Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-04-30
b A Confession.

comments:
"A Confession,
"The Granite Freeman Liberty paper in New
Hampshire and the organ Of that party in the State,
has the following paragraph and as it confession
of lust what we have repeatedly said was the case,
we hone our third party friends will cease to censure
us for affirming the Same fact We have no doubt the
leaders of the same party in this State would confess
the same should they speak out the honest conviction
of their hearts-we mean such have intelligence
enough to see the effect of given cause;
Re not deceived gentlemen The Liberty party YOU know
once James Polk to the Presidency Clay" by e
sing assist either Of those savehoers Just SO shall we AID the
two pro-savery candidates for Governor"
presume you will not deny that it is in the
power of editors, and often is their practice to
earble short extracts from the articles of their
opponents, which when detached from their i'm
mediate connection, will appear to convey SEN
timent totally adverse to that of the author
| have often seen severe complaints against such
Misrepresentation as unfair and unmanly, if not
dishonest; and have. sometimes thought the
rctort might justly be made" Physician heal
myself"
Allow me to say, with all due respect, that
the paragraph" which you term ga confession"
seems to me to be ironical; in which the editor
quotes the stale charge so common with the
wings, and instead of cOnfessing his belief in it
he does it in such a way as to show up its abb
surdity and nonsense quite effectualy. Perhaps
If had 'inteigencc enough to see the effect
of given cause" should see it in the econ
lession" which your "nteligence" has discover
ed But unfortunately my perceptve faculties
are SO obtuse, that with no other light than the
paragraph cannot agree with you in its con-
struction.
The editor of the "Freeman" commences
the paragraph with the caution, (which it seems
was necessarily "be not deceived, gentlemen
IT. H. ---l-r TOW tic r4iUoIsJ l,v'cy
have done what the wings charge them with
(f they have done it at ally that is elected Jane;
K Polk to the Presidency over Cay"-by re
fusing to assist either of those shareholders.
Very well! This is a sort of positive mega
tive way of doing business, which perhaps is no
perfectly understood or appreciated. 1t nigh
with just as much reason be said that the wings
elected j. X. Polk by refusing to assist him ant
this appears to be the sentiment of the editor
for he immediately adds-JUST so shall VIZ
aid the TWO pro-slavery candidates for govern
or, That is, on the same principle of logic
we shall elect the two pro-slavery candidates, b,
refusing to assist either of them,
Now, Mr. Editor, if refusing to assist can
ddatc will elect him, why do the wings com
plain of the liberty party! and why is not H
CIo, o1oc+od &c ,ualI | X poll,
But let US examine the charge little farther
All manner of curses are heapcd upon the lib
erty party for eIecting ]. K Polk, and bringing
Texas into the Union IF there is guilt abou
this, let us see where it lies Did the Liberty
vote of Vermont elect Polk7 No, for the wings
carried the State for Clay. Then Vermont lib
erty men are exonerated from the charge, and
may hold up their heads. Did the liberty vote
of New Hampshire elect Polk! No one pre-
tends that it did New Hampshire will please
take its place with Vermont. If the liberty vo.
tiers of Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut
Rhode Island, New Jersey, or almost every
other State in the Union had voted for the par
ties to which they originally belonged would they
have altered the final result? If not, then the
liberty party in all these States stands acquitted
from the charge.
Where then is the responsibility! Why, the
wings say that if the liberty vote of the State Of
New York had been given for Clay he woulC
have been elected; ergo, the liberty party elect
ed James K Polk by voting for Brney. The
sin, them if this logic be true, lies at the doc
Of New York abolitonsts. But you nigh
with much more reason and proprlety say tina
if ten thousand democrats in the State Of New
York had abandoned their party and their prin
cipes, and voted for Clay, he would have beer
elected
1t is curious to see the reasoning of some
men who pretend to have intelligence; and W,
are sometimes at loss to know whether thu
head or heart is most in fault For instance
The Wings have said that Mr. Clay would hav
been President but for locoioco fraud in tn
election. They have also stated that the Ma
tive Americans defeated Clay by voting for Polk
Now ask IF either of these statements ar
true, why charge it to the liberty party7 Ar
you not rather hard pushed
Do you believe, Mr. Editor, that if the hber
ty party had gone en-masse for Clay he wou
have been elected, or obtained single electo
raj vote in the Southern States! No, the Sout
ould have gone against him like a whrlwn
had they known or supposed this would hay
been the case As it was, Henry Clay lost hi
election by the illtmed, if not impairment, e
forts of Northern wings to wheedIe aboitionist
into his support, by boldly affirming that til
W hig party was the only true liberty party-tha
i was aiming at the abolition of slayery-tha
Henry Clay was friend to emancipation, an,
opposed to the annex alton of Texas;-and tina