Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-08-12
From the Burlington Froo Press.
THE ARTFUL DODGER.
LOCOFOCO NOMINATION FOR GO
MAD OH VIVID MO MY


we sincerely believe is better practical spec-
uen lli possiole) oil non-commttal politician,
than Mr. Van Buren,. He has not 1.-THE of Van
Burens ability, cunning, or shrewdness. but we
rather thlnk he Is Immensely superior to that
auroIt ana plausible gentleman, in multiplying
Uote
We venture to affirm land if we are wrong wo
shall take pleasure in saying SOY that Mr. Paul
Dillingham;, Junior, by the excessive acutcncss
OF his management while representing his Dis
trlct in Congress, is able to present himself in
THREE separate and distinct aspects in refer.
once to every great measure that passed up
on during his Congressional life First for ex-
ample In Jduor of the measure Second: OPP
posed to it-and third neutral in relation to il.
so rare felicity of circumstances, enabling a
candidate Tor office to compete with Janus and
i give HIN one" 1t is not often the lot of polit.
clan to secure to himself There are but few
politicians, (even among those the laxity Of whose
political morality would permi, them to do it,)
who, IN reference TO questionable bill, can say
to Mr. Al My dear sir, agree with you as to
the Importance of that measure, and poted for
IT, and TO Mr.. b. " My dear sir, think as YOU
do, that that measure should have been defeated:
and voted 10 lay IL on the table," and TO Mr.. c.,
My dear sir, 1t Is MY opinion, as it is yours,
that is was best not to have anything to do with
that measure, and SO didnt r0te at aH" Strang-
or and rarer still is it that Yankee, New Eng
lander, representative Of a portion Of that par
ticUar race of men whose ancestors consented to
endure all manner Of suffering and deprivation
Tor Consistency's sake, and who are. themselves.
rather remarkable for the straighlforwardness
and pernaclty with which they declare and
MAINTAIN their opinions, should be found to have
distinguished himself by versatility Of conduct
on given subject, that would do credit TO the
proverbal instability of Frenchman but so it
IS Mr.. Paul Dillingham;, Jr., like the fabled
Cer0eruS, guards the approaches TO the Citadel
OF LoctfJcolsm with triple sagacily. and trip.
lo direction Of vision. Let US illustrate by an ex-
amplc: In regard to the Vjinot Prouiso, the
principle OF which provides efrectGally agant the
further extension of SlaUe Territory in this I'M
ION, Mr. Dillingham; occupies the HiuRe attitude
OF having voted tor it. against it, and of having
lodged 1T Let US see.
On the 18th Of February, 1S47, the famous
"1Hfe MILAN BiH," making additional 5p-
preparations tor bringing the war with Mexico 10
a SPEEDY q and amcable termination" was
passed in the House, and sent to the Senate for
concurrence. This bill embraced the Vmot
Provlso," and Mr., Dillingham; voted for it, as did
| Messrs. ColIamer, Fooe, and Marsh.
On the l.: of March following, the Senate
without having acted upon the House Bill, pas
scd "Three Million Biz of their own, differ
ing in no particular from that previously passed
the Wilmot Provi!o 20 tho ,I,ird nf Nah lis
Bin WINS taken m in the House for cono',ronno
The Proviso ,yaI ,.;ecisJ hv 500 ~ OF ~ ~;
Nj, Collomer A. Tno,. NJ NJ NJ
Dillingham; AGAIN yotinr for II If conrse '-''
But now comes the Test vo,e Im,nod;o,o1,
upon the rel ction of his Proviso, Mr.. Wimot
moved to lag The Bill upon The table, to meet The ac-
ton Of The Senate on Mr House Bill. Our read.
ers will perceye at once the nronrie,v NM ,bo
necessity, of this motion for those who nnboId Tho
doctrine of the Wimot Provlso as mailer If in.
flexible principle and in sinceritv and M, 40
dodp,np and skulkinp ex3ed,encvI bnn,;,o, noI;,
ticians' The Senate could nj anv rgon po
concur with the House in passing the B,II before
them, or they could reject the Proyiso and send
the bill back. The House had done their dutv
in the premises. The majority had said IN the
Shareholders of the South on whose brb,lf and
for whose henoft a,J =, >, L 49,; oen''i "iiu
country had been prccipitated into an AGGRESSIVE
war: "Gentlemen, we give YOU the S30OOOOO
asked for by the President to expedite the task
of making peace, but we wish YOU to understand
that no more Slave Territory Is to he ergraGod
upon this already saye.riddcn Unjon.n Xii who
thus reasoned and resolved in favor of Freedom
and Humanity voted of course in Grpor of the
motion to lay the bill upon the table The mo.
ton however, was iost-yeas 81. navs IIl-nar-
ty drill and party propensitles being STRONGER han
principle and a regard for consistency combined
But where was Mr.. Paul DilinCbau's vote on
| this question? Was he found true to tho wi.
mot Proviso and to the anti.sayerv sentiment IF
his State? Beloved reader. don't imagi,e anv
such thing Here was his opnortnnty to b;t
the Wimot Proviso friendly slab. and '.tn Law
an anchor to windward" with that lorge soc,;o1
OF his party who are opposed to it. MIR. DUlino.
ham is not the man to neglect lis "opDortuni-
ties!" Here was his chance to DISPLAY that small
cunning on which a great many very brigbt and
calculating political tacticans pride themselves
but which not unfrequen;ly "returns to plngue
the inventor" On looking at the yeas and nevs
VIC find the names of Judge Coliamer. Mr.. Foofe
and M. Marsh, recorded in perseverlnp and con-
slstent support of the principle of Freedom, and
In tGcor Of the motion to ,ay the bin ON tho n.
bic, and Mr.. Paul DiHingham, IRIS name AGAINST
the motion, and consequently apainst The UInot
ProuiSo.
Now, then, we ask WHY did Mr.. Dillinuham
vote against laying this bill upon the table > As
consistent, upright and Intelligent legislator
he voted with a meaning. He refused TO Law the
bill upon the table either becanse he wished ito
pass or be ,eiecied-onc or the other. lie aided
by his vote to bring the question precisely 10 This
issue and he did il openly. and. we are hound
to assume intellirentlv. And havinp aided IN
present this final issue it was his duty to meet il
like man. and like New England man. Did
he do so? We leave the answe. to our readers,