Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-05-14

that liberty men did not m%isjudge as to the a
mount of reliance which could be put upon wings
to prevent annexation?
Had not Henry Clay sagacity enough to fore
see that he could accomplish annexation OH pre-
cisely the terms he mentions, as he understood
them? Do not the circumstances under which
his Alabama letters were written prove that he
was endeavoring by them to satisfy the friends Of
annexation that they might rely upon him to
bring it about in good time! Would not the
passage of a bill by Congress for this purpose,
have been regarded as sufficient and legitimate
indication of the state of public opinion when
he might be called upon to act, in giving his
sanction to the bill? What other indication of
the state of public opinion did he contemplate
by this remark? Did he not intend that it
should be understood by pro-Texas men as a
pledge that he would not oppose the action of
Congress, or veto a bill for annexation?
Again | ask, are abolitionists to blame for
believing his statements, and acting in accordance
with their principles with reference to them?
When he refers to the expression of his sentl-
ments and opinions on the subject of slavery
and abolition, and proclaims his adherence to
them, may we not turn to the record and read!
Is it a matter of any moment whatever whether
Texas is admitted to the Union this year, next
year, or four years hence; if annexation must
come, and if this is to be a prominent object of
the administration until it shall be accom-
plished?
If abolitionists were instrumental in annex
ing Texas, they did it by voting with the wings,
for Tippecanoe and Tyler too. They have had
abundant reason to repent of that vote. But
they have yet to learn that they did not do right,
and act conscientiously, in voting for James g..
Birpey; or that they did not do that which was
most conducive to the best interests of their
country and the slave. They have yet to learn
that voting for shareholders will abolish slavery;
or voting for Henry Clay would have prevented
the annexation of Texas.
[The following paragraph the editor of the Messenger refused to
publish, and it has been furnished us by the author. A very conve-
nicnt way of getting along, to suppress what we cannot refute! Is
there not one Wing editor in the State possessed of sufficient com
mon honesty to let their readers know the truth relative to the Gar
land Forgery y
- DIT lilP time Has DGGI Wucl L was 81 pdI Cldl
to the wing party, that | had unbounded conf
dence in all ALL the statements which emenated
from that source relative to its own superior in
tegrity Of character and patriotism over that Of
the so called democratic party. That time has
gone by. The portinacity with which such
charges as these are made and repeated-the
I Developments of the last Presidential cam
I paign relative 10 party tactics, of which the
-, GARLAND FORGERY formed a prominent
part-with a growing knowledge Of human ma
tnre,-all have combined to teach me the lesson
that a desire for office, power, and party trl,
umph, hold out as strong temptations to wings
as to democrats to practice fraud and deception
to secure their object,--that wings are by ma
c ture, education or other circumstances, no bet
ter qualified to resist these temptations, and nc
more disposed TO pursue a course of strict rec
$ .itude and Justice towards all, than their demo,
G cratic opponents;-tha the wing party is nc
D better in point Of moral honesty or a patriotic
5 desire for the good of the country; and that ii
as a party is lust as much under the influence o
dishonest demagogues, and just as ready to g
S any length, and do any thing, which slavehold-
II
} ers require in order to secure southern votes
and thus support ~slavery;-And honestly
: think the seB-styIed dcmocrotic party is as cor
| rupt as the ,ohigs represent them to be-"
have much more which would be glad tc
lay before your readers to show the a%bsurdity o
the charges which have been so often reiterated
in the Messenger and other wing papers; but as
| do not know whether You will permit an OPP
ponent to express himself so freely in your col
umns, and as | have already extended these re-
marks to a great length, | will simply add, that
if you have not found a confession where there
is none, you can easily show it by publishing
the whole article from which you quoted, and be
assured that no good cause can suffer by pub
fishing truth and doing justice.
am respectfully yours,
A. II. BAKER.
Enosburgh, March 81, lS46.