Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-08-22
THOMAS BARTLETT, JR.

We perceive that the whg presses, both In
the State and abroad, in announcing Mr.. Bart
let's nomination as the congressional candidate
of the Free Democracy Of the Fourth District,
snnaL of him as politician of recent, il not pres
ent predictions for the Cass school; and as
differing, in sentiment, from Mr.. Rowell, the for
mer Liberty candidate, whose claims were also
considered in the convention, which finally thot
it best to nominate the former. This is great
error, and one of which the minds of all who
have imbibed any such notions, should be disa-
bused. No one who heard Mr.. Bartlett define
his position, and avow his sentiments, at the
convention nominating him, could wish him to
go farther in avowaIs of free soil principles, Or
in pledges to sustain them. But it will be said
perhaps, that he would naturally then express
such views. To this he may justly reply, that
that was not the first occasion, on which he had
enteL>:ned and expressed sentiments equally
sound, and equally decided, in relation to The
duty of the North to resist the inroads ofthe slave
power.
The most convincing argument, on the folly
of trying to keep up the old issues, in a crisis
like this, when the "one idea" was the great
and paramount idea-the most decided free soil
speech, indeed, which we last fall heard, through
the whole round of legislative caucuses, was
made by Thomas BARTLETT, JR Nor is this
all he might justly say in refutaton of the charge
ofrecent conversion to free principles, He might
safely 90 back to 1648, for confirming evidence !;
for no sooner had Gen Cass, in that year, pub
shed thaC foolish and heretical expose-the
Nicholson Lotter-than he repudiated its false
and untcnable doctrines-opposed the nomina-
ton Of Cass on that ground, and voted against
him in the Baltimore Convention, to which he
was delegate and there, when Mr. Yancey
brought forward his famous resolution enjoining
on Congress the passage of laws for the protec-
ton of slave property in tie territories, he resist
ed the odious principle thus advanced, and be-
fore the faces of the Southern Delegates, feared
not to make a full toned free soil speech-the
very first one, perhaps, that was ever made in
National Convention of political parties In that
speech he said
"Geptemen may deride, as much as they
please, the New York delegation, with whom
sympathise in their wishes to keep slavery out
ofthe territories--.they may call them Barnburn-
ers or fanatics, as they will !; but will venture
the prediction, that there will be more of such
men before there will be less, and that the fire
already kndled in New York, will soon be
shedding its light over the mountains of YER
mont"
If any one doubts Mr. Bartlett's course on
that occasion-doubts his having expressed a
sentiment so creditable to his head as sagacous
politician, and so honorable to his heart as an
early indoctrinated free soiler, let them appeal
to some of the Northern delegates, who have NO
interest in our elections, such as the Hon. Harry
Hubbard of N. H., B. F. Hallet of Mass, OIL
Gov Toucey of Conn.,, and who were present tc
bear it, for confirmation of the statement. We
have not made it because it was new to Mr.
Bartletl's intimate friends, but because 1t nigh
be so to others, about to be misled by the falsC
representations vi our opPonehCSs anu peCdus'
we deemed its publicity, at this time, but an &C
of justice to the man.
For ourselves, whatever may have been gu
notions about the priority ofthe claims of anoth
, er to the nomination which, under other circum
stances, might have prevailed, we never enter
tained any doubts about the soundness of MI
BIS free soil principles; and, having conscien
tiousy taken stand in his favor, we shall sustai
him; and we hope to find ourselves joined, b
not only every free democrat but every frees
err, and every liberty man in the District,
giving him all unhesitating and cordial SUI
mort.