luctantly: "Be it so let there be no strife be-
tween brethren let freedom and slavery COM
pete for the territories on equal terms, in a fair
field, under an impartial administration )" and
on this theory, if on any, the contest might have
been left TO the decision of time.
DRED SCOTT DECISION.
The South started back in appalment from
its victory for it knew that fair competition
foreboded its defeat. But where could it now
find an ally to save it from its own mistake
What l have next to say is spoken with no
it were, at the grave, in the presence of Elern-
ity. and the truth must be uttered in soberness
and sincerity. In great republic, as was OBJ
served more than 2000 years ago, any attempt
TO overturn the State owes its strength TO aid
from some branch of the government. The
Chief Justice of the United States, without any
necessity or occasion, volunteered to come TO
the rescue of the theory of slavery. And from
his court there lay no appeal but TO the bar of
humanity and history. Against the Constitu-
tion, against the memory of the nation, against
u previous decision, against series of enact
men,s, he decided that the slave is property,
that slave property is entitled to no less pro-
lection than any other property, that the Con-
stitution upholds it in every territory against
any act Of local Legislature, and even against
Congress itself; or, as the President tersely
promulgated the saying: "Kansas is as much a
slave State as South Carolina or Georgia sav
cry, by virtue of the Constitution, exists in ev-
cry territory" The municipal character Of
slavery being thus taken away, and slave prop
erty decreod to be "socred," the authority Of
the courts was invoked to introduce it by The
comfy of law into States where slavery had
been abolished and in one of the courts Of the
United States a Judge pronounced the African
slave trade legitimate. and numerous and pow
erful advocates demanded its restoration.
TANEY AND SLAVE RACES.
Moreover. the Chief Justice, in his elaborate
opinion, announced what had never been heard
from any magistrate of Greece or Rome-what
was unknown to civil law, and canon law, and
leuda law, and common law, aad constitution
al law; unknown to Jay, to Rutledge Els
worth and Marshall-that there are "slave ra-
ces" The spirit of evil is intensely logical.
Having the authority of this decision, FIVE
States swiftly followed the earlier example of
a sixth, and opened the way for reducing the
free negro to bondage; the migrating free ne
gro became a slave ii he but touched the soil
of a seventh; and an eighth, from its extent
and soil and mineral resources destined 10 in
calculable greatness closed its eyes on its COM
ing prosperity, and enacted-as by Tauey's de-
dison it had the right to do--that every free
black man who would live within its limits
must accept the condition of slavery for him
self and his posterity.
SECESSION RESOLVED ON.
Only one step more remained 70 Oe taken.
Jefferson and the leading statesmen Of his day
held fast to the idea that the ensavement of
the African was socially, morally and politically
wrong. The new school was founded exactly
upon the opposite idea and they resolved first
to distract the democratic party for which the
Supreme Court had now furnished the means,
and then to establish a new government, with
negro slavery for its cornerstone, as socially
morally and politically right.
THE ELECTION.
As the Presidential election drew on, one o
the old traditional parties did not make its ap-
pearance the other reeed as it sought to pre-.
serve its old position; and the candidate who
most nearly represented its best opinion, driver
by patriotic zeal, roamed the country from emo
to end to speak for Union, eager at least tc
confront its enemies, yet not having hope thai
it would find its deverance through him. The
storm rose to a whrlwind who should allal
its wrath? The most experienced statesmen
of the country had failed there was no hop,
from those who were great after the flesh
could relet come from one whose wisdom wa'
like the wisdom of little children?
EARLY LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The choice OF America fell on a man borl
west of the ALE ghanies, in the cabin ot poo
people of Hardin County, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Lincoln.
His mother could read, but not write hi
father could do neither; but his parents sen
him, with an old spelling book, to school, ant
he learned in his childhood to do both.
When eight years old he hoated down tn
Ohio with his father OH raft which bore tn
family and all their possessions to the shore o
Indiana and, child as he was, he gave help a
| they toiled through dense forests to the inerio
! of Spencer County. There in the land of fire.
| labor he grew up in log cabin, with the sol
emn solitude for his teacher in his mediativ
! hours. OF Asialc literature he knew only III
| bible; of Greek. Latin, and medieval, no NOR
than the translation of ESop's Fables of Eng
! lish, John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress. Tn
traditions of George Fox and William Pen
passed to him dimly along the lines OF two cer
turies through his ancestors, who were Qua
kers.
HIS EDUCATION.
Otherwise his education was altogether Amer
ican The Declaration of Independence wa
his compendium of political wisdom, the Lii
of Washington his constant study, and som'
thing of Jefferson and Madison reached hi
through Henry Clay, whom he honored frol
boyhood. For the rest, from day TO day,
lived the life OF the American people wake
in its light; reasoned with its reason; thougl
with its power of thought; felt the beatngs
its mighty heart, and so was in every way
child of nature-a child OF the West-a chi
of America.
HIS PROGRESS IN LIFE.
At nineteen, feeling impulses Of ambition
get on in the world, lie engaged himself to {
down the Mississippi in fat-boat, reeeiyir
ten dollars a month for his wages, and afle
wards he made the trip once more. At twenl
one he drove his fathers cattle as the fami
migrated TO Illinois, and split rails TO fence
, the new homestead in the wild. AT twent
Z three he was captain Of volunteers in 4
Black Hawk war. He kept a shopi he learn
something Of surveyingi but OF English lite