Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-02-18

MONTPELIER, THURSDAY, FEB 10, r847



The last Patriot takes the Liberty Gazette to task
for having exhoried the people to "march to the polls
in solid phaanx on the first Tuesday in March next
and vote. no License" The Patriot proposes this a
mendment-" March to the polls and vote just as you
please" Now it is within our memory when this same
Patriot most vocferous in its demands that the
people should "ray to the polls in support of Peck,
the country and the tcar" 1t was far from being
tent to say to the people "ray to the polls and vote
just you please" Let compare fora moment the
two questions at ISSUE and see how the conclusion will
tell upon the character of the Patriot editor dem
ocrat, philanthropist and moralist.
The United States are now involved in a sanguinary
war with Mexico the object of which is to enlarge the
and perpetuate the power of American slavery.
OF this there can be no doubt The history Of the
whole transaction from beginning to enc, ofcial doc
uments, the plain declarations of southern presses
and politicians and the observation of every person of
sense, fully establishes this fact In the Ian
guage of a southern press-"This is a SOUTHERN
war, to sustain SOUTHERN rights" Another press
declares that "Every blow struck in the prosecution of
this insures the acquisition of territory to widen
the field of Southern power in the future, and give her
the control of the government in all time to GOMEZ
prominent southern member of Congress recently
declared that 'the South never would fight for the
acquisition of territory from which slavery should be
excluded" This then, is emphatcally war of sa-
very In its prosecution the whole energies of the ma
tiona administration are enlisted, Millions upon mil
lions of the hard earned treasure of northern aborcrs
are lavshy scattered over the plains of Mexico thou
sands upon thousands of American citizens are torn
from the fond embrace of home and friends, to fall
prey to the deadly armies and more deadly climate Of
Mexico In this humane and beneoOlent enterprise the
sympathie5 of the Patriot editor are warmly enlist
ed that he not only invites but demands of the people
that they march boldly up to the ballot box and sup
port the cm! And any thing short of this is donoun
ced treason against the government, which, by ou
laws, is punishable with DEATH
On the other hand, the broad question of the Run
Traffic in Vermont is now to be decided at the ballo
box. 1t is definitely presented in the form of "Li
cense" or "no License" Shall "no license" prevail
and these living fountains of vice, pauperism, crime
and wretchodncss be dried up or shall "censc" BIT
granted to send forth the egalized streams of dealt
and destruction through the commonwealth! Th
most heart moving considerations appeal to ever
hand. Great mtellccts, dethroned and cnsaycd by
this subtle monster, plead to be restored; society
pleads for its brightest ornaments the atiectonae wifi
mporngly cries, "Givc me back my husband once 81
tender and provident, now transformed into brute AM
a fend;" thousands of helpless children, begging 70
bread, clothed in rags doomed to ignorance AM
vice, lay their agonzlng grefs at the door of the rum
seller; nne-tenths of the inmates of our insane assy
ums, prisons, jails, and amshouses, are living fruit
of this whitening curse, and plead that it be swep
from the land These, and multitude of other con
slderations, too overwhelming to be described sprin
1up on every hand to secure "No License" yerdic
Notwithstanding all this, the editor of the Patriot is S
fearful of oxerting ar undue influence against con
sing this traffic, that he leans the other way and
by nsnuating that "no license" advocates are still
the practice of drinking and quoting the fears Of sue
as trembe at the consequence of 'license" verde
gives the weight of his influence in the scale Of the l.
galzcd rum traffic!
: This is the result of attachment and party degene
5 acy. The whole scope of the moral and mental ma
must, in the nature of things be against such cours
but the interests of party require that bloody W;
should be prosecuted for the perpeuation of huma
slavery, and that the rum trade, with all its horror
should not be meddled with And so editors and pol
cians pocket or scar their consciences, and pay III
scrpulous devotion at the shrine of corrupt part
How long will intelligent and moral men follow the
lead?