Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-01-06
Information Wantrd"" he PreSS,

Nothing, in our opinion, has a more direct and i'm
mediate tendency to impede the progress of anslave
ny sentiment at the North than the cloud ofgnoance
which overshadows the public mind The people,
having depended mainly upon those party organs and
journals for information and guidance whose selfish
aims are most readily effected and whose partizan in
terests best promoted by Withholding the lghtup
on this subject, have, might justly infer been
cropping their way through the political world in dark
ness which supercedes the gloom of Egyptian night
and instead of realizing that light of truth which it is
their right to demand and their privilege to receive
and which it is much the duty of the press to be-
stow malignant resort has been made to the exercise
of means which directly tend to keep them blinded
Every wicked influence which slavery and its devo-
tees can welds brought forward to subvcrt the STAN
dard Of Freedom, and no pains are spared to blast
the seeds of Liberty, which may have been planted in
the public mind. OF the real moral and political
character of slavery, they untaught OF its cost
its connection and influence with the North, of the
unjust and abusive drafts which it directly and indl-
rectly makes upon the public treasury, of its multitude
of appendng evils of the true character of the pres
ent unustifable and infamous war; the legitimate off.
spring of slavery, and Of the enormous cost of the
war; they know little Or nothing; but of all these
they are ignorant, untaught and deluded by the in
ugue Ut thoso who know no higher aims of political
action, than the completion of party objects.
If perchance some freeman catch q spirit of dsin-
erested benevoence, and in his heart the fire of hui
mainly kindles SO that he recognizes Gin every man
Al,
of his fellow countrymen, and undertakes so to direct
the legislation of his country that the common wants
of the people may be considered he is denounced as
hapess victim to anatcism and traitor to his par
y; and no sooner is he freed from slavcholdng allan
ces, than another set of men flock around him. and
with sort of sanctimonious wisdom, and boast of
strong adherence to republican principles, teach him
that the ends of his benevoence and philanthropy may
be fully satisfied by so directing his action as to
strict the slave power to present limits, while the old
fountain itself lives and its poisonous and destructive
waters permitted to roll freely over the whole
country as ever before Has he a discerning mind,
an honest heart and candid judgement, and does a
ray of light peer through the political rubbish which
is heaped up to obstruct the presentation of truth to
his understanding, and does he choose to act with
the independence of one of Gods Freemen, untram-
melled by party, and unbribed by gain, and so dis
pose his suffrage that its tendency will be to thwart
the crafty designs of the slave power who does not
well understand the means exercised over him, to
swerve him from his noble purpose and bring him back
where he shall do the work of the oppressor, his
party, at the druers nod? 1t seems that the leaders
are united in the single purpose of keeping the peo
pie ignorant and when this cannot be done offectuay
by Withholding TRUTH then deception, Fraud intrigue,
bribery, falsehood, and the many means which none
but the slavehodng clique can command are brought
into use for this purpose.
In order that the public mind may be disabused,
that the political standing of our country may be ia
mar with the people, that fraudulent party measures
may be exposed and understood, that men may see
and act for themselves say to Liberty men, Circ-
late the Documents! place ant-slavery reading before
the mass and do all in your power to enghten those
around you, and correct popular opinion
The cause in which you have enlisted, you deem
worthy one commensurate almost with the propagation
of the gospel of peace Is it too much then to ask of
you some sacrifice for its furtherance? And how can
SO much be effected with so little effort and expense
as in this way? II.