The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-05-09
co NJ NJ U N G A I ION.
For the Voice of Freedom.
To John COnant, k'sg.

To John COnant, Esq.
Dear Sir :--Attention TO other pressing
engagements has entirely prevented me from
noticing, until the present time, your Halter
! ing compliments in The Voice OF the It'll OF
April. II the elegant aliu>ionS with which
you filled the first half >cOlumu Of that article
are suited TO your refined aud delicate taste,
! surely have no reason to complain. They
operate as a harmless qualification TO you
wihout injuring me and feel disposed to
indulge you, IN this respect, without com
ment 10 The full extent ot your natural pro-
pen>ily.
Equally regardless shall be respecting
your repealed and uncandld lnuendoes about
coucedluledt. This comes in decided bad
taste from you who have already two mask
Ell auxiliaries in the feld-one vermont
Whig'-the other an Abolltlonlst' who are
both assisting ia travelling over the same
ground and replying to The same articles Of
Investigator win yourself. Besides, you
say you have an army in reserve ready 10
come 10 your assistance Who this con-
ceaed corps de reSerte' is-whether re-
siding 10 this or some other village not far
distant, or in both, and with what materials
| they furnish you, perhaps you will see iii 10
again. In one respect, at least, | admire
| your bravery and modesly. You call upon
me TO meet the main body with their gem
eraI (meanng yourself at their head p
You will draw las you NEEDY consolation
| from the historical fact that greater generals
than Yourself have marched up the hill
| and, then marched down again. What right
you claim to an elevated military title unless
- b, Al, Of { { ,thor1c ol 4
gun which saw mauy battles that you did
not, leave for the reader 10 determine.
will now proceed to other matters.
| In the first place shall ask but little space
in reply TO your five or six columns occupied
wholly with the incidental question wheth
er Henry Clay and his followers are like
unto' Washington and Jefferson. repeat
incidental, because have always kept it
dsinc, and subordinate to the vital ques
| don, whether the Wings were, as they
claimed 10 be, actually in favor OF abolish
ing the odious institution Of slaveryn If
| they are, then, certainly, there is no need Of
| organizing distinct Liberty party, for we
| are all honestly laboring to accomplish the
same object. II they are moi, then it be-
comes of the highest importance 10 the wei.
| fare Of the country 10 expose The deception.
| If the position taken by the Wings is cor
rect one, then it is worse than useless to
publish the Voice, the Green Mountain Free
| man or the EmanCpator-or even to nom
! inate separate candidates TO vote for. IL we
are 10 contile implicitly in the Wings to
| furnish US with principles then we ought not
to murmlr if they dictate to US our candid
dies also! 1t seems to me sir, that the dis
cussion of this question, raised by your own
party. is Of greater moment than the iden-
THY of infant sprinkling with the old fash
toned circumcision You have neglected 10
answer the four questions except The first
| contained in my first article in The Voice Of
Feb. 80, and substantially repeated in my
subsequent articles. You have failed 10
prove the real issue made by the Wings
themselves Are the Wigs IN fapor u
dboljShing the odiouS institution Cf Sldre-
rye
In the next place you will perceive it was
the principles Of Washington instead of his
measures on which the Wings claim iden-
tity. We measure our political principles
and aims by the STANDARD Of Washington
See Wing address. If Washington and
Jefferson have, during their lives, promul-
gated liberty principles Inconsistent with the
principles and practices Of Henry Clay and
his party, then it utterly destroys the loun
daion on which the above declaration rests
And that party can never escape the dilem
ma, in which they have placed themselves
by asserting that Washington or Jefferson
at times, did wrong or held slaves. They
have placed themselves for trial on the prin
ciples Of those men, not their practices, and
on those principles they must stand or fall
My suffrage shall not be rantirg, Ito a