Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-07-01
From The Emancipaor.
The True Position Of the liberty Party.

Neutrality-suspicious. never a luncture when it was
more difficult for the great Liberty party of the
u. States to preserve its true position, unseduced
and unterrifed than at the present. The very
drifting and breaking up Of the old parties,
throwing the future destinies of the government
into such uncertainty, proves the necessity of
keeping the Liberty party, the only firm political
BODY in the country, fixed in its place. as the
sure anchor of our hopes. If that drags, who be
to us.
Look at the plans and propositions Of the old
parties-cven Of those portions Of the wing and
democratic parties who seem to be the most dis
interested and the most clear-sighted. Have they
any thing to propose which enlightened abolition
lists can regard as suited to meet the cXigency,
and carry our country safely through the dangers
which slavery has brought upon us! No, no.
None of them have studied the danger, as Liber-
ty men have studied it. None of them realize
as we do its extent or trace as we do its opera
tons and its means Of mischief How then can
they be supposed to be qualified to direct in the
application of the remedy!
Well, what is the remedy that the best Of them
propose! The Wmot Proyso! Nothing more.
They all talk, as they have ever talked, about
the guarantees and compromises of the constitu-
ton, which have no real existence, but which
yet in their imagination bind them, AND. they in
tend to be understood to be bound, to consent to
the continuance Of slapny as tits, in the District
.of Columbia, in the States, with Texas, and the
internal Slave Trade, and the monstrous dcci-
sions Of the Supreme Court, and the ascendency
of the shareholders in the Judiciary and in all
departments Of the government, and the control
Of the shareholders over the nominations and
measures of both the great political parties, keep
ing them in an eternal seesaW and holding all
the interests which are affected by the govern
ment, subject to perpetual ductuuion and unccr-
talnty-only they will stand up for the WiImot
Proyso!
And how will they stand up for it! Why, Just
enough to make it appear as if they were in earn
est and just enough to fail of carrying it. And
if they carry it, what does it amount to, under
the current doctrine in regard to State rights, to
wit, that Congress cannot interfere with any
provisions of State constitution, provided it be
republican in form? Ift had pleased the people
OF Michigan to incorporate slavery in their con
stitution, at the time and under the circum-
stances IN which they became a State, Of what
value would be the ordinance of 1857
The Wilmot Proviso is a very good issue for
those to fight upon, who see no farther than this
But the shareholders would be well content TIC
let the Wilmot Proviso be carried, if they could
thus accomplish the humiliation Of the hitherto
ndomitable Liberty party
The Liberty party occupies the only ground
on which the battle of the country can be faught
with final success. The ground of absolute and
uncompromising hostility to slavery, as a public
:, enemy and convicted traitor. We make no term,
with 1t, butthat Of actual extinction. The wrong,
and usurpatons Of fifty years have taught us, that
1t IS hopeless to think Of keeping slavery within
any bounds of Legal or constitutional restraint Ii
! must be extermlnated, as the only assurance Of
safety Oft the country.
And what we have seen in the last fifteen
years, Of the power Of slavery over the two great
political parties, and the ignorance, timidty and
untrustworthlness Of the leaders of those parties
III all matters connected with the power Of slay.
cry has taught us that it is HOPELESS to expect any
cHectuaI resistance to the slave power, either by
those parties or under those leaders Hence We
have cut ourselves entirely loose from them, an(
taken position Of unqualified independence
We have no other concern with them, except tc
take advantage of their divisions, plumbers anc
coruptlons, to push forward the cause of Lber
ty Let the floating potsherds dash thcmsclve,
in pieces by their mutual conflicts, while the
rock Of Liberty remains unmoycd, to grow by the
accretion of their fragments.
The great strength of the Liberty party is moi
IN its numbers nor its political sagacity and
skill, but its immovoablencss and pcrpcrtuity-
Numbers constitute bat very small item of its
power The circumstance of its having held a
sort Of balance between the two great parties at
the election Of l8l4, was Of little moment. In
fact, some have questioned whether it has not
been positive disadvantage to us, and whether
we should not have been in better position, had
ctatr ofthe ether parties succeeded by major
lty great enough to render the Liberty vote Of
no account
In one point of view, our steady and vigorous
growth has been important, in deterring North
efn politicians from too gross subSeryenCy. fla
hundred thousand opponents of slavery, who vot-
ed Clay or Polk, had voted fer Birney in lSi4,
Texas would not have been annexed, and the
war would not have followed was witness to
the impression that even our actual vote made at
| Washington. At the beginning of the session of
1915, it was the general impression that no
Northern men would dare to vote for Texas, in
/ TIC llOC VI LiC NiSbIouS duN dHCC OF inc IlBGIJy
party 1t was only by the utmost energy in the
use Of governmental appliance, that the measure
was carried.
| was told by a leading counsellor Of the
dominant party in Congress, that the democratic
representatives wanted to defeat it, in the face
Of the party arrangements, and that it would be
defeated, if they could be assured that the Lib
erty men in their several districts would support
them, and prevent their being run down at home.
Here was a distinct proposition from the demo-
cratic party, actually made from reliable quar-
ter, by which the Liberty men could defeat Tex
as. The wings, from Webster to Earle, have
filed the air with their clamors against us for not
defeating Texas by voting for Clay, when Clay
never made such proposition as this, nor any
Of his friends for him In all his letters since
the election, referring to what the country has
lost by his failure, Clay has never said that if he
had been chosen, Texas would not have been
annexed
| told a large circle of wing members of Con-
preSs what i,ronosal hod boon ,n,do g., .,o ,,,J