Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-09-23

an easy victory. 1t had come to be Il maxim
with multltudcs in it, that it could not be de-
lcatcd. Of what earthly use is it, they were
ready to say, to spend time and money and
work to keep the minds of the party active,
and to bring all its individuals to the line of
their duty on election day, when all that
ncedS to be done always is done without that
care and effort Yet no living force is cxcr-
ted in this world but through an organiza-
tion and if from any cause it becomes torpid
the force which should be felt by its means,
is found, when the time Of trial comes, to be
nearly or quite powcrcss.
But did not the Wings of Vermont see that
an hour of trial was upon them, and if so,
why did they not revive their organization,
give it new life, and apply it to its proper
ends Many did see the danger and spoke Of
it but the great mass did not see it, Tell
ing them of it did not make them realize its
existence. To make an organization of the
community, or to bring into effective work
one which is but half alive, and whose parts
are all out Of order, is not the labor of week
or ola month. a touch can set in motion an
engine when all its parts are in their places
and ready for action, but to gather its scat
tered members and to replace its worn-out
and broken ones is Il very different task.
There was II special difficulty in arousng
the wings which came Of the way in which
all political parties are constituted, if they
have any durable character Though the
bond of any such party is community of
sentiment on a few broad principles Of public
action, not an agreement on any particular
act, it is hard to stir IL scattered multitude
to action by an appeal to sentiment alone.
1t needs the influence of some ouilrayd act.
which touches that sentiment directly to rive
it energy. Now there is, at this time, no
poSiHrc act to he r'SjSid or fdror,d because
Of its hearing on the fundamental lrinrilcs
OF the Wing party, which occupies the lopu-
lar mind i'll this state. The election of IL t.
). Senator for a fragment Of Il term did not
come home to the feelings Of the pcollc 1t
was distant affair of no great moment as
they felt, and besides, as the wings would of
course be i'll the majority as they always had
been, that could be seen to, when the time
should come. Many were ready therefore to 90
on journeys or to stay at home as suited their
convenience, or fthcy went to the polls, they
lost sight of their whig principles to hclpor to
hinder tie election Of this or that man whose
notions or whose action ON particular law
about which they had talked good deal and
got very warm, agreed or disagreed with
their own. At the same time, to have the
wing party defeated in the state was not their
aim nor their expectation, and we doubt not
that hy this time many Of them see. with
modification Of feeling, that their own absurd
conduct was influential for that rcsult,-and
for nothing Use.
But If the Wing party was in an undisci-
pllncd state, The Democratic party was not
1t Is not apt to be. Their voters disputed about
the liquor law and, vocfcratcd threats on one
side and on the other, as well as the Wing
voters; but when election day came, precious
few Of them were found to bolt their rcou,ar
ticket or 10 scratch the names on it. They
encouraged their Wing nclghbors to vote for
ticket got up on a side Issue, as it is called.
but took good care not to do so themselves.
The other cause of that dcteat,-a cause
which would have been Intellectual if the first
one had not existed, lies IN the combined action
OF the other two parties. There was a positive
thing before their minds to call forth all their
energies. hat was the attainment of poorer.
For this end party consistency was substan-
TALLY laid aside, end all sides of all Temporary
and local questions were made available for the
occasion. For the Maine law and against the
Maine law were made equally good arguments,
according to the place and the man. An
assaiIlng party always has the advantage. and
the Wing party was in no good condition to
resist such mode Of warfare. Petty divisions +
among them, and united force
easily captures IN detail every little squad that
has TOR the time, no matter why gone aside
from the man army acting on the defensive.
But we believe the sentiments of the Wing /
party to be just as firmly fixed and as widely
spread i'll the minds Of the Vermont people as
ever and if judicious course is pursued by
those who for the time control It's movements.
It's return to its former place of power will not
De long deferred.
The County Court.