Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-07-05

To the Freem a.. of Vermont.

eNN
The privileges you enjoy, of electing your
own rulers from among yourselves, is one Of vast
Importance, and one for which millions at the
p-esep. do.,ssgn, NNa struggle, und night, TO OBJ
tain; and to you it has come as rich inheri-
lance from your ancestors; costly business to
them, but so cheap to you, as to endanger your
forgetting its value, and forgetting your obliga-
tons to yourselves and posterity to preserve it,
as sacred trust, safe from the assaults of pow
er, ard the intrigues of designing men. Your
struggle IS among yourselves So it appears. -
Nevertheless, the influences that trouble YOU
may come from abroad, and be lurking unseen
among you.
Senator Benton, in his late address, states
facts, that should excite you to be cautious, and
not yield to an influence, till you are sure of its
object; and this may require that you know where
it comes from. Mr.. Benton after reciting par
agraph in some newspaper, published for poti-
cal effect, and charging Mr.. Calhoun as the die
tator of it, says, the same was in three hundred
papers nearly at the same time That Mr.. Cal
houn dictated it, was sufficient to explain its OBJ
ject. That so many papers were at command to
publish it, simultaneously, shows the faculty of
doing great mischief by widely diffused hid
den influence. To guard against such influence,
and such mischief, each one of you will do well
continually to stand by some standard, ask your
selves where it came from, and to what results
does it tend?
1t is now extremely easy, for each freeman to
place before him a standard of political action.
for his daily guide in all his movements There
are but two such principles to be even named.
at the present time. These two are Freedom
and Slavery. These two are directly and abso-
lutely antagonistlc to each other; rs much so as
peace and war; as much so as every mans
peaceable enjoyment of all his rights, civil and
religious, and inhuman and total deprivation of
those rights; almost as much so as strong pro-
fessions of friendship for free soil and human
rights, and by voting, eonierring the unbounded
patronage of the President of the United States
upon man who is a STAKEHOLDER in principle. in
practice, in education, and in interest If Won
will adopt the same mode of reasoning upon no.
lltlcal subjects, which you do upon every other.
you must not be deceived into virtual support
OF the principle to which you are opposed. If
man should urge you, who are farmers. to cut
your gass or your grain while it rains. because
it is the best time to dry and save it Won could
not be deceived into such absurdity. If a port,-
san urges you to vote and act with his politicaI
party for the reason that his party is in favor IF
Tree SOIL and human freedom, and have elected
. hrm shareholder to guide their party, and pro.
tect their free soil from the iproads of sl.vor,,
and their citizens from being reduced to slavery
can you be so duped as to acquiesce in such
f reasoning, and be led into such absurd conduct
Just SO, If partisan should endeavor to dssuode
you from course of action in politics, for reo
son which does not, and cannot exist should
you not and would you not reject his oyertures.
: because they are without reason?
The above thoughts are suggested by reading
= some OF the reasons urged for supporting the
present slavery administration of the general
government and the manner certain poli.
cal papers treat the late union of those free.
men OF Vermont, who are sincere friends Of
freedom, and have concluded to act tooetber
tremendously in its support against the agrees.
ions of Slavery. Would tissue of inconsisten.
cy upon anything but politics attract your "a
voraole notice. The wing party! What is