Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-05-31

The causes of the war of the States lay
in the constitution itself. When the con-
Vcntion which framed that constitution
met in 1857, the war with the mother
country had only recently como to an end.
That war had been caused by the abuse
of power on the part of England and
many of the mon of the convention look
cd with dread upon such Capitalization of
power in tho hands of the Federal govern
menc as might at any time be used
against the states to abridEe their pow
crs. ON the other hand many of the
trainers of the constitution, recalling their
experience under the articles of confcder-
alton and fearing the weakness of a gov
eminent constructed on that plan, favor
ed n strong central government. slavery
too. had already begun to loom up casting
its dark and baleful shadow over the
minds of men. But both factions realized
the danger of delay; both felt the pressing
need of Immediate action and both knew
that without mutual concession ana com
promise no constitution could he framed.
Moro than once the convention was on
the point of breaking up before the work
was done. and more than once bitter feel
ings of Jealousy we'll nigh caused Il com
pVte disruption of the assembly. But
better counscls prevailed and at last the
constitution was formed. a thing of con-
ccSsions and compromises "cxtortcd from
the grinding necessity Of a reluctant peo-
pie"
But in II were the seeds of war. In it
was the 'irreprcssible conflict" as Mr.,
Seward phrased 1t, Of irreconciable ana
opposing views Of government. It was
house divided against itself, ana it could
not stand until It's foundations were laid
anew in war and Cemetcd by the blood of
the republics best citizens.
The two antagonistic theories of gov
eminent. State sovereignty and the ma
tional theory, the seeds If which lay i'm
bcddcd in the constitution, had grown
with the growth of the Union ana
strengthened with it's strength. They had
grown up unnoticed; for the minds of
men, as | have already said, were oc-
cupied with other matters the first 30
years of the nations life. Alongside these
theories, giving them their force and
strength in practice, had grown up the
institution of slavery
At the time of the constitutional con-
venton it was already strong enough to
force a concession and compromise in
the fundamental law of the land Indus
trial developments. notably the invention
of the cotton gin, had given II over
shadowinc Importance in the Southern
States. As it was a State institution and
insepar1bly connected with the Industrial
and social life of the States in which it
fourishcd, its advocates became the
strongest advocates of the STATE SOW
ereignty" theory of government, against
me national theory hoId ny most OF 'he
itee states h.ach lacIioh was Jea."u7 VI
ne increase Oh the power vi INC other III
the national councils and when in 1919
Maine asked for admission into the Union
,tlc stilic "cS"h' loi me "'"iISsiO" Va
l'aC SAL "l,"out m "U'ilSS'o'' VI Il W
responding SiaNe STATE "ouIu Hldhe 'he
oalailce "' p'"tt dSHlIIS' we save Hta.gS,
thISSouil was '''itl"'t "uIll''cu al l'-l
under the compromise, the first of the con-
llcts preparatory to the last great con-
IuCt III IS"i' 49,.
TOT 4" years Iioih Ie-l 10 leoI' Tue que
lo' VI save III O'tc l"iln VI "'hci u'i,
mulVu 'nc po'cS ~ Nle eoNci"l"eiV. II
"o"Iu no. 10" H. -heI i"huIS hoP.u t,ia A.
tne missouri compromise Hau Set'ieu IL
Out IKE i'thq"o SHof,t 1t was present at
tHe lea9' ana SAT III 'he h'Hs scat No
move Cou'o ne 'hade' II" pan 'rC pos,u' 10
IA" Pd9S'N' 9N"tNtiN VIZ Nc i' a. ~ u u
III 'hc c"ulc'ls oi ''e na.ioh tA,at 1t uiu
not IaIHt ~ nea" VI uea'" anu wave Z"
''i e"telI'iE h'l"' ..,, ,..
4" io'' 9iaN H"u rN!'a uS'ou a.. ~
INC toPN' '"" ie''t"cu ~" &C. "Vi ~
ne |reat iarIilc"to' Wa u1au anu t.e
Jay Vi comp o'I'Se '''u P"SS'u away WIZ,
"li',' w ''"9' '' a.. ga VI az.
Hdlu 'le sr'dI a"'l-Sl|NVIH ie"uei an" Wv
iSSuc "''N SIlnl,'c anu '.c"' ~ u'a" u. ~
tonsei "nN 9"ev'i 49, ''o Uiit'' guy
IusV oi NJ nl'''i we No '"'S VI ""' .',
we ne ire Inc question was pam , a'i
: "Iltct' NJ "hSWcl mus We 7iye'I' ~
Voulo W, no cN"s,"n iio'liS ar lo"s vi
| tne cl,CN ~ lH't' 20. 'He noui iau I'm
d. az Nv IeE't VI we 9,"Nt 49, ',''''
ne'h h'au ana IONS pu' thc n"nu" , IN
Hdu appeared Oh ti'e "dA anu me h.n5
uo'i was 10 ", SNe" " "uo.''ci. ne
icchHihls u"3 H"'I Coii'e an" NN'lE va ~
"l ploou ui""l' WY" t'e l%sH was " sc
palu ny another u'aNn WI" 'nc S"oiu u
ne wv "pPV9'"7 '.'V'i 'V9 - "''' ,'