Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-12-25
Close of the Volume,

The present number of the Freeman, as it viii be
seen, closes its second volume; and what more fitting
occasion could we have than this for a familiar word
with our readers?
One year ago, with many fears and misgivings, we
ventured upon the experiment of ~enlarging and greatly
improving our sheet, at an extra expense during the
year of considerably more than one thousand dollars,
without increasing the terms of our paper. We were
induced to take this burden upon our shoulders from a
conviction that it was essential to the interests of the
rapidly gaining cause of Liberty in Vermont, and a
hope that our patronage would sufficiently increase to
warrant the heavy outlay. Nor have we been deceived
in this hope. Our circulation has increased beyond
our expectations, and is now larger by several nun
dreds than that of any other paper in the State. Had
all of our patrons been as prompt in paying for their
paper as some, and even many of them have, we should
now be wholly relieved from our burdens and ready to
commence the new year with light hearts, " owing no
man any thing" but the common debt of humanity
But, through the delinquency of several hundred of
our subscribers, we are largely in arrears, and shall
be obliged to commence the new year with a heavy
debt upon our hands, to the liquidation of which we
must appropriate the advance payments on the next
volume of such as deal g fairly and truly" with us, and
thus leave ourselves embarrassed to meet the current
expenses of the next volume. Now this is not right.
Many people appear to think, if they subscribe for a
paper and reed ii, and especially if they speak aCcH of it,
they are comforting an incalculable benefit upon the
publisher, although they never pay him while in truth
how ,uo IO;,,or hin, +bo rrootoct nOSeihln iniurV-in.
asmuch as they encourage him to contract honest debts
with no means of payment but the avails Of his sub
%scription list. Now, if our subscribers neglect or, re-
fuse to pay us, we cannot meet the debts contracted
on the strength of their obligation to us-aud of course
we are called morally dishonest; but in truth where
does the dishonesty properly belong? Some people
act upon the conclusion that there is no moral obliga-
ton attached to the payment of a newspaper s%ubscrlp-
ton while, in our judgment, there is the highest pos
sible obligation. The merchant or mechanic With
whom you trade, inquiries into and scrutnizes closely
your pecuniary responsibility, and unless satisfied of
your means of payment, refuses to trust you; and thus,
to no small extent is the responsibility Of your indebt-
edness thrown upon your creditor. But m the case
of newspaper subscriptions, the publisher is not expect
ed to know the persons, much less the pecunlary
means, of one in ten of his subscribers, and Of course
trusts them upon the implied pledge of their honor to
pay. Is it honest, therefore, for any man to subscribe
for, and take, and read, a paper year after year without
payment, and without the expectation or disposition OF
ever paying for it? There are undoubtedly instances
in which we should be disposed to give our paper to
INDECENT persons, upon a fair representation fthe case;
but it is our prerogative to decide arhGt cases. We
ask, therefore, as our right, that all such as have Ia
ken our paper one or two years, without payment, and
who do not expect to pay us, that they make known to
US the fact without longer delay, that we may h7S49TgA'
sumo any farther upon their false promises.
Thus much for dunning. 1t is ever a disagreeabie
task to dun, and we avoid it as much as possible
Would to heaven we never had occasion to do 1t again
1t is not a work of our choice, but a stern necessity
imposed by our subscribers themselves. Let them dc
their duty, and they shall never hear the like again!
We should be lacking in gratitude did we with
hold our hearty Acknowledgements from those OF GU
friends who have so generously aided by their money
their counsel and their prayers, IN the establishment
and circulation Of our paper, and the dissemination o
the principles of the Liberty cause. A higher motive
than selfshness must have actuated them. The bles
sing of those that are ready to perish will attend then
here, and the reward of the faithful be their portion
hereafter,&
In reviewing our course for the past year, we Shout
lay claim to more than human nature, did we not SCI
much to condemn many sins, both of omission an
i commissidS, to confess. Still, we stand justifei
at the bar of our consciences of having aimed honestl
to subserve the great cause of righteousness and hu
4 man happiness. That We should be c%ensured, and on
motives and characters maligned by the multitude; w
expected. That many who have formerly been on
, familiar friends, would pass us coldly by, and evel
| speak evil of us, SO long as we faced the popular cur
: rent, we could not but expect. In this we have no
, been disappointed. This we cared not for. The great
r est and best of men-and even a greater and bette
than man-has endured infinitely more than this, tina
he might proclaim deliyerance to the oppressed, an
! salvation to the lost. oh, that we might be counte
worthy 10 follow in his footsteps!