Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-01-08
State Com.
with Honest Democrats.
Montpelier, Dec. 81, 1645.

Iak with Honest Democrats.
1le an "a kNuAs have been broken down, aemoc-
Hracy half eeehkuFytag6, and democracy now are total
" NneFelt Rben it meant a government ofthe peo-
pie Where hadtan equal voice in legislation, and
there were principles then at stake worthy of enlisting
the influence and combined efforts Of the few who
boldly stood up to defend the righteous principles of
Democracy and advocate the rights of the people; but
now 1t consists in t%rampling on human rights, taking
the power out Of the hands of the people, and placing
1t IL 1.-THE possession Of a few despots, who govern the
party and require all to bow to their will. SLnvery in
stead of demoCracb has become the idol of the partv.-
Death to Whiggery is now the watch-word, and the
rallylng cry, and old fashioned democracy, such as OPP
position to tyranny, monopolies and misrule of every
kind, and a regard for justice and equal rights, has
become obsolete, there is only the bare skeleton left,
yet there are many honest men who still cling to the
party as though it possessed the life and energy of pri-
mitiye democracy. 1t is to this class we have u few
kind words to say.
You have long labored to promote the interests of
your party, and have doubtless regarded its prosperity
and triumph as closely connected with the salvation of
the country, but what have you received in return for
your labors? A few of the leaders may have obtained
some petty office and a few dollars from the public
crib. But how much have your own interests been
promoted, and how much reason have the chained
%bondmen in our land to rejoice at the triumph of your
democracy? Has single fetter been broken, a parti-
Gle Of human suffering a~lleviated, any system of mo-
nopoly checked, and the current of oppression and ar
~ristocracy that is sweeping over our land been turned
back, by the success of your party? On the other hand,
has not your party sold itself to do the bidding of OPP
pressors, and bound itself to the car of slavery by q
chain which it dares not attempt to break? Has not
the party by surIendenng up its own principles into
the hands Of Shareholders, and on nearly every occa-
sion since Van Buren, was thrown overheard, to please
the South, up to the passage Of the last Texas bill,
showed itself utterly regardless of the wishes of the
people, and the freedom of the slave, justly forfeited
a right to the name it bears, and to the support of eve
ny honest democrat in the land? The South curse you
for your servility, and the northern leaders of your par
ty despise YOU for the greediness with which you swal-
low whatever they give you, without investigating it
for yourself. All we ask Of any one is to dissect his
party, compare its professions with its acts, look into
the interior and not be forever deceived by its out
ward t%rappings.
Leta any honest democrat do this, and he would moi
remain in his party a moment. Compare the principles
of your party, with those which the Liberty party has
adopted and honestly tell us which is most truly dem
%ocratic2 One is in favor of perpetuating slavery, the
other is for destroying it,-one is for extending its Dor.
ders and increasing its power, the other is laboring to
circumscribe its limits and curtail its influence. The
= former advocates the anti-democratic doctrine ofdepri
4, wing colored citizens of the right of suffrage, as in the
case of New York, Ohio, and Illinois; the latter takes
the broad ground of giving this right to all, irrespective
of color. Your party talks much about monopolies ant
!, equl rights, and yet uses its whole influence to built
d up the most accused monopoly that ever ~disgracet
/, any nation, and tramples on the rights of every sixth
man in this country. The Liberty party while it make
$ fewer pretensions, and does not assume the name, We
= is actively engaged in carrying out every democratic
principle which any honest democrat would wish t
see secured. Which party then, is deserving of you
e support, the one which is right only in name, or tn
$, one that is democratic I'M its acss