Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-18

held in Virginia. Tennessee and other slave
States, of delegates to con1 entions wnIcn
were to act upon the question of seces ION;
and 1t occurred to me. very forcibly, that II
the Free States, or even the New England
States, should refuse to respond to the in
vitation of Virginia. the secession leade 8
woulG herald the fact through the Dor Ter
slave States. as an evidence of the host II Y
of the North against the South. and there
by carry those elections in favor of scces-
SIGN.
In view of these considerations decid, d
at once to take the responsibility of APP
pointing delegates for Vermont. and at the
same time informed the governors Of Con-
necticut and New Hampshire. by telegraph
of my decision, and learned that they also
would make Northumberland cut.
New Hampshire and Vermont being the
only New England States whose Legisla
lures were not in session.
Under the impression that it was import
ant that the commissioners should be in
Washington at the opening of the owen
ton, ! had no time for correspondence or
consultation, and made my appointments
by tecgra PHI and as one gentleman de-
clined, | made up the board after arriving
in New York, February ?. | do not know
whether Gov Goodwin had decided to act
before | communicated my decision to him,
but Governor buckingham wrote me Feb
ruary ., that he had doubts of the proprie-
~ of the measure al first but (said he)
those doubts We're in measure removed
by your telegram and l am satisfied we
Lave acted wisely, and that we should
manifest a concliatory spirit" etc. | met
my commissioners in New York and in
structed them to yield no principles Of thu
constitution in convention but to manifest
concilatory and courteous department
towards the members from the border
slave States. and willingness to qua. an
tee all constitutional rights.
| nave 0een in constant CORES nOndence
with Governor Hall and his colleagues and
the sentiment inculcated by me and fully
conourred in by them. was that the power
of the convention for good was the friendly
Intercourse of its members, and its pro-
tracted deliberations, whereby to give the
frienis of the Union in the border Save
States time to rally and show their
strength at the aforesaid elections. The
views l entertained when decided to act,
have been coroborated by the results.
Governor Hall, the chairman of our board,
writes under date of March 1: Whatever
doubts may at first have been entertained
in regard 10 the propriety of sending COM
missioners from this State. ! think all now
admit that the meeting has done much
good, and that you were wise in following
the example of other States in responding
to the call Of Virginia. Lieut.. Gov Tn
derwood, another of our commissioners,
writes February o. II think you were ri p hi
III saying that 1t was the prompt response
Of the Free States to the call of Virginia.
which produced such an effect upon the
elections in Virginia and Tennessee
have no doubt hut if the Free States had
refused to respond to the call of Vrg ma
that state would have seeded before this
| time. The same views have been express
sed to me by my other Washington corr s.
pondents.
| If am correct in the opinion that the
/ of hn
especially of the New England States. in
responding to the invitation of Virginia
! has tended to allay the excitement in the
/ border slave States and to secure delay
| and hnally to thwart essentially the ulaps
! of the secession leaders in those States
then II seems to me that the action Of the
executives of the three States whose Leg.
| stature were rot in session should he iusti.
! fed and defended before the community
l Wei knew that in assuming the respon.
| s!hility ! did. should expose myself 10
the animadversions of portion of my fel.
low cltlzens VINO could not understand the
necessity or the measure: but crashing
the subject in all its relations and conse-
qiences, | Invested myself Of all persona
considerations and acted solely with ref
erence to my country's welfare.
! nave written you. sir. more fully than
/ INTENDED, and perhaps with more famili,
arlty than my brief Acquaintance would ms
tfy. | do not desire that YOU should con,
nv narrative nor 30 into any extended re-
marks In the Journal nor that You SHOULD
defend me personally. All this will be IN.
advisable. But if your views of the s,,h
Jcct correspond with what have express
ed. shall hone you will regard it lust anc
proper briefly to give proper credit to the
three executives who, In tho absence Q,
legislative action, assumed the important
and patriotic responsibility of appointins
corln'iSsiohers for their respective States
With much esteem,
| Your obedient servant.
/ FRASTUS FAIRBANKS