Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-10-19
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1913.


ern subservency IN one or both houses of Congress,
to prevent restrictive action-f in other way, by
compromising freedom out Of its rights. Gen. Taylor,
it is said is going to leave every thing to Congress;
but what Congress is to do, or refrain from doing,
ander The Influences Of ,Ohich Ihaue spoken and other
influences, is not said All the mischief may be
done, by influences as subtle and nsensble as those
of the malaria that nects, and prostrates the strong
est human frame.
Experience has shown that the influence of slavery
is every where, and unceasing. While we at the
North are divided on various questions thoughtess
of the necessity Of effort 10 maintain freedom against
slavery, the slave power is wakelu-cver intent
on the one great purpose of governing the country
in Congress, striving to mould its legislation, and
make it subservent to its interests, and now III Ma
tional Conventions to give us Presidents and
the vast executive patronage of the government
Nothing is too bold for the slave power to attempt;
and nothing has attempted has ever failed of sue
cess. Shall it now succeed? If 1t do not, 1t will not
be for want of the most consummate management
and the most daring execution, thus far of its pns.
In the first place, it seducod from his natural ale
glance to the interests of Freedom the man who was
finally made the nominee of the Baltimore Conven-
tlon
1t next went into the Philadelphia Convention, and,
thrusting aside all other candidates-even Mr.. Clay
himse-for the offence of expressing in his Licking.
ton speech his opposition to the acquisition of moro
territory, for the purpose of extending savery-it sue
ceedcd in cfecting nomination OF the man whose
position have attempted to define And what made
its triumph in this the more unquestionabe and HUI
initiating, the nomination Of man by Wh'g
convention who up to that time, had stood sternly
aloof from the wing party-declaring that he 'coWd
mol be The exponent of It's p,1ncp!eS but would stand
on ground Independent of all PARTIES declaring even,
that he would be candidate though "Mr Clay should
be the nominee of the Wing National Convention"
or twhoever might be the nominee OF the National
Convention either of the Wing Or Democratic par.
tics" And to make the triumph Of slavery and Gen.
Taylor over the wing party still more complete the
nomnaion was efft ctod after resolution had been
v5ted doUn declaring that ''the claims Of candidate
can be considered by the Convention, unless such
candidate stands pledged to support, in good faith
the nominees and to be the exponent Of Dlg pri11ci
pics" After, indeed, matters had been put in such
train as to render certain the nomination of General
Taylo in case his threat of running against the NOM
inee OF the Convention should be withdrawn, tor up
to that hour that threat had hung the Conven-
tionD the Louisiana delegation presented paper, de-
clarng that they, as his friends would withdraw his
name, in case he should not receive the nomination,
and that they and he would abide by the decision of
the Conventions but they gnve no pledge hathe ooud
be The exponent of Whig prncipes, a'y principles;
nor has any such pledge been giuen to This day.
1t seemed hardly necessary that the slave power
should have further triumph, and yet it obtained
most signal one in the rejection of resolution offer
ed after the nomination had been made, declaring that
the Wing party, through its representatives here, a.
gree to abide by the nomination OF General Zachary
TAYLOR, on condition that he will accept the nomina,
ton as the candidate Of the Wing party, and adhere
to the great fundamental principle-no extension Of
slavery,1o acquisition Of foreign territory by conquest
-proiectOn to- american industry and opposition to
Executive patronage"
Thus the slave power succeeded in getting OH to the
! Wing National Convention for the purpose of commits
ting the Wing party to his support candidate that
it had up to that hour, determined to support indie
pondenv of all conventions, and that it would, at this
moment beyond all doubt have had in the field as an
indppendent candidate, but for that nomination
The results of the late Baltimore and Philadelphia
Conventions have produced in me thorough convic-
ton that to neither Of the parties at present organ
! lied can we look for an efectual stand against the
cncroachments of slavery. Much of the opposition
to slavery which exists in those parties so neutral.
lied by its party connection with slavery as to be-
come rather a sentiment than living vigorous prin-
cipIe of acon so that it often yields when its
ges are most needed to couneract the Vaccinations,
and resist the encroachnens, Of the slave power
This was strikingly illustrated in the Philadelphia
| Conventions which could never have been managed
into submission to that power, if Wing anti-slavery
had been what It ought to be-but which it cannot be-
while associated tcth S'aUey an organized party
think we may Justly aprchend similar results, so long
as slavery forms constituent element OF two great
parties dividing the country. The lirmness, and union
necessary to a successful maintenance of Northern
rights, despair of seeing in parties thus constituted
Freedom, somehow, suffers more tromits party con
nections with slavery than slavery does by its
ton with freedom. Slavery is firm, decided uncom
promising, aggressive. 1t forms a bond of union
stronger than the ordinary ties Of party that both
the parties at the south are ready to coaesce, when
the peculiar institution" is in danger. Hence its
power and its success, hitherto. There has been but
one example of the southern portion of either the par
ties going for Northern candidate for the Presiden-
CIV, unpledgcd to Southern interests; and no exam
: pie of their supporting such candidate in nomna-
tine convention In 1910, the Southern Wings went
in body against Gen. Harrison, in the Harrlsburgh
Convention; but submitted to the nomination, and sup
ported him. because he was uncommitted on the main
question then in agitation between the North and the
South involving the possible action Of the President
namely, the abolition of slavery in the District of Co
lumbia-in regard to which, moreover there not
the slightest probability of any definite action Of Con
gress during the then succeeding four years. The
Southern Wings really yielded nothing in going for
Gen. Harrison; and the forms no exception to
the general rule of Southern union.
That union has been manifested in Congress, on
the question of the rgh Of petition, and on every ques
ton materially affecting slavery and it is now mani
tested in the Senate, and probably will be in the
House, on the compromise" which yields to slavery
the great point for which the North is contendlng.-
Whoever will examine the history of the late Baltl-
more and Philadelphia Conventions, will see unmis-
takeable evidence of determination by the Southern
portions OF both parties, to submit to no nominations
which should present candidates not deemed safe on
the question Of slavery extension. So decidedly was
this disposition manifested both at, and before, the
conventions as to leave no doubt that had northern
men, with northern principles, been nominated, there
would have been secession of the Southern portions
of both parties, and union upon candidate oppos
ed to the restriction of slavery and that candidate,
, have no doubt, would have been Zachary Taylor.
This undeniable state of the case absolves the
northern portions of both parties from all obligation tc
support the nominations: while it shows the necessl-
ty Of their ,ion in support of northern rights South
ern u,tOn must lie met by Northern union. If the south
are ready to throw aside their party contests, Tor the
sake of extending slavery, there seems to be no alter
native for the North, but union to resist its extension
But there are those who start, almost with horror
at the idea Of such union because it involves sec
tonal division of parties, and will it is alleged result
in dissolution of the Union Are we, then to sub
nit forever to the encroachmens of slavery because
the Union necessary to resist them, may be bounded
BY geographical line? But are we sure that it 'ril
i -