Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-08-26
ADDRESS
OF THE INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC AssoCIA
TI0N OF THE DISTRICT UF COLUMBIA.
10 The Independent Democracy

OF THE INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC AssOCIA-
.TIoN OF THE DISTRICT oF COLUMBIA.
10 The Independent Democracy
cfthe United Slaies.
FELLow-DEMocRArs: P" Principles, not men,
we have been taught to regard as fundamental
article of the Democratic creed--an adherence
to which is required In all emergencies, underalI
circumstances, and under whatever DISCUSSES an
of principle may assume.
1t was the adherence to this course of action
which made the Democracy fixed fact in the
history Of this nation, and crowned it with glory
and honor. Democracy opposes sectionalsm,
partial legislation, and injustice, and maintains
the right of all men to Liberty and Equality be,
fore the laws.
The right Of free discussion on all subjects
bearing upon the we'll being and happiness of
the people, have especially been insisted upon
by the fathers of the Democratic faith, as an cs.
sentia element in securing the happiness of the
people.
The Alien and Sedition Laws" were Justly
odIous to the Democrats of former day-the
one because it violated the rights of foreigners,
and the other because it prohibited the people to
speak or write anything derogatory Of the Gov
ernmcnt. The latter law was di5regarded trea-
ted as nulty and an insult, and was speedily
expunged from the Statute Book.
Privilege and monopoly, in various shapes,
have since presented themselves for the sanction
of the American people but they have uniform
Iy been driven from the field abashed and dis
appointed. The latest development of this COM
bination threatens to be most formidable Of all the
1t comes TO us clothed in an angels garb-in the
garb of Democray and would fain deceive the
people to obey it's mandates, and enthrone its
candidates as the true representatives of Demo-
cratic principles. The Convention which met at
Baltimore, on the Cd of June last, presented as
its compromise candidates, Franklin Pierce, Of
New Hampshire, for President, and William R.
King, of Alabama, for Vice President.
Without dwelling upon the character of the
gentlemen selected to Gil the highest Offices in
ehef gut Of the Republic, let US consl9er the
principles promulgated by the Convention, ad-
herence to which is made the test Of Democracy
They resolved to abide by and adhere to a
faithful execution of the acts known as the
Compromise measures, settled by the last Con-
gress The act for The retaining Of fagitlUes from
seruice or labor included :" and further, That
the Democratic party wiA resist attempts al renet0-
ing in Congress or out of it, the agitation OF the
Slavery question, under whatever shape or color
the attempt may be made"
This pledge to stop agitation is as preposter-
Gus as it is wicked. 1t Is vile attempt to gag
the mouths Of freeman, and to interdict tho free
dom Of speech. Was it for this our fathers pas
sed through seven years war of blood and
carnage, to give force and efficacy to their
solemn declaration that /" all men ale created
equal that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable rights, among
which are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Hap
piness ?" Shall we, their sons, endorse by our
acquiescence so wicked an lmputaton upon our
manhood and ancestry? Every holy feeling of
Right, Justice, and Humanity, condemns sub
mission to such pledge.
Agitation Without it, the ocean would be
but stagnant pool, spreading mlasma and dis
ease over the world. Agitation All nature
around US is one extensive system of agltation'
almost endessly diversified and the bosoms of
Democrats are no exception to the rule. The
promugation of such pledge has stirred up
such an agitation within the breasts of indepen
dent Democrats as will teach the advocates of
class legislation that they have gone step too
far
We have no controversy with our Southern
brethren. We grant them all their constitutional
rights but when they attempt to gag the mouths
of Independent Democrats, and prohibit them
from discussing any subject infinitely connect
ed with the happiness Of the people and the per-
petuity of the Republic, candor, no less than
Justice, requires that we should indicate our po-
sition. We cannot stand upon any such plat
form.
We love the prnci pies of Democracy, rccogni-
sing as it does the brotherhood of the race, and the
c quality of all mankind as regards the rights of
all men before the law but when the advocates
of gigantic monopoly combine together, and
seek to make Liberty sectional and Slaveay nation
al to deny to freemen the right to express their
thoughts, and exact a pledge of the Democracy
to suppress agitation, we feel compelled to re-
pudiate the platform, and those who sepport it.
Mr.. Pierce, the nominee for President, in his
letter accepting the nomination, thus gives iu
his adhesion to the platform adopted by the Con-
yention, viz.
81 accept the nomination upon the platform
adopted by the Convention, not because it is ex-
pected of me as u candidate, but because the
principles it embraces command The appreciation
Of my Judgment"
Mr., King, the nominee of the Compromise
Democrats for Vice President, is no less explicit
In letter written by him on the Goth July, 1851
to c, H, Donaldson, he was peculiarly bitter up
on independent Democrats, and declared that
8 so long as large portion of the former De-
mocracy of the North lend themselves to the
advocacy of Free Soil doctrines, aad make
common cause with the infamous agitators and
Abotionists, no portion of the Southern De-
mocracy will ever be found acting in concert
with them. ALI our troubles have arisen from