Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-11-04
LETTER or HON. WIN. sLADE.


LETTER OF HON. WIN. SLADE.
To the Editor OF THE VOICE OF FREEDoM:
Your paper of the 9th inst. contains an article
from the Eulancipator on the subject of The YER
mont election, in which the Editor, in undertaking
10 account for the diminished liberty vote, com
jared with HAT OF the last year. is pleased to con-
slider my Influence M having been very efficient
| in producing tie result. He refers to my 4" Con-
neciicut letter" as showing " bow zealously am
willing To work to turn the whole current of nho-
Iltion Influence to the support OfIhe Wing party"
and copies an article from the Liberty Standard,
gravey setting forth " the danger Of ullo wing po-
litiral par,izaus to become counselers IN regard
TO the cause Of liberty" and holding up my course
as Il ,c1rntng To abolltionsts' aud so forth.
The Editors of the Enuncpnror and Standard
give the TOO much credit Tor the result, which they
80 much deplore. was AT Washington from the
LIST Of December last, until within less than week
previous 10 our election, during the whole Of
which time do not rCcollect that correspondent
with single uhulrtlonst in this state ON the sub
ject of lie election; nor am able to learn that
my "Conneclicnt letter" has ever been published
ny mare than one newspaper in the Stale-a and
that not abolition" paper.
The Editors OF which speak should give the
credit OF thus result 10 tie good sense U Tie nbnlI.
tonists OF Vermont and not TO me. Tie great
mass of our abnliIionSts think that every usi pur-
pose OF abolition may be better accomplished with
OUT, than with, It distinct political urgauiZuIiun
They think, indeed, TINT 50 far pettijcdi action
is concerned, that ncriou may b. rendered more
safe and effeciunl by Incorporating abolition,
far practicable, into ali the parties and ulusiug
lis spirit, MS occasion may require, uo their move
neuls and measures, Than 10y separate nrgnniza-
ION, which shall make the abolition Of slavery rX
cius'y"ly the object and leave uuregnrded and
undecided at The buut.hox, many great aud i'm
porinnt questions which must be acted Oh long
before slavery can he nbo,hed
no pl, tpt anIt g,,,i
in principle and TO NOT see bow they can dis
charge their duIy rs trermen without voting to
sustain Wig principles IN opT"sitiun - The mon
srnus conh nn,lnn of ~ lersm aud Locoiocuism
which Is struggling 10 rule and rum tie country.
They have, moreover, watched The course Of The
two great pnriics, and found tIat the Wing pnrty
has manifested adl>pp>iI0n decidedly more favor
able TO tile great object al abortion, than the oppo-
site party. They have seen evidence of his ia all
the votes on kIhe several gag resolutions in Con-
gress. They have seen it IN the votes growing
ont OF the attacks OF slavery there, upon dstin.
gulshed opponents, MIR. ADAMS and Mr.. GID
DINGs. They have seen it, 10 II considerable eX-
tent, in all The movements in the Legislatures of
the free states, touching the subject OF slavery.
1t rs true, they have not seen, nor do they yet
see, in The hgs, all they desire to see in this re-
specl; hut they have seen and do much to
commend, and much 10 inspire the hope that The
spirit Of ahnuun viii be more and yet mere diff
fused among lleui, aud that it will come, gradual.
ly, TO exert more efficient Influence upon their
political action And they hope hat the effect of
this i'll br, as it ha>, indeed, been, some exien
10 "provoke To jealousy the opposite pa IN, aud
lead those who belong to it to see the propriev
and duty OF uniting, on all proper occasions, with
the hgs IN hearing testimony against slavery
i'll sustaining the right eff petition, and in adopting
Tie measures which the petitions, both to the stale
antl national legislatures, touching the subject Of
slavery, have prayed Tor.
They believe That if aholiI;onisls will have the
patience aud perseverance, which The good cause
IN which they are engaged demands, they will, ere
long, see III both the other parties decided nd -
vance towards the point of doing all that prop.
ery he done IN opposiiiGn TO slavery. And they
hope 10 see, III due time, the WHOLE NORTH, hat
ever may he its divisions upon other matters, com
IIg 10 be OF one heart and one soul upon the great
point o maintaining lis rights and interests in OPP
position 10 The slave power, which has so long ri
led The country. They believe that this result will
be more surely and more speedily accomplished
without that separate organl7aon which, disre-
gardirg every thing else but slavery, arrays itself
m hostility to every other party aud in hostility
peculiarly bitter against all dJOtiOniSis who do not
pronounce lis Shbboleth, and wear lis livery
In the spirit and tone, aud temper which slrong-
ly characterize Tie proceedings OF that party, and
especially IN its breaIhings out OF hreatnings
nnd slaughter" against those aboitonsts who will
1ot WELD It's weapons and wear its Uniform, they
see anything but an omen for good To the cause of
nhonon,-uness good can be hoped from the
strong feelings OF repusnance and alienation " hch
bitter denuucialIon will produce in the boSoms of
those whose cooperation must he finally Obtained
ia order 10 carry forward, to any practical result,
the great movement against slayery.
These, rs | uhdeIs and the matter are some oil
The reasOns which have induced the abolition sis
of Vermont 10 reirain irom supporting the third
party ticket AT HE lu'e election. | might add 9TH
ers hut iurbear, did not sit down ior he pur-
pose of going inIy into the suhjecr-niy mn,n pur-
puse being 10 ask yOu to publish my "Connecl.-
cut leller, Ia copy OF which herewith send you)
that your readers nny see The " mead and front of
my offending" aud possess The ems of Judging
whether deserve the Recommendations which II has
brought upon me. Ii was written when WIS in
very had health, and presents but summary and
imperfect view Of my sentiments upon The third
party question.
A word aron another subject The Editor OF
the Liberty Standard charges me, in tie Article
YOU have copied, with having vuled tor The gag"
at the extra session of lust year. Ia your remarks
upon it you shy" As TO Mr.. Slnde course On
the gag resolution, he con speak Tor HIMSELF As
His seems 10 lie AN mvia.un 10 me 10 speak,
accept il, and say-ihat voted for no gOg resou-
IiOn in the sense which That Phrase Il usudlly I'M
derstood, and in which the Editor ot the Llery
Standard evidently intended 10 have II understood
IN his article. The resolution referred 10, WINS to
This efect-(l have not the resolution nj hand, und
canui, therefore, give its wOrs) thai, inasnuch rs
the Extra Session had been called for special put-
poses connected with the financial condition OF
the country, II was not expedienI 10 consume the
time in receiving aud considering petitions upon
other subjects excepting petitions on the subject
Of IA bankrupt law. The resolution did not SIN
gle out abolition petitions. hut embraced all petit
tons except those of The description above refer
red to; and this, no, from any disregard Of the