State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-05-17

that, at the Convention in 1888, prepared,
upon his otCn urgent solicitation, and report
ed as Chairman of n Committee, two
addresses--one to the freemen of Vermont,
and the other to the Masonic Fraternity in
the State? Has he forgotten that, during
the ssion of the Legislature in the prece-
ding October, also drew up, and reported
toa meeting of Antimasonc members of
the Legislature, an address to the freemen
of Vermont, advocating the election of Mr.
Writ to the Presidency
might allude to other instances of my
interference" in assemblies of the peo-
pie" hut for the unwilingness l feel to
speak of what have done in tile cause of
antinasonry, or any other cause. | trust
it will not be deemed improper under the
circumstances, for me to have said thus
much, nor impairment now to ask, wheth-
er MIR Barber deemed all this the "inter-
! ference of an Office holder" worthy to be
" severely reproved" by him
| But further. On the 18th of January
last, after it had become known that an
Antilnnsonic Convention was to b. holden
in Vermont for the nomination of President,
the Hon. Dutee J. Pearce, a member of
Congress from another State, addressed n
letter to Jackson man in the County of
Caledonia, in which, after commenting the
Antimasonry of Mr. Van Buren,, says ole
evil have the cordial support of the Anti
masons and democrats of Rhode Island
Connecticut and Massachusetts; and if
"those in your State, will give him their
"support, he will receive the electoral vote
" of every State i'll New England. Why
"should your late Governor Palmer, and
"why should other distinguished men in
Vermont democrats of the old school,
"betray, for moment, want of decision?
"The way before them is open, and their
" friends in Massachusetts, Rhode Island
sand Connecticut say, as with one voice,
"come aud let us travel together"
This letter of Mr. Pcarce was immediate
" published in the North Star, and Boston
Advocate, and, t,ro days before the meeting
of the Fremont Convention, was, by the
Editor of the Free Press himself, trans
ferred to the Columns of his paper, accom-
panied by an Editorial article invoking
special attention TO it, with the eSldent
design that it should exert an influence
upon the deliberations of the Convention.
And yet the same Editor stood up, two days
afterwards, in the Convention, and "severe-
" reproved" a member of Congress from
Vermont for expressing to his political
friends in his own State, ali opinion favora-
BILE TO one of the candidates for the Presi-
dency, and indicating him from the Edi-
tors own aspersions upon his private char
acter! a Representative from Rhode
Island may WI lite to Permont, for the mani.
fest purpose of "nf1uencing the delibera-
tons" of Convention of its citizens, and
the Editor of the Free Press may, upon
the eve of the Convention, publish the
letter for the same purpose, while a Repre-
sentative from Fremont must remain silent,
on pain of the most unsparing and bitter
denuncia,ion What can this mean?
In regard to the question of the inter-
ference of Office holders in the elections,
it is obvious that the Improperly of such
interference arises from the consideration
that the "oiice holders being dependent on
The President, their interference Ito use the
language of Gen. Jackson, in his first in
augural so brings "tlIe patronage of the
government into conflict with the freedom
of elections" as to place them, as they
actually are, in all the States where parties
are nearly balanced entirely within the
power of the Executive; whereby he may
control, in effect, all the other Departments
of the government, and even the election IF
his successor That there is great danger
arising from this source, no man in his
senses can deny. The freedom with which
the depcdants of the President have, every
where, interfered and are still interfering,
in the elections, is only equaled by the
full and unqualified denunclation of such
practices by the President in his first inau-
gural address. Uho has effected change
in his views on that subject, and made the
whole Executive Department, from the
President himself, down to the humblest
dependant on his favor, vast electoneer-
ing machine, operating upon Congress
upon the State Legislatures upon the
elections to both, and upon Convention
to nominate his successor impartial history
will teH and, unless the progress of the
mi chief shall he speedily arrested, it will
be written in the same book which shall
record the virtual overthrow of our free
institutions.
And may the feeling which is justly
directed against this system of Executive
Patronage, whereby there is effected such
an alarming extension of Execute Power,
he properly turned, as the Editor of the
Free Press attempts 10 turn it, against me?
Is there n single reason upon which the
objections TO the interference of EreCuttre
Office holders in elections is founded, which
is applicable to myself, as one of the Rep
rescntatves of the pesple? Not one-I
repeat it--.Not one. This the Editor of
the Free Press well knows. The differ
ence between the two cases he perfectly
understands; for when, in Consequence of
my participation, in 1882 and 1888, in the
proceedings of the Antimasonic Conven-
lions TO which have alluded / was assail-
ed, as he now assais me, denounced as an
"ofiice holder" and ''reproved" for my
"inlerference," he saw the improperly Of
the charge, and repealed it. If had at
command file of the Free Press, ] could
show this by quotations, which the Editor
e A., mould kInOh IN caa nv tho