The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-08-23
The Liberty Party
why Divide?

eigners-one from New Hampshire and an
other from New York. Ii strikes us as re
markatle that both of these men should
leave the very two Northern states which
are most closely and arotcedly allied to the
slave-Power, for the purpose of instructins
that state which pre.eminently at the head
in its abhorrance of slavery-we mean, Of
course, Vermont. And what would thew
do in Vermont? Do they avow any prin.
ciples distinct from those of the whig partyl
Not one. In confirmation, we quote the
only resolution which is declarative of the
political position of this party, as follows:
Whereas, it is the bounden duty of the Fed.
eral Government to afford to the indus.
try Of free labor of this country an ade-
quate protection against the pauper sys-
tenn of the old world and whereas it is
the well known interest and policy of
the Shareholders to oppose all such pro-
lection therefore
Resolved, That there is no way of ensur>
ing this object but by uniting into a great
Liberty Party, for the protection of the
rights and interests of free labor.
In the principle of Protection, in the as
sertion of the fact OF the opposition of the
slave>power, and of the necessity there is of
union of all the North in defence of this
principle, this is identical with the views
which we have for years expressed, and
which are now adopted by the entire Wing
party. Why, then, do they separate from
us They answer in three other resolu>
tons, that it is because they doubt the hon.
eSty Of the Wing party, and as they assert,
we can have none but pro slavery action so
long as we maintain any political connexion
with the Southern States.
To the doubt of the honesty Of the Wings,
we have only TO suggest, that we suppose
that even the third party will have no adj
vantage in that respect, if it ever gets into
the majority; men will be men still, by
whatever name they may be called. 1t
strikes us, too, that even now there is not a
vast deal of difference between the two, if
we regard the candidates proposed. We
take it that Judge Williams and Judge
Hutchinson are no more honest now than
they were during the whole of The long re>
Rod in which they were sustained by the
Wings of Vermont; and if comparison
should be instituted between their political
course and character AND that of the cand>
dates of the Wings, we much doubt wheth>
er those very respectable men would gain
any advantage over John Matiocks, Hor-
ace Eaton, or any other Wing candidates
for responsible places. But to the other
reason, that the Wing party embraces with
in its fold Southern men and its action
therefore must necessarily be pro-slavery in
its tendency: This sounds roundly and
serves to point resolution-but in the face
Of facts and common sense it is utterly un-
tenable. How was Free Labor protected in
% and 80, and still again in 1912 Did
the Wing party of the North relax one iota
of The zeal, or omit single effort, for Pro-
lection, because Southern Wings were OPP
posed to itl Not at all. They treated
Southern Wings precisely as they treated
locofoco opponents of Protection. with the
exception, indeed, that they more freely
urged their support to the doctrine of pro-
lection, and in some instances not without
success. The notion that the Wing repre-
sentatives of the North must necessarily be
ultu - UOfC
lived by the course of Messrs. Adams, Slade,
Mattocks, and Giddings. They did not find
their connexion with the whig party any bar
rier to the fearless denunciations of slavery
Il the gag.rule. Nay-it was to the Northern
Wing ranks that Liberty fled for protection
and defence. when all the rest were faith
less and the result was, that even por-
ton of the slave holders themselves were
constrained to relax their ferocious assaults
and to listen to the reason and to TRUTH
And is there shadow of ground TO doubt,
that with their own pledges and with the
voice of their own party and of the people
to cheer them on, the future Wing Menu
bers from Vermont will be as faithful and
earnest in defence of the right as any 9TH
err menl There is nothing to prevent it;
Southern Wings expect it; Vermont Wings
demand it--and the consistency, the honor,
and the interests of the Members themselves
all conspire to lead them to do it. That
of our state officers this is equally rue,and
is confirmed by the action of past leglsla-
lures. But the candidates Of the Liberty
party into Congress and into our state gov
eminent, and they can do no more than the
Wings are voluntarily bound to do. We
repeat the question, then.--why divide =
Does any one retort-rhy not diride 7 We
answer, because any serious division will
destroy all the power of the opponents of
slavery-will sacrifice all the principles and
policy which as Wings we prize. The e.
lection of five locofoco Senators last year,
by third party votes. illustrates the opera
ton of this sort of division; and it is con-
firmed by nothing short of holy writ-"ev.
cry city or house divided against itself shall
not stand"
There is, and can be, but one election in
which the position of the third party can
possibly be tenable-and that possibility
rests upon single contingency-upon the
selection of candidate who is hostile to
the principle of anti slavery Wings. That
is the Presidential election, which has not
yet arrived and the contingency in
question has not yet occurred. 1t
NAV mr. NAV mt orcur Time opd cir.