Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-08-25
The Battle in Vermont.

The time of ogr asnaal eectlon-the leglti
4nae time for the freemen to put on the conntry's
pol,cal record, by their on,h given snfirages,
nm expression of the principles they desire to
prevai-is again at hand. But are they prepa-
red to exercise this great privilege and duty I'M
dersnndingly, and in asmanner when shall Ger
tainly conduce to the advancement Of the prn-
ciples they hold most important, or are they in
the dark about the tendencies of men and meas
nres SO that their sufffages may unwttipgly be
E'lude to strengthen their opponents and weaken
t.lelr own cause If the former, up and at work
Ike men. but if the latter let them stay away
from the ballot box; for Freedom wants her
friends to deal no random blows by which she
,nay be the first to be wounded.
But "there are no political issues before the
people," deceptively cry the old party presses
m which they are bIindy joined by neutral
presses having local, or temporary objects to
cafry--" there are no issues before the people
let It's now all turn in to promote the great inter-
,csts of the country" No Issues the great in.
f,erests of the country! Great Heavens what
insulting mockery! Does the Fugitive Slave
Law, which involves the greatest infracllon of
their Constitution ever Witnessed by the people
of these United Staes-which makes every
man north OF Mason g. Dxou's line what Is
openly despised by every gentleman south of it
"a negro hunter, and which slill remain unre-
pealed to darken and damn, in the eyes OF The
whole civilized world our once fair national
character does that present no issue between
its servlle and treacherous supporters, and North
ern freenen who have minds enough to be free
men-northern men who have the hearts to be
men? Does the one and lndlvisable Platform
over which. HsEod and Pllale like. the two old
parties, last summer, crossed ha nds at Baltimore
the Platform which unqualfedly endorses that
aufamous and world desplsed enactment, and
puts paddock on every free tongue in America
that dare wag against it, or question the suprem.
acy OF it's Infamous progenllor, the Slave Power
OF the South--does that present no Issue TO men
who would not be tied and sold like cattle tor
the shsmbles Does the Inaugural of President
Pierce, who, with the oath of God, Judas like,
sealed, with kiss on the bible, the bloody com
pact OF Baltimore to sanction the general traffic
in human flesh, and override the Constitution
ne was swearing to sustain, by protecting that
traffic and virtually extending 1t over the North
as well as South--do the doctrines of thai In.
augural, still claimed as the chart of his admin
istraton, and the controlling uissive mandate to
his party, present no issue to those who are no,
absolute traitors to their Pilgrim sires and Revo-
iunonary fathers, by whom we we're as sacredlv
sworn, as the youthful Hannibal, to MAINTAIN
from the Entertainments Of every kind Of slavery
the tree institutions they had earned bv The;
blood, and bequeathed as an inheritance To 10
held priceless 10 value, and to be nrese,,aa -,
US intact forever ? And, lastly, does not ,hs
course of the Administrator. based on thu, p,.,
form and Inaugural, and more ,ban sn,c,,on;n.
their abhonent doctrines on The subj. CT ot .,.,,
ry, b. filing every office 10 the terr,,,r,ss
elsewhere, which could be made TO and !, a.
tending or Strengthening that iDst,tutlop. h,
Shareholders, or those IN their lnteresls-by H.
bold iatrlgues to obtain Cuba with its Slavery