Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-11-12

Slavery, aud led TO the political crisis Of
lsG0.--m which crisis the Democratic
party split With reference, 70 lir claimed
exclusive domination VI the. Slave power
IL il;--in Shbh erls.s Freedom glrded
herself wuh the mighhne's u truth aud
righteousness, and put forward the noblrsl
Of her sons With tho sh.ld of1hs Cops,i,u-
ton to bear her banner, ipsG bed viii the
copseera1ng principles oflhe Declaration
Of Independence, apd led heg hosls 10 the
stronghold Of pessr,-in which crsis, the
demon Of human bondage, ,beselled with
the wlne Of It's owo lUaRIes, aud mad
deued by lbs failure TO grasp the sveptre
#or control" Cried hayos apa le, slip
the dogs Of war;
/ II seems 10 me em'penili prpRel that
should hro,t attention 10 tie mare marked
traces Of this his hue ID service, because
Il is beyond doubt, that aher the passing
oClhsl act Of repaal, Judge collamer dealt
the earliest, the best directed, and the
mos, telling blows upon the belme,s aud
heads Of the champions Of hnndase on
the soil Of Kansas, Of any who came up
to the help Of Freedom, The triumph
was contaminated ON the 3lst of January,
1851, by the ADMISSION IS Kansas as a
free State.
Many, peshaps all ofmy audience are
aware Of the views enterlaned by him on
the sul j"rt OF Slavery m tbs country -
, that which he abhorred 10 lis Inherent ma.
lure and quahlle; lin It's religious and
metal aspects and rclallons--in It's social
{ and domestic influences and effects, and IN
ITS political operation, still he regarded II
as beng recogn aei aud tolerated by the
Constitution Of the United States, within
the States where il aas existing 10y force
/ OF their Constitutions nd laws and that,
, under the National Constitution, the Cen
era! Government was not author nd TO
interfere with the institution and that II was
| the province, lfnoi the ddty Of Congress, 10
make provision by law for securing the
, rendition of iugluyrs from service, in pur.
,uance oflhe provision in the Constitution
in that behalf lie had most controll-
ING sense of the duty OF every department
aud officer Of he government, scrupu ously
, aud exactly, 10 conform their action to the
requirements Of the Constitution, and the
laws enacted IN accordance with, and un-
f der It's authority. While he, therefore,
conceded 10 the Save States, and 10 the
stakeholder all the rights created and
accorded hy the National and Stale Con
stltu,ions aud laws, he stood firmly, hero
. lcally, drtanlly, upon the very lhtcshhod,
against the egress OF the monster evil be-
yond the strlctest limits Of lis legal for
lress. Though be Was not au .fboltttoHist,
h IN the sense and idea Of asserting the right
N the General Government by The ord.n-
AIRY process Of legislation aud executive
administration, in. time Of peace, to affect
.. slavery m the states, where il was consil-
n tutl naIiy and lawfully existing, or of A.
!. serting right on the part Of individuals
!, To Interfere with 1t in violation Of the laws
: securing for It INN unity, yet he was most
e declslvelv, boldly, and persislently dgti-
h Adrery IN his detesIatCn oft for its moral
n MANY, and IN exerting the utmost of his
> wachiaIness and ability agans, its en-
4 croachment on The proper domain If free
dom. For all the facts, for all the law,
!, for all the substantial argumel. bearing
!. upon the historical, the constitutional. and
i the legal character and aspects of the
:, subject, know Of no 80 full and rich a
magazine, as the Reports and Speeches of
Judge Collamer, to which | have now
l. called attention.
THIS strange drama, initiated, as its first
10 act by the repeal Of the Missouri Com
j promise, having passed through It's second
:. act IN the trulthss attempt TO ensIaye
Kansas, and conseerata slavery in all the
Territories Of the Government then enter
ed upon It's third, in which Secession
= rusbe upon the stage, cartenng in the
. chariot OF Mars, and brandishng "wilh
r red right hand' the cleaning sword of
= iratracdal war. The Government was
shackled and euthralled by a Nightmares
- spill. " The Puzzle Functiunary" at the
executive head had become the most I'M
. utrved lnl a'e OF Doubling Castle
. M"M"hi.. = the enginery OF human slaugh-
! Ter MAS brought 10 bear upon the uniurnish-
ed loriresSes and unprepared forces of the
; NHio1aI Government. The South was
frantic with madness The North was
coniounded and staggering with Wild be-
wildernent. Congress, abandoned by
almost all Of the delegated from the sece-
>. ding States, was the only resoarce--the
- only hope--tll the fourth of March
:, should bear 10 the Presidential char A
aec pubic functionary in place of the Old.
i, ana Then us duties continued 10 be not
!. less difficult, MT less mQmeutous, not less
oppressive during the four years through
winch The nations soil was fattened Inv
the bloody deluge that surged over it
:. during the great rebellion. Through
that Mtrd act Of the strange drama Judge
: CoIlamer's position and part were As con-
n splcuous and important, and they we're as
brayely and WORLDLY maintained, as
= through that which have designated as
the second act.
4 Time would fail me in tracing him in
! detail through his course from the begin
- nng OF the session on July 4th, 1861, till
:, The close Of the 38th Congress the last
= IN which he served. | shall only touch
upon few prominent and characl er;zng
land marks.
The Bill reported by the committee on
y Commerce IN the House of Representa-
. 'ives, on the 9th day of July 1861, eur
Their TO provide for the collection of duties
on imports and for other purposes" was
+. siied by him. II was passed by the
House and sent to the Senate, where, af-
. ter being debated, it was passed in CON
= cCrrence on the 18th He made brief
= speech setting forth the grounds of neces-
SHY, and the purposes Of the Bill and
. among other things, the necessity of stop
. ping intercourse with the inhabitants of
, the states that counienanced, and did not