Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-09-23
To the Wings of Vermont"'an Inquiry.

The annual election is now past with its usual cir
cumstances of gaming and trckery, and the smoke of
battle has sufficiently subsidized to admit clear view
of what has been done. We wish to seize the ausp-
cious moment to drop sober word into the ear Of the
victorious party Just word. But mind-a sober
word "a word having nothing to do with your preiudi
ces par2dnS but rather with your integrity as men,
with that perception of truth and honor, which lies
far down below, buried beneath the rubbish which hui
man infrmtcs commonly allow circumstances to heap
upon it. Can we have your ear moment upon these
conditions?
| Our question is: What has the late election done
and performed towards great object which the wing,
in common with the Liberty party, profess to have at
heart viz. the extinction of american stcUery? and, What
would have been the result if the great wing party had
based itself on Liberty party ground and voted
dinghy?
Certainly there is nothing offensive in the question
no reason why you should refuse to entertain it, 1t
is just such you would feel at liberty to ask
any man, any subject and think it passing strange
if he would not give you civil answer and an honest
one, too.
us that the result is essentially the same as in proceed
ing years that Isl the wings have elected about their
usual majority of senators and representatives. and
thrown the largest number of votes for Governor
Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer As heretofore
the Legislature pass harmless resolves against
slavery and the Mexican war, and vote down PROPOSE
tons of religious hanksgVings for its bucherics, and
if they choose transmit copies of such proceedings tc
the legislative departments of other states, thus making
very tolerable looking, halfserous shoi0 of dislike
OF slavery after which the NATTER with alIts concerns
dies its annual dealhwhout at all disturbing the nst
tuition by associating the moral and political sentiment
of the State against it.
\ Now, we all understand, that isolated State leg
slaure can do nothing officially against slavery, except
in the election of U. s. Senators, and the construction
ofsuch State laws tavorably influence the public
mind toward human rights. 1t cannot direct the con
duct of the Federal governmental can throw no grea
impeachment In the way of the enactment and operation
of slave laws. officially, the State legislature in this
respect, is nearly powerless,-but does it follow tina
because the legislature is officially poweress that the
association and concentration of that moral and polit
cal sentiment towards definite object which creates
branch Of Government, is powefess also? An indi
vdua in community has no legal power to restrain
moral or political error, but he has an influence il
giving shape to morals and politics. Tie mere fact ha
individual minds are firmly set against an error ant
thus that the public mind is set against tin unwa
yerng steadness-giyes omnipotence to the sent
ment. And when community is organized against al
evil, with no other power than its own inherent might,
impulse, an influence and an ultimate effect is pro
e duced which law itself cannot restrain
Z What has been done, we ask again, by this success
of the wings? As SUCH they have sent out no ind
cations of fixed purpose against slavery, to encour
. age the coaborers in the cause in other fields :
they have added strength to the of emancipa
4 ton-done nothing to give it dignty-have shown n
i helping hand-eXhibed no associated purpose. The
tirey foreign to the cause Of emancipation, consequent
70 ly not all recognizing it as object.
q But the reverse of the question is; What would b
our present attitude in regard to slavery if the whg
1T had but adopted in sturdy practice what they proes
g g in vague theory. We have spoken of the power
" concentrated sentiment as the omnpoert element
Government and assumed that it could not exist witt
out producing mighty effects If this be true had til
4 wing party elected every member of the Legislature
le and their State ticket ant-savery grounds, I'll
ed power and influence of the State, in all its relation
~ would stand pledged against slavery, and SO far a
on towards the final accomplishment of the grand purpo
OF araying all the free States against that insuto
This the wing party might have done without the sa
er s'e P'iholPie WHICH distinguishes the
Ike from the democrats-and SO long as they refuse to
sui this how can they assume to be, in any Just sense
lily the term an Onti-savcry party?