Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-11-22


} that Gen. Taylor was Wlmot Proviso man.
We placed ourselves upon a broad. national
| and constitutional platform. We told the peo-
pie that Congress had the power to legislate
upon all the questions involvcd-that if they
passed the Provso, Gen. Taylor would not veto
u. This was the ground taken by the Wing
press, and by our public speakers, from Mr..
Choa,e down. We carried the State because
we did not violate any Of our previously cX-
pressed principlcs,-but chiefly because we
cid not outrage the coNscIENoEs of our people
Thus things went on until Mr. Webster made
his speech on the 7th Of March, which, to say
the least, came UPON us unexpectedly. That
speech did not accord with the previously ex-
pres 'ed OPT Mons of Massachusetts nor with the
previously expressed opinions Of Mr.. Web
sier. The Wing press of Massachusetts ex-
pressed dissatisfaction, not in anger. but in
sorrow. For thus dissenting, a portion Of the
Wing press DECLARED war against the Atlas
although previous 10 that time, they had been
as open moulhed in their advocacy Of the Will
mot provso, and as denunCiatory of southern
buster as any Of us. From that time until Il @
day OF our election, the war proceeded. Con-
gress, in the meanwhile, passed all the peace
measures" including that soothing opiate. the
Fugitive Slave Law. The Wmot proviso
was declared obsolete, and that was lost In
the meanwhile the Free Soil press, which had
been gradually losing the support of the pub.
Hic, and the party gradually becoming ANA ga.
mated win the other two great parties all al
once sprang into renewed life, and the Wing
party became the object Of its bitter denuncia.
ton. The Wing patty was declared the pro-
slavery party, and Mr.. Webster, Mr.. Fillmore
and the Wing administration were declared 70
be The authors and supporters of the Fugitive
Slave Law, aud denounced as such.
We looked upon this as unjust and untrue -
We endeavorcd to show tha, neither Mr.. Web.
ster nor Mr. Fillmore were responsible for the
passage OF The law but that it was I,ocofoco
measure, and had been passed through tie in.
strumenality OF that party. We favored its
repeal or essential notification; for doing which,
we were denounced by paper understood TO
be at this time the confidential organ of the
American Secretary Of State, as wishinr to
stir up rebellion and civil war. We were told
" the law was made TO be eniolced, and that if
would be enforced" We were likewise threat
ehed with the prison aud the glllows, if we
persisted IN opposition to the law. All this
was seized upon by the Free Soil papers and
orators, and retaiIed with evaporation and
warmth into the minds Of our people
Again the Atlas says:
The election in New York lad an imDort-
AM bearing upon our election. Secard!S1. AS
II is terined, was to be winnoWtd out of the
Wing party. Unless it was Put down. the
Wing party could not stand in Florida or
gia-forGetting in their eagerncss to exor.
else that foul spirit" that without it the Wing
party could not stand in New York or Massa.
chussets 10 help on The work of putting
down "Se"ardlsm," the groa. "uuon' meet
Jug was called in Castle Garden. Putting
, down Spwa r,ll, m,
defeat OF Washington Hunt, and to rc.clect
Mr.. dickinson to the U. S. Senate. The poo
pie, Lowever, saw through that bubble; and
INDICATED their power by elecing Mr. Hunt
! and Legislature which will keep Mr. n,ckin-
; son at home. The Wing party which had al.
ways stood by the Constitution and the laws
which had for lis basis National platform.
was discovered 10 he ali at once sectional
party. an abolition party, party warning "a
gainst the Unipn aud the public peace, and
ere was tax OF forming new party, to be
called the Union narty--as if there were any
dsnnonsts among The wings of the free States
These charges had either to be silently bone
or openly disclaimcd. They were discained,
but the disclaimers were taken as evidence of
lie truth Of the original charge.
The Alias concludes as follows:
Our article is already loo long, and vet we
have touched but few of the points we in
ten'e to. We must reserve other topics to
future day. One thing, however, we will say
now ; we expect TO retrieve our adverse posi-
ton, and again secure the control of the State.
Many taiGk this " il be ap easy task 1t will
be an easy tatk, if we learn wisdom from the
ordeal through which we haye Just passed.
This State is II Wing State, but Massachusetts
| Whiggery is not pro-slavery Wh:guery Il is
not FuUitIVp Sl4vp | Nnirrar,
and The Save Law may be popular in Georgia,
but they are not so in Massachusetts. We do
not wish to interfere with the institutions Of
any Southern STATE, or 10 engrafl our ideas o!
slavery upon the Wing party OF the S uh. We
give them ti,e largest berry TO do within their
own States as secm"th to them best. We ask
the sane right to do in Mas sashusclts es we
thnk best We claim the right for ourselves
which We freely concede to them We are
| Union men--so are they've are tariff men,
50 are they. Upon the question Of slavery we
can never agree. Let u, then, agrte to differ
| Any party III Massachusetts that ATTEMPTS to
run contrary TO the earnest and CONGREGATIONS
CONVICTIONS OF our people, in regard to slayery
hat attempts TO loist upon them a set OF doc
trlnes which they abhor, under the specious
plea that fealty to the con>lil uton demands it
IT them or BY any other plea will 60 down TO
the dust, " unwep', unhont red, and unsung."
| Massachusetts Will ever maintain her di>tnc.
tive character. Her people are Union.lovng'
law abiding. liberty loving people, encroaching
apon no ones rights, allowing no one to en-
croacn upon theirs. They are governed by
principles, and not by men or money. With
that party we have ever la6prcd---lo that party
we shall ever remain attached. IN victory we
shall rejoice with il, in defeat we shall mourn
" III it.