Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-06-24
From the Brandon Post.
The Old Clothes" Doctrine.

Comment. OF principles Wnloh tney nave
been supporting and which they have pro-
nounced to be mmutable and bene6cent.
One says he was mistaken and did not
view the subject in proper light. Another
says that there is no longer any need OF
advocating and pressing an adherence to
those immutable and benefcent principles.
Another, still. like Mr. SAKE of the Senti-
nal, with manly hardihood, declares that he
has no reason to give except that he finds
it convenient for his interest to change, and
condenses his justification for his fright
about face" into the short compass of the
aphorism that " times haze changed and zoe
haze changed Nth them" And lastly,
another says, that declarations of principle,
although they are affirmed be immutable,
are only the means to accomplish purpose
-" trap to catch guls in and when
it is found that the means do not succeed
and the trapping is not successful, these
declarations are to be thrown aside as
old clothes " and are not to be referred
to, because they have become estate, fiat,
and Improbable" OF this letter class, we
are afraid many people will reckon our
gifted and brilliant friend of the Vermont
Patriot We do not so reckon him. But
that it may not be supposed that we are
doing our friend injustice by suggesting
such fears, we give below some extracts
from the leading editorial article in his last
paper:
OLD CLoTHEs- last Brandon Post con-
r,Il ooFt 81
racy from '49 TO 81, and says:
We hope our friends, such as Major East
man, Col. Thomas, and John Cain will read this
record of the sentiments and pledges, &C., &c.
There are three things "Major Eastman"
never does He never reads weekly newspaper
made of Daily. He never digs up the resolu-
anybOdyS old clothes. Cause why-they stand
and the speed OF the times, to be Stale. fiat and
unproftdbe," and are DID, at any rate.
Major Eastman" the Post knows well
enough, stands with his back to the Past, his
foot in the Present, and his face TO the Flu
ture, and he would Just as soon ride backwards
in a car for the purpose of seeing clearly and
naturally, things as they pass, as he would think
of reversing his position, as he had just st ated
it, to have full view of events, moral political
and religious, as they sweep up to him, and by
him, into the Past. He cares Just as much for
an old platform or an old resolution as he Jes
, for an old boot or an old hat He REFERENCES
the old boob, because, in its heyday Of Day &
4 Martin, it may have done good service, and ena-
bled its owner to tread the hollow earth, erect
and triumphant; and he has nothing agin the
Z old hat, because that may have protected the
owners head from the storm and passed him
off for gentleman; but he has no idea of Drag
f ging either from the garnet, disturbing The mice
and cobwebs, with the intention of requiring
the one to screen his head from the storm
or the other to protect his feet from the mud.
The sIeepiness of the one aud the holeness of
q the other forbid Besides They are probably out
4 Of fashion The public have advanced since
they were formed, and were they never so good,
!. the round or The square toes The broad or the
!. ndrrotO brimS, would render them useless Ten
. to one too, if he should, struck with the innate
worth OF the articles, attempt TO repair them
q them for present use, the first friend lie me-
. would hand him copy of "SaHar Resartus y
- THE Patcher Repatches.)
Platforms aud Resolnfipns, Major Estman
\ thinks are made for occasions EMERGENCIES crises
= and 10Th them past alOay; they serue their pur
pose t0hie The occasion, emergency or crisis lasts
and Me,r pass into the hands Of the committee on
q g. useless information"
:. Now, hadent the editor of the Post better
4. rouse up and ask "Major Estman " if the
i eternal principles of justice are not always the
same, and try little to pin him upon the
:. question about principle?
!. Major Estman" replies. True enough the
eternal principles of justice are always the
same. But this Eternal Principle manifests
itself in and through means. The Principle
not the mesns, is to be cherished and reverenced
. Platforms and Resolutions are only The things
q through which The Principle operates, and these
| means are, or shduld GllCdys be, adapted to
circumstances, to the times upon Dhich the Prin.
ciDte seeks 10 operate. They must, Of course
UGry lOih times and circumstances, and are
entitled to just as much consideration as Means
!. dLtodys are and no MORE 10 be used rChen useful
n and laid aside ,Ohen useless.
The italics are ours, but the argument
:; and philosophy belong entirely to Major
, Estman. If the proof was not abundant
certain and overwhelming that the above
+ extracts are from the Vermont Patriot OF
n jane Sd, Ammo DOniini 1882 and were
" written by g. G. Estman. Esq, editor
n could any one be made to believe that that
gentleman was the author of them? Who
~ would ever suspect that one who had so
!. long and necessarily insisted on maintain
Il ing the cold landmarks" the old plat
forms, the old resolutions democracy, from
7. Jefferson down through Jackson, Van Buren,
o and Polk, could be the deliberate promul-
!. gator Of the sentiment that such old land
: markes, platforms and resolutions were
only hallow instrumentalities, to be laid
aside like an "old hat or boot as soon
= as they bad been worn awhile, and were
Is not thereafter to be dragged to light, any
more than any moth and ,mice-eaten old
C trumpery of the garret +" for inspection
y teF regard We have heretofore supposed
e that Major Estman means something, and
Il that he intended to have his readers feel
o that he meant something, when he exhorted
. the democracy of the present day TO adj
here firmly to the 4" land marks" aud plat
> forms erected by Jefferson and Jackson
9 ald' their supporters, and to beware OF
9 plungging into the pit falls and sepuchers
of federalism but it seems we were
D mistaken-that all the while that be was
g talking SO solemnly of these D." nd-msrks'
a he was no believer in their sacredness and
and utility for the present-that he looked
upon them as good enough for their day
l. aud generation. but tout OF fashion" and
: obsolete" now.-that they were made foo
e "emergencies " that then existed, but whicA
have long since passed away and that they
h are now fit only to be referred to the Z" com.
# mttee on useless information, never proper
ly to be dragged from the rubbish of the
political "garret' If he is right now in
his exposition of the Office of landmarks,
. pla forms and resolutions, the inquiry in-
! voluntarily forces itself upon minds, why
= has he all along, so zealousIy insisted in
= adhereinn To the az old landmark u 1,f