Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-06-04
For the Green Mountain Freeman.
INQUIRER.

For the Green Mountain Freeman.
In all time, and in every age of the world, and in
all civilized countries which have or ever had Or
ganized system of government either by written or es
tablshed law the people have been divided into two
classes which may be properly termed the party of
arisOcracy and the party Of equality The line of dis
tincton may be easily seen in all clear and well
thentcated history, and the general characteris
tics have attached themselves to either class. The
party of arstocracy at the time of the advent of the
Messiah, wefnd strikngy represented by the Scribes
and Pharisees who reproached him for associating
with the common people,; by the money changers whom
he drove out of the temple with whip of small cords
or by the chief priests and rulers who conspred a.
gainst him as SeditouS eIlol" because the common
people heard him gladly, and finally murdered him, sus
pended between two thieves. His sublime doctrines
we're the first distinct and full utterance of the demo-
cratic idea of "mans equality soh man"-of universal
brotherhood, the foundation principles of the party of
equality the stone which the buidersreected which
must become the head of the corner" 1t was not the
advent of Saviour which called forth the persecution
of this class of hypocrtcal Jews but the heavenly
principles of Justice and love which attended his com
ing and which threatened the destruction of that boa
ed, proud, and selfish arstocracy which had claimed
for its own the blessings of Heaven and alteration of
man.
We need not trace the progress of the two parties
down through succeeding ages to the present time
1t easy to at glance that from that day to the
present, there has been but two pares the strug
Cling always for the maintenance OF its own suprema-
cy, worshppng the past and defending to the death,
ancient forms and usages which gave it existence
The Other inspired with the enthusiasm which the prin-
cples of democracy engender in the human breast,
and rendered desperate by the intolerance and oppres
sion Of aristocracy have at times spontaneously rose
and scattered to the winds of Heaven the privileged
titles of rank and nobility-wrested the scepe from
the trembling hands of lordy yrants, and established
on the ruins of a despotc monarchy government in
which the people the and welded the scep
tre The one with its face ever towards the pastthe
oher pressing boldly forward. The one, ever signing
for the flesh pots of Egypt'-the other advancing to-
wards the "promised land" Oae afraid of light and
investigation, denounces everything ne,o of reforma-
atory nature as heresy and hurs the bolts of civil
and ecclesiastical vengeance, in the days of the
reformer Luther the thunders of the Pope's anathe-
mas against the idea which presumes to question
the virtue or soundness of any slime honored" or
law sanctied" institution. The other encourages In
vestigaton and seeks to enlghen the ignorant
of society adopts the principle and acts upon the
law of progress and advancement, and seeks to tear
from off every hdeous and corrupt institution the pro-
lection and covering which legislation superstition
perverted religion may have thrown around it.
Various successes have attended the progress OF
both parties. The struggle has been desperate one
Every page of history which chronicles the advance
of the democratic idea, has been drenched with the
blood of martyrs and the tears of widows and orphans
Every inch of ground has been contested; and from
the cross the scafIold, the stake, The rack and the
damp depths of dungeons have gone up to heaven the
prayers of dying men who have fallen victims to the
accused system of privileged aristocracy. It has sci
zed the reigns of government and under the panopoy
of Law, perverted government from its legitimate OBJ
ect of protecting the poor and establishing justice, t.
the maintenance Of its own supremacy, and the fur
therance of money schemes, and low and selfish ends
Claiming for itself infaibility, it denounces every
thing rebellion treason, which is against the theI
established government, and in these latter days,
: "disorganzing," everything which claims of govern
ment the recognition of the equality Of each citizen
independent of accidental birth property distinctions
AS radcalism if it question the legality of any
time-worn privilege; fanaticsm," if it asserts thu
supremacy of the laws of God over the assumptions
of man, and refuse to yield obedience to written en-
actments which require violation of the divine law
!. Hence feudalism, anarchy, and boodshed, from thu
early ages of the world to the present time, have con
tinued to curse and destroy the human race.
At the present day the war is against chartered
nsttuton-a privileged aristocracy which to-day
:. reigns triumphant Speaking from the Pulpit in the
name of God-from the Press in the name of Liberty
it goes unblushngy into the halls of legislation, ant
there protects injustice and fraud under the form o
law, and loudly boasts of the immutablity of its Owl
:, existence
But the principles of equality must triumph. Goo
= has spoken it: and so long the doctrines which
Christ and his apostles promulgated continue to eec
% the hearts of men, will the reign of aristocracy, in
&c Justice and oppression give way before the advancing
70 march of the principles of equality justice and love
is