Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-04-07
The One Idea Party.

It is nothing new in the history of human in
constituencies, that the oudest accusers should
soon become themselves the very things for be-
ing which they so denounced the accused But
we doubt whether the principle was ever more
srikingly illustrated, than in the former and pre-
sent positions of the old parties on the Slavery
ouestion, and IN the relation in which they now
stand towards the Anti-Sla very Democracy of
the country. For more than twenty years, those
PARTIES have been constantly assalling, rdicung
and denouncing the Anti Slavery organization
under whatever party name they may have acted,
AZ the one idea party-the party that had no
thought bu, for one object-that had no other
than narrow, bigoted views, and that entertained
no national principles, and, therefore, were en-
titled to no respect as party, and only to be
viewed 10 a band of poor. deluded fanatics,
which must soon faI, to pieces by the action OF
their impracticable theories or insane tollies
But where and what are these accusing parties
now ? Forgetting all their distinctive principles,
they have virtually become one. aud that too on
the one single idea of UNFOLDING Slavery. 1t
was this one idea that overthrow the Wmot
Proviso and established the Compromise on its
ruins. 1t was this one idea that produced lis
like in the one idea Platforms at Baltimore. 1t
was this one idea that elected Gen. Pierce, the
one idea candidate for the Presid ncy; und
prompted his one idea inaugural address. 1t was
this one idea that enacted the Black Law Of Hi
nois, aud led 10 the attempts lately made to le-
galize temporary Slavery in New York and
which is now controlling every appointment of
the new administration, and which will, unless
the people of the free States arouse there's Ives
IN resistance to its present alarming progress
soon control, not only the Federal, but every
State Government from Maine to Mexico.
Would to heaven that these were mere asser.
tions But alas they are not so. They are
facts, too self evi lent to require any proving. -
All unbiased and discerning men fo and know
them to be so; and they also feel and know thai
these sale old accusing parties, now drawn to.
gether by one tie. and making IN reality but one
party, have become precisely what they SO on
temptuously proclaimed the Free SnlIers to be-
one-ldea party-lhe only difference between
them being, that one Is for and the other agains
Slavery-one the opponents aud the other the
advocates of Free,io iona difference which. in
the minds of every honest and true A merican,
sinks, or as now must sink, the one as much as
it must exalt the other.
we ind then, passing by the inconsistency
OF those who denounce in others that 10 which
they themselves become doubly obnoxnus-we
find the country divided into two great onr-ldea
parties-one of them advocating the Lower Law
: which shall be made low enough to.stiie every
generous aspiration Tor Freeaoas apAsrxus2unsa.
timent Of right and justice, IL thwtfd0l
The other looking to tho Higher Law tor gu,d
<ance, and acknowledging no lower law that
openly conflicts with it. One pract'cing on the
code of the Austrian Haynau, anl' the other on
the principles of the American f,rs>n One
striving to sustain the usages OF the dark ages
of despotlsm, which went on the ground that II
was right to enslave, and keen IN bondage, all
that Might could conquer. The otner ad ping
the principle of the Declaration of Inde)end
ence, which, wholly repudIating the law OF
Might, proclalms equal privileges and equal
rights the inalienable gift of ALL
Such in reality. if we would hut view things
as they are, when stript of the guise with which
such are the two parties into which only the
country is now 10 be divided such the line Of
distinction between them, and such their differ.
ent and opposite aims and objects. And it re
mains only for the people of this country to
choose between them.