Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-08-21
|8gateGma# s. 8tate 8e"taaf,
|s2 PER ANNUM....s1, so IN ADVANCE.
For the Waterman and Journal.
TO GEN. MARTIN FLINT.
Dx, S,n. In oddressiug Won n, tbis ii

d nduation nor abuse, but 10 speak plainly the
words Of truth and sobcrness. No man in the
{ s.ate has warmer friends, or more determined
4 enemies, than yourself. The humble individ-
unl who now addresses you, is far from sym
paIhlzng with the feelings OF either of these
classes. lie has been somewhat acquainted
with your operations for number of years
past, and he has silently noticed the extent of
sour influence, AID the manner ~ which it has
been obtained. He has long been convinced
hat tho leading object Of your life has been TO
.eHder yourself notorious, and he has given you
full credit for Industry perseverance,, md GER
tain kind Of tact, ofentimes lnisook for talent,
10 tho accomplishment of your object. 1t may
not be amiss TO pauee awhile, to look over the
recent history Of your poiticallilc, aud 10 gath
or from it Whatever lessons Of wisdom and pru-
dence such review may be calculated TO fur
nish.
Your early education appears 10 have been
extremely defective. Far be it from me 10
mention this fact & at all calculated TO dimin-
ish from the respect that is justly your due -
a Benjamin Franklin, u Roger Sherman, a
Henry Clay, and hundreds Of others who have
secured Tor themselves an elevated seat in the
temple Of fame, were lily prepared, by cduca-
ton, in the outset, for the discharge Of those
arduous duties which subsequently devolved
upon them, and which they discharged so hon
orably to themselves, and 20 satisfactorily to
their country. This fact is one oil the most
honorable TO you of any TO be found in your
history. But suffer me 10 remark, that if you
had spent more of your time in qualifying your
self for the duties Of a statesman, instead of de-
ecending TO the low offices OF bar-room poliii-
clan, you nigh; now have better sustained your
reputation, and both yourself and your fellow
citizens might have been more subsant ally
benefited by your labors. That Nature has
given you an excellent judgement, and an ad-
mirable quickness of perception, is what your
bitterest enemy must be forced to admit; that
You are most profoundly ignorant of politics, as
science-lhat you understand but little of the
theory and nature Of our civil institutions, your
WarPest admrer, unless himself as much Of
an lSnoramus as YOURSELF must readily grant.
In reviewing the history of your political
Jle, let US commence at or about the period Of
1923. AT this time your labors wc:o almost
cxclu-ivcly confined to Randolph. Political
parties existed in that town, not at all connect
cd with state or national politics. One parry
supported the Hon Dudley Chase for their rep.
Iesen,atiye; the other, your favorite, Captain
Ls66euS Egerion. In 1925, Mr. Eseflon was
elected representative and il is not giving
you too much credit TO say that he was largely
indebted to your labors for his success. But
in 1927, MIR Egerton began to be suspected OF
opposition TO the administration OF Mr. Adams,
& a large majority Of his supporters cou!dhe i'll
duccd 10 vote for him, only by believing that he
was friendly 10 the Rational Republican causA.
Assurances were freely given by youlsclf and
oihors that these suspicious wero unjust; but
the die was cast-lIe people would not be
convinced. and jacob X Parish, Esq. was cleo.
ted representative in his stead
At this time, masonry, in Randolph was in
the full tide OF successful experiment. With
many others, you too became q member OF the
brotherhood. You have since asserted that
masonry was altogether political in its orgnn-
cation. Perhaps the charge may not be tvhoi-
ly true SO neither may it be wholly false. l
am the more inclined to this latter opinion,
when reflect that such man as Martin Flint
continued for months, and even years, TO be an
active member Of the masonic institution and
II would require a large amount Of The best Of
evidence to convince any man OF common
pense that you, sir, could continue, for any
len 9Th Of time, a member OF that fraternity, UNI
less it was capable of being converted into q
political machine. Could the history of Fed.
eral Lodge be published TO the world, during
the period of your memberships would dis.
close, most probably, convincing proofs Of the
Justice Of this charge, in which history, Martin
Flint would be most prominent actor.
1t was in 1927, after the election J Il Par.
ish as representative, that you seeded from the
masonic brotherhood, and published your re.
nunclaiion to the world. People, you know
are opt to be most unreasonably unchartable
1t was shrewdly suspected by MANY, in the
outset, that had your iavorilc, Capt. Egerton
succeeded in the election for representative
masonry might have ben all that Solomon
Southwick said it was, aud yet you never have
said aught against il. You soon found your
sell Involved IN difficulty. On looking ropnC
upon the masons in Randolph, you found JUS
about one haIJ of them were your old polltica
friends, and the supporters Of Mr. Egeiton.-
Probably 100, unless your charges against III,
institution afterwards be all fable, ii vas you
masoHio influence that had made them so.-
You soon proclaimed that antimasonry was no
political; that you had no objects of that kline
in viow-but that you was actualed solely by
philanthropy, and regard Tor "God and hi
holy religion" But in The town meeting 0
1923, political antlmasonry, with Martin Film
for Header, was exhibited, "head and should
ers, all entire" The wal was waged with un
TeleGiIng lSor, till even a highway surveyo
could not be chosen without reference TO th
question OF masonry. ! have seen an indVid
uai nominated for that Ia n aud responsible of
fee and have seen no less persona 90 thar
Martin Flint, 10 open town meeting, oppose hi
election, coniescedly Tor the reason that he wa
Royal Arch Mason
There were not wanting those who dcnie,
TO you, at this time, any just claim TO patriotism
or political honesty. When they saw YOU evin
eng such petty hatred, such low-minded NAL
ice, they were disguised at your conduct, an
dlsclaimed all participation in your feelings
The majority, however, though, and acted di
ieroniy. They gave you credit for honesty
and believed the cause in which you were en-
gagged, was the cause OF truth, of democracy
and OF the country. Perscvering as was Cat
aline In his efforts, again you succeeded in ob
tanning political majority in Randolph, an
in 1897. ReLch1r SnLishln,L Fen .rns olncto