Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-08-28
William Slade,

William Slade,
We are not of the number who believe that be-
cause a man is nominated for Office by an Oppose
ton party, he must OF course be assailed with ma
Lightly and abuse; nor is it our intention in the
present instance, to bestow any such notice upon
the subject Of this article. But when a nominee
for an important Office, like that of Governor,
claims the confidence of the friends of emancipa-
ton in tho soundness and efficiency ofhis principles
upon that subject it becomes a duty to the oppressed,
to ourselves, and to the candidate himself, to in
v~estigate those claims and see if they are well
founded, OF baseIess as the fabric of a drean.
That Gov. SIade was prominent and active in
the early anti-slavery movement, is readily adj
mitted, as were also Edward D. Barber, David
NJ. Camp, Alyah Sabin, and many Others who. are
now occupying prominent positions in those par
ties which "have no aim or dos at the abolition
of slavery" The docttine Of fhese4ily a%boliti0n-
lists, that the abolition HI slagefy should be
sought by moral and p~otlieap' means, was readily
subscribed to by these iaer; and SO long as the
POLITICAL action contemplated was sought by the
SYSTEM Of questioning candidates ofthe other par
ties, and then choosing the best abolitionist, these
gentlemen could Write letters that would satisfy
the most iastidious aboIitionist. But when, in the
progress of events, it beca me evident that Meth
er of the old political parties could, without self
immolation, and would not, if they could, do a.
ny thing towards destroying slavery, and The
friends oftreedom sought a new organization, then
came the rub. These prominent abolitionists
locked at their high stations i'll the old parties,
and contrasted them with the uncertain prospect
of Preaching The same e~ninence in a new organjzH-
uon-and 'ithey went away and walked no more
al a few facts.
In 1870, Mr. Slade possessed the unboun&ed
confidence of the abolitionists in Vermont and the
Union. In January ofthat year he made his pow
erlul speech upon the right Of petition, in which
the moral and political evils Of slavery were ably
set forth, and the safety and duty Of immediate e.
Emancipation avowed. At the close of his speech,
he was surprised at the conclusion to which his
reasoning seemed to have brought him, and was
obliged to make the following apology and pledge
to his political friends.
"The decided ground l have taken on the subject Of slavery may
have led some to doubt whether | should not abandon my political
associates, and withhold my support from their candidate for the
presidency. | take TINS occasion to say that nothing can be further
from my intention than this. 4 Il +
III ain asked what are General IGarrison's present views ON the
subject Ct abolition, nay reply rs, that do not know. do know,
however, that they cannot be worse than those of his competitors
and am willing to assume, for the present purpose, that they are
no batcr-with, however, this difference, touching his own course,
that hr would not, us l trust, embody in his first official acta pledge
in advance that he would exercise the veto power, either upon this
In supporting Gen Harrison, l place ABOLITION ENTIRELY OUT OF
rp ,rpeTv,~ Mt h1f / Ia pt raoDrl II tbs q uhfact Of tau nranf
importance; and indeed, as have shown, a subject of very great
political Importance. But it is not, and cannot be, the great practi
cal question for the decision ofthc country at the approaching pres
idential election"
In accordance with this conclusion, Mr.. Slade
~trayersed the country, advocating the election of
Harrison and Tyler. We heard him on one or
two occasions, and he earnestly counselled the alb
oIitiOnists to clay aside their principles just this
once, and secure the triumph of Harrison aud
REFORM and then we would take up the abolition
question in good earnest" Multitudes listened to
his counsel. Harrison & Tyler were elected.
President Harrison reiterated, in his inaugural
address, the very pledge of Mr.. Van Buren,, which
MIR. Slade was confident he would not. And du-
ring the brief career of Harl ison, in his cabinet,
and in the wing congress, Slavery reigned tCtthout
a risal. But where was Mr.. Sladei Did he re-
monstrate against the pro slavery course of the
wing party? Did he urge them to adopt measures
for the abolition of slavery, as he had advocated
in his speech previous to the presidential e%lcctlon?
Not at all!
Continuing his political connections, we find Mr..
Slade, in the last presidential campaign, canvass
ing the country in favor of Henry Clay! Selling
unon the false nssumnIion. that the WhiU nartv
was pledged against the annexation Of Texas, he
declared it the 'true Liberty party and urged
all opponents Of slavery to support it. He de-
clared the "everlasting objection" Of the wing
party to annexation to be, that it would strength
en- slavery; and yet urged the election of Clay,
who declared the question of slavery would have
no influence with him in deciding upon the queS-
ton of annexation!
Well, annexation is as good as consummated,
and the wings have hauled in their horns and are
quietly putting on the yoke: where now is Mr..
Slade? Does he kick from the traces, or show
signs of restiveness3 Not at all. He is the CUB
%ernatorial candidate of that party which has just
resolved in State convention, that, should Henry
Clay again be nominated for the presidency, they
will shed around him their brightest beams'
What new expedient Mr.. Slade will sieze upon
as an excuse for a longer connection with u pro-
slavery party, remains to be seen. ill be turn
Native, and make the cause of three millions of
tNative American slaves subsidiary to the dis
reimbursement ofa few thousand foreigners? We
shall see!
We have one question to ask the ~professed abo-
litionists of Vermont:-where now would be the
hope of the slave, of the American Patriot and
Christian, had all the friends of emancipation fol-
lowed the counsel Of William Sladei