Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-07-20

skilled perhaps at the trade" of fighting, and un.
questionaby would be bungers at any other" They
might think for the time being that it is poor COM
fort' to be told there is no need of ideness - AZ
yet have no doubt it would be the very best thing
they could be told and little experience would teach
them so. Nor would they want better consolation"
although they had been deprived of their appropriate
employ" (which is butchering human beings by which
they obtain their living" But shall wars continue
because their abolition would turn hundreds of thous
ands out of employ and oblige them to look to some
other sources for support God grant they may not
have spoken of wars in general. Let us look at
home-to war in Mexico. This war, like protec-
ton, drew off many men " from other empoyments
to act volunteers 1t can hardly be said that
dollars per month, with ratons, and soldiers fare in
general was wages" enough to /" draw" them but
thousands went and took their chance against Mex-
can diseases and Mexican bullets. Well, shall we
continue the war rather than turn these soldiers out of
employment?
The objection that free trade would turn the poor
out of employ is the same in kind as that which is so
often brought against emancipation viz. They would
all come to the North they would be idle"-"lazy :"
would not take care of themselves" &c. Certainly
they would be obliged to seek employment, but no
honest intelligent man would object to abolition on
this account.
But though in my argument on this point have
treated admitted probability, that free trade
would turn many out of employ, &C., yet l am very
far from believing that it would do SO to any very
great extent. Indeed, believe that the evils of this
kind would be much less than have existed under tariffs
The great cry of the age is onward and upward.
There are evils incident to all stations and conditions
of society. They result from want of conformity to
the Divine laws. In endeavorng to remove these evils
great care should be taken to avoid greater. The
nearer approximate to truth, JUSTICE and equal
rights which based upon the law of love, the bet
ter. Free trade, UNIVERSAL unlimited, throughout the
world, certainly looks like practical recognition Of
this great law of love; like an acknowledgement OIL
the universal brotherhood of mankind; like traer
nal unity of nations; like an emblem of peace ant
good will; a Development of benevolence and philan
thropy.
This is emphatically an age of progress Man,
things which so years ago would have been consider
ed Ethiopian dreams are now fixed facts" and we
mankind are Sull IN Ller infancy. lner6 Is u vas
field between human and Divine wisdom and this fell
we may suppose full of truths of the greatest I'M
portance, waiting to be discovered and brought int
practical operation. 1t is very probable that much
the present wisdom of the wise will be proved to b
an error, and osed off the track by truths. Pas
history teaches that this has been the case, and
would be ridiculous and vain assumption to suppos
we have reached the summit of human knowledge
This should teach us not to place too much confdenc
in present appearances, or in human wisdom.
Another thought in this connection and l hope
will not be forgotten. Many theories which appel
plausible on paper, Or when heard from the mouth
an orator, are found, when examined in the light
practical every day, experience to be delusive soph
tries, or miserable receptions Many things appe
; we'll from one or more points of view, which u
whole are decidedly bad. And many people embraC
sentiments theories and projects without due exar
nation and in the end find their most sanguine hop
are disappointed and perhaps their prospects revive
The tariff policy in my opinion is of this charace
: it has deceived many poor and some rich, and W
do so as long as it is kept in operation.