Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-08-08
0MB PRB IS
A ID r ESS
OF THE WING STATE CONVENTION
TO THE PEOPLE OF vERMONE.

TO THE PEOPLE OF vERMONE.
Fellow Citizene,--The last address submitted
TO you on an occasion like the present, was is.
sued under circumstances of great intrinsic in
tercst, and at crisis pregnant with hopes and
fears Of most absorbing and againg charac-
ter. II emanated from a convention numerous
beyond all former domestic precedent, and UNI
surpassed in the patriotism and Intelligence ct
its members, and It was promulgated on the eve
of an election moe important than any that had
occurred since the formation of the government
both because it was destined to affect the inter.
est Of an increased and still increasing popula-
ton, and because it evolved the triumph or de.
feat not only of often disputed principles, but OF
new, strange and alarming schemes of national
policy aud sectional agrandizement. Butthough
the stake was great, and the prognostcs were
threatening, yet such was our confidence IN the
intelligence and incorrupiibility of the American
people that we scarcely permitted ourselves TO
doubt the success of our cause, the decisive vic
tory of the principles for which we were con.
tending, and the signal overthrow of the various
factions which though acting in combination,
agreed in nothing but their common hostility 10
the measures of the Wing party, and the states.
men who advocate them.
But in these an,icipatons we have been dis
appointed. The long tried stability Of our own
peope led us to repose a charitable confidence
in the firmness and wisdom of the citizens Of
other states, which the event shows to have been
unhappily misplaced, and while the freemen OF
Vermont have abundan,ly redeemed their ex
pressed and implied pledges, we have witness
ed, with modification and alarm, the detection
Of numerous sister states which every consider.
alton of self interest and patriotic duty entitled
US to count as our own, and the consequent tri-
umph Of the i'll .assortet cabal which had con.
trived 10 gain the ascendancy over the craven
spirit Of the larger and less obnoxious portion OF
its own party. We have seen the candidate OF
the cabal selected not because he was distin-
gushed for the possession OF any one quality
required in the head of great nation, but be.
cause the very want Of them rendered him a fl
instrument for the selfish purposes of those who
raised him up, elevated to the Executive chair
by great majority Of the electoral votes. We
have seen the administration thus brought into
power, exercise, even before its legal organiza.
ton, an influence subversive Of every principle
of virtuous liberty, and accomplish by the bodest
intrigues and the most barefaced corruption
measures host lie to the spirit, and probably faa
to the permanent existence Of our national char.
ter-and at this hour we hear in every quarter
from the official gazette down TO its humblesi
echo, the npte Of preparation for fierce onset
upon almost every principle of policy, that makes
the federal union desirable.
We do not at present propose TO give an ex.
position Of the weakness, wealthy venality ant
corruption, which have led To so deplorable
result. You are already sufficiently instructed
as to the means, that have secured the election
Of candidate, whose enmiy and whose friend
ship 10 the pratccIion of domestic industry i.
proved by one and the same document, who
was avowcdly nominated by southern politicians
har nho had riv il
refragable evidenre of the narrowest and mos
unrelenting hostility to every Northern and ev
cry National interest, and who was supported
by the Northern Democracy, because in the
eyes the integrity of the Union and the sacred
ness Of the Constitution were but OF sma II &C.
count, when opposed TO the temporary asccn
dancy of their party.
The late election is matter of history and like
all history, derives its own importance from it.
connection with TIE future, which it influence!
either as a cause or as beacon or example,
10 the past let us then give our transtory re-
s.ats. and devote our wise-t efforts and mos
active energies 10 averrng the evils which ,hret
en-, and securing the blessings which uiay We
smile upon the uncertain future.
1t will be well to devote moment to view
of the respective positions of he two great par
ties which divided the Union. before we discus.
our own proper vocation, our rightiul expecta
tons, and our duty.
The dominant party is composed of dfieren
factions held together, as one of themselves ha
feelingly and forcby said, only by the cohesive
force Of public plumber and it would be mpos
sibe to state any one principle in which they ar,
agreed, except the comprehensive one said t
have been enunciated by one oftheir great lights
that TO the vic,ors belong the spills of poica
warfare 1t is easy to see that. however com
forting their doctrine may be in The abstract, l.
those who hope to profit by ii, il is nevertheless
attended with pretty serious difficulties in tn
application. The 'vict ,rs' are unhappily out o
all proportion to the spols,' the candidates are
hundred fold more numerous than the Offices, an
the number Of malcontens must necessarily b
much greater than that of the rewarded. Agree
ing in nothing but this one principle, which is q
itself an apple nf discord and being destitute of
commanding Head, whn might impose silenc
and submission upon disappointed or rcirac,or,
partizans, the prospects OF vigorous and har
monious administration Of pub ic affairs unde
the present inc 1icient Executive are far from
hatterng. But besides these causes of ndvid
ual heart burning, Jealousy and aienaton, Their
are wider grounds of discord.-The ani-tar
politicians oi The extreme South demand that III
Executive shall fulfil the conditions OF his nom
nation, and satisfy the pledges implied in hi
whole political life by exerting his entire per
sonal and official influence, and expanding tn
energies of his administration, in a crusad
against the rights and interests Of the free labor
er OF the North, and in the mean time they look
ed askance at the Cabinet, and though thrice in
vited, kept aloof from all participation in ,h
concerns Of the national government. On tn
other hand, the ingenious Northern casuisi
who found in the notorious letter to Kane pre-
fessions of great devotion to the interests OF dc
inestic industry, require a rescript confrmin
their Interpretation of that most jesuitical an
most shallow episle. while yet another grei
section Of the party, whose fortunes depend W
on the ascendancy of the Van Buren, influence
and who are alike Indifferent 10 all measures
public concern, except the distribution If III
good gifts at The disposal of the Executive, d,
mand the control of all important northern al
pointments, as an indispensable condition Of the
support 10 the measures OF the administration
It is obvious that such n:ongruous elemen
can neither be harmonzed nor controlled by a
executive, destitute alike OF manly and origin
independence of thought and action,and all gre
and imposing traits of character. We ms
therefore look forward TO vascilla,ing and III
stable administration, driven about by every wit
of doctrine, as the different rival factions shs
from time to time fiuciuate and predominant.
The Wing pari", on the other hand, thou!
defeated, was never more harmonious or mo
determined than al the present moment. II
entirely united as TO measures, entirely u
pledged as TO men. Though represented
many Of our wsest statesmen and trues, patI
OTIS in The National Legislature, it is yet bo
there, ard in most of the states, in q decd