The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-08-15
From the Anh-Slarery Standard.
THE LIBERTY PARTY.

We are likely at last to see the end of thai
pestilent abortion, the Liberty Party. Its
leaders are making preparations to transfer
themselves and their adherents to the following
of Martin Van Buren,. There are, to be sure,
certain passages in the history of that gentle
man which are not easily forgotten, nor easily
overlooked by those who profess to be Adolf
tionists,- as his pledge to veto am bill
for the abolition of Slavery in the District,
while President his casting vote, when Vice
President, to establisha slaveholding censor
ship of the Press; and his efforts to return the
Amistad captives to the Cuban man-thieves;
but these, We apprehend, will prove no stum-
bling blocks in the way of the political aspi-
rants who have hoped to make the Liberty
Party astepping-stone for their own rising
The editor of the Era, who has distinguished
himself, not unfrequently, in his Lessons of
Anti Slavery made easy, has started as ia pio-
neer in the new path opened for himself and
his friends, by explaining those acts of Mr..
Van Buren's to which we have referred in q
way, we will venture to say, which Mr.. Van
Buren, himself never thought Of He-the ed
itor Of the Era-discovers in the ex-Presi-
dents late letter certain ambiguity in his
reference TO the subject of Slavery in the Dis
trict, which, were it correct, would add i'm
Il, ;fsely TO his reputation for peculiar tai
Ell in saying what he did not mean. The E
ra a 10, sure whether Mr.. Van Buren,, in say
ing in reference to the abolition of Slavery
in the District-that he was, when candi-
date for the Presidency, opposed to such abo-
lition, for reasons which were and " still are
satisfactory" to his mind, means that the reas-
ons trere satisfactory, then, or are noU. And
although he acknowledges this is not very
Cbsiols construction, 1--WE should think not }
vet he thinks there is room for doubt. So
with regard to the casting vote in the Senate !;
that he thinks was given merely as matter of
courtesy, and being only 10 secure the second
reading of the bill, was no indication Off real
opinion. OF the vessel sent to take the Amis-
tad captives, in case the decision Of the Court
should have been against them, he wisely says
nothing. Unfortunately, that act was not en-
barrassed by any Parliamentary forms, and
can hardly bear more than one construction,
unless the Era can suppose her to have been
on fishing excursion off Newport. We COM
mend the hint TO him, and promise not to claim
it as ours, if he takes it.
The Era is seconded by some other third
party papers, all of which, however, find some
difficulty in boiling Mr.. Nan Buren, without
some previous preparation. But if the Buffa-
10 Convention will take young mans advice
and put on their ticket with Mr.. Van Buren's
the name Of some one who has never proved
himself absolutely hostile to the abolition move
ment, they may be sure of receiving the Lib
erty party vote. Nor will it require very
large tub 10 catch such whale.
But we have no intention of quarrelling
with the Liberty Party for its suicidal policy.
To cut its own throat viii be the wisest thing
it ever did yet, and a thing to be thankful for,
even fit did it without reason. That it should
do 4 reasonable thing is more than We ever ex-
pected of it, and we are, therefore, not only a
greeably disappointed, but gratifed.
The present position of the party settles an
other question-that the long-standing quar-
rel the old organization has had with ii has
been necessary and just. Our difference with
the Liberty Party, as such, has been, hot that
IT aimed to do, and might do, certain things to
hasten the downfall of slavery, but that it pro-
fessed to be par excellence, the Anti-Slavery
movement. Such it never was, and never
could be. Even if successful never could
abolish Slavery. By protesting to do so it
has stood in the way of the Anti-Slavery cause,
by shifting the issue. We call it now, in its
new position, as witness against itself, in Its
past professions, and point to that position as
proof of the necessity of our hostility to it,
and that the only real abolition movement is
now. as it always has been, in the American
Anti-Slavery Society.