Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-08-03
Address Of the Liberty Convention
OF RUTLAND COUNTY, HOLDEN AT wA1LINGFo ORD,
June 9th, 1848.

OF RUTLAND COUNTY, HOLDEN Al WALLINGF ORD,
June 9th, 1848.
TO THE FREEMEN OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
Gentlemen Having been appointed by the Con-
venon to address you the duties of reemen at the
present crisis, we cheerfuly comply. In doing this
we would shun the use of opprobrous epthets, and
consider those first principles which should be the
basis of our united action Virtue and intelligence
are the only security of republican government Ap.
preaching an election, which, in the term of four years.
than all Others serves to give character and des
tiny to our country it becomes to look at the evils
of the past, and to bring into requsiton that virtue
and intelligence, which alone can avert threatened
caamtes. In the past we see that bloody Mars has
gone forth upon his red horse and called the nation to
his standard. War has marked her track with the
blood of slaughtered thousands of felow-ctzens,
and of ten thousands of the citizens of sister Repub
lie. The war trump was sounded, and the anxieties
of nation were needIessly aroused. Widows cries
and orphans tears poured out over two nations.
And all this has been done at the bidding of Slavery
all to crafty her insatate demands, -and to glut
the god of war. And by whom is all this? BY the
Executive and Legislative departments of the govern.
ment of this union. The President unconstitutonally
made war. The Senate confirmed and almost to a
man voted men and money, and the House of Repre-
sentatves, with majority professedy opposed 10 the
war as unjust and Illegal sanctioned it by repeatedly
voting supplies by overwhelming majorities, showing
that both parties were agreed And the officers OF
the army entered readily upon the work death, know
ing the war to be unjust And what next? Why
the freemen of this country loudly called on, by
the abeors of slavery and waro support for the Pres
dency men, who have in their official capacities been
foremost in this bloody contest for the propagation OF
Slavery. Gen. Cass is presented to US as the candi
date of the Slavery propagandsm party having OBJ
tanned the title to his claims at the sacrifice of the
best principles he had ever cherished Gen. Taylor
claims your support, by virtue of having secured the
confidence of the most ultra propagandists, in con-
Quoting war, against conscience, and known right,
waged professedy for the extension of Slavery.
Before we give our suffrages to such men we shall
do we'll to examine the character of War and Slavery
What are they? What is war? What is it, as ge-
morally admitted as have just witnessed it in our
recent conflict with Mexico? We ask you not at the
present to look at its horrd details. Examine its fund
amental principles and say whether you will support
men who adopt and carry out such principles. War
is that institution custom which allows States to
engage in deadly conflict with each other-each to
employ their citizens innocent instruments to take
the lives of those who in similar way made their
innocent antagonists thus destroying individual obi
CATION to examine the character of the war; and ndi-
vidual accountability for any acts in war performed
under authority That such are the principles of war
r II 7
CHI IA, s 1870: Valor is the frmest support of the
State" B. l., CHI. Is, s. 1856 and 1911: The glory Of
nation depends entirely on its powers. He, who at
tacks its glory does it injury and has right tt
demand even by force of arms just recompense'
B. H., CHI. 20, s 339: " When nation cannot Obtain
Justice it has right to do itself justice: one me
bod is, by retaliation, according to which W.
make another suffer exactly so much evil as he ha
DONE" B. ILL.,, oh, 8, s. 1876, 1877: On declaration
of war nation has right of doing toward the enem
whatever is necessary to this ustfabe end of bring
inc him to reason and obtaining justice The Lawful
end gives true right only to the means, which ar
necessary for obtaining such end" Oh. H., 100
War in form as to it's effects is to be accounted jus
on both Sides" &19l: Whatever is permitted t
one bv virtue of state of war is also permitted to tn
other" B. w., ch 2, 81: Every power at wa
pretends to have right its side, and this pretenso
is not liable to be judged by Others" B. ILL.,, CHI l.
&1s7: The subject, and especially the military az
innocent; they act only from necessary obedience
oThey are not responsible" and CHI 2, 6: :" Th
+roops. officers and soldiers, indeed all, by whom tn
sovereign makes war; only instruments IN his hand
They execute his will not their own" CHI 8, ! 181
at is really more commendabe to succeed by strait
gem" (falsehood and deception than by the carnag
Of a battle" &177: Several have made truth kin
of deity, to which we owe invioable aspect. But
grounding the respect due to truth on its effects me
are led in the right way" Such are the principles
war. consolidating nation of individual responsible
agents into one. The understanding, and consclenc
Of the Executive make up the entire mind OF the MT
ton. He is the only responsible agent. The legl
lature and the army must go at his bidding. Sue
abslrd-monstrous principles, directly opposed to tn