Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-04-24
The Alliance Of the Money Power
and the Slave Power.

The advocates OF Tree principles have now
two great overs to contend with, instead Of onel
There is now no longer room to doubt that the
whole commercial power Of the Union is about
to become allied to the slave power. for the pur.
pose of arresting the progress of freedom, and
thwarting the compromise entered into by the
founders ofour government-that of permitting the
existence of slavery for a time, on condition that
it should be only a temporary evil. The proofs
of this are every day multiplying. The South,
indeed, now openly avow their plan Of operating
on the commercial power, and reducing it, for
its own preservation, to the necessity of uniting
its interests with those of the slave power. And
thai plan is being carried out to an extent, and
with a success. of which the mass of the people
in The free states, we think, are little aware
The first blow is struck at the trade Of our
a., ,,.y,u v,,,ve, wntun, WIN Irndish cunning,
it was calculated, would soon ne felt to the ex.
tfeInest ralnlications Of the commercial commu-
hity. And mark the subtle and efficient process.
"You see how it is" says the merchant prince
OF Boston to the country trader applying tor the
customary tavors Of purchase, " | have lost a
million this season by the Southern disaffection
which this hee soil preaching has occasioned,
We are all ruined unless a stop can be put to
the agitation. | don't wish to interfere with your
prlnciules, but it is hard to be fayoring those
who Ivy their votes and influence are increasing
eur troubles" The country trader returns from
market and repeats the same story, with sundry
hints about collections or additional prices on
account OF the agitation, to his creditors and
customers, who, in turn, communicate it to their
nelghbors, who may remotely share in the alleg-
ei effect. And so goes forth the fat from South
efn political leader to Southern merchant from
Southern merchant TO Northern city merchant
from Northern city merchant to country trader,
and from country trader to the whole round of
creditors, customers and their friends, till half or
two-thirds of the Northern people, perhaps, are
made to feel the effects of this doubly %despica-
Bile system, so artfuIly calculated to manacle the
tongue or lead it to the u%tterance Of doctrines
at which the soul %revo'ts.
Nor is it alone through the channels Of trade
that this alarming scheme is made to operate
The President and controlling officer of the
Cabinet ure found pursuing the same course in
the bestowtnent Of the pecuuiary patronage of
the government, The poor printers, who, Heav.
en- knows, ought to be the first to be forgiven FIR
yielding to such temptations, are made to know
they must fOrego the tight of Independent dis
cnssion and square their sentiments to a given
rule, if they would receive any favors. All off
ces of profit are bestowed on the same principle.
Thus all that can excite c|upidilv, as well as
tempt ambition, IS put in play through all the
various avenues OF governmental influence, to
corrupt the people or take advantage of their
necessities in making them subseryient to the
slave power,
And are there no alarming p%ortents for Amer
lean liberty in all this? What teaches the
history Of the various nations that have risen to
eminenee and sunk to decay in the ages of the
pasl q? Trace their separate destinles and it will
be found that whenever they reached the crisis
in which the monied power gained control Of
the political, or became allied with it, from that
day they entered on their downward course, and
their destiuies were written. But here with us
is a double cause of alarm. The political is not
only yielding to the monied power, but to that
and the slave power combined, and all to 90 to
strengthen, perpetuate, and give controlling IN
fuence to the latter and that latter, too, con.
fessedly the most dangerous element that has
been permitted to find place among our inatitu-
tons!
While the friends of freedom could hold up
the Declaration Of Independence to the slave
power, when she stood alone, they could silence
her in the argument, but when they have to con-
tend with a power by her side that knows moth
ing Of principle, yields to none of the arguments
Of Treason, and listens to nothing but what relates
to price and profit, and, above all, when they see
the government succumbIng to, and becoming
the tool Of both, the case assumes a new and