Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-06
For the Albany Evening Journal.

-- ..r... .-... ALbhPXi May w 1910
Tothe Editor:--AsI passed through thi,
city, short time since, on my way to N. York,
on business relating solely to my own private in
terests, you were pleased to announce my pres
ence in this part of the country, and your rea-
sons for it, in these TERMS
James G. Birney passed through our city
yesterday When last among US, he was labor
ing as an abolition candidate for president, to-
promote the election of Mr.. Polk, so that Texas
might be annexed to the Union. He is now, it
is said, proceeding to convention which con-
templates the dissolution of the Union. This
certainly preserves the consistency Of, while it
carries forward, the principles Of that patriotic
and philanthropic presidential aspirant"
Such an article appearing in the Evening
Journal, cannot be passed by without deliber-
ate notice | owe it to myself and to your read
ers, to make that notice respectful one The
boldest falsehoods, springing from respectable
authority and resolutely persisted in, will at last
begin to be belived, almost by the fabricators
themselves. The charge of bargain and cor
ruption," made against Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Adams,
is well known instance, verifying the truth of
this remark So are likely to become the
charges made against me, in the foregoing arti-
Gle in the Journal, unless they be promptly con-
tradcted and their falsehood exposed AS the
charge that was "laboring" last year to "pro-
mote the election of Mr.. Polk, SO that Texas
might be annexed to the Union" applies with
equal force to all the members Of the Liberty
party whose faithfulness remained rooted during
the tornado Of the late presidential canvass, my
reply shall be for them as well as for myself.
The Liberty party is the offspring of the anti
slavery societies that had been formed through
out the free States up to 1889. 1t was brought
forward, not because it was to be party-not
because it was desirable, for its own sake-but
as matter of sheer necessity-as the only I'M
tried means of saving our yet gallant ship from
the disgraceful and reckless pilotage of bucan-
GERS, who in an evil hour had possessed them
selves of the helm, and of swayng her course
toward the pure, deep waters of universal liberty
and universal right, pointed out to us by our
fathers in the declaration of 10 The anti
slavery societies, embodying the ant-slayery spr-
it of the country, had made trial Of the existing
political partes--appealng to both of them in
the most earnest and friendly terms, to relieve
the country 50 far as they could constitutlonally
do so, from the guilt and shame and cost of sla-
very----and to clear away from the administration
its affairs, the blast and mildew of slaveholding
control We " Intercepted" their candidates
in the outset observing towards those of both
t parties, the most scrupuous fairness and impair
/ TALLY. We received in return, at first, promis-
es, that were never kept; next, arguments, dis
ingenious, hair-sptting, sophstical, without
t point or aim-the furniture Of pettiloggers, not
of statesmen and last, nothing at all. We Pc
| ttioned Congress--our names were vilihed, our
petitions secuted at, and as if to mock US, the
: very right of petition was struck down and tram
pied under foot by both parties, as they respec-
: lively possessed the power of maintaining it,
. Northern senators and representatives, with here
y and there an honorable exception covered before
+ slaveholding braggadocios, as spanies before tho
| larger species of their race. The distribution
d of the surplus revenue---of the net proceeds Of
the sales of the public lands, according to the
three-flths rule Of slave representation by which
t, the shareholders, only because they were slave
e holders, got the lions share--the law for the
h armed occupation of Florida--our Indian rela-
c tons and treaties---money appropriations--ap
g pointments to offce---the navy---the army---in
If fine, the whole drift of Legislation, tickle and un'
is steady though it was convinced us that SO COM
" pletey subiugated had become the great body o.
the northern members, both democratic ant
il wing, that any longer to expect of them an hon
ID orable vindicati on of the equal rights Of the
ir North, and the rescue of the government from
the grasp ofthose who are trained daily to despist
the principles on which it is founded woulC
have been evidence of our weakness and Of oul
,s incapacity to conduct great national moyemern
n to happy consummation. ...5
! II was this one conviction----slowly and reluc
- family admitted--that both the existing parties
were wholly unworthy of being trusted in any
- matter connected with human freedom or north
=. ern rights, that drove US to the formation OF TN
= Liberty party, as the sole remaining hope 0
good for the country or of freedom for the slave
~ Its bond of unon----its great central ebect--wa
- the same as had bound together the ant-slavei
socetes---the entire abolition IF slavery in IN
= United States involving, Of course, the over
throw of the political power of the Slayeholder'
y Nothing short of this was to be {" the end an
y sea-mark of our utmost sal. We foresaw tha
our work would be a long one and hard one
a. BY reason Of the torpyfng influence which bot
C the Wing and Democratic parties had exercise
- over the public sensibilities. Il was matter
u small concernmsnt to us, by which otthese me
- cenary bands the spoils = were carried away