Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-09-08
Temperance and Anti. Slavery

The following candid article appears in the
last Springfield Telegraph. whose editor, a
strong Temperance nan,as well as Freesolier has
The past year done good service for the cause of
Freedom. 1t being our own position ~esscntial l.
ly, and the one we have proposed to pursue thl
Otherwise Instructed by coaaing State Conven
lions, we give 1t a place, believing it to be jus,
in sentiment, and wise in policy.
Is the Temperance Question paramount to the
Slavery Question, as they are now both present.
ed in the coming election !? Being informed
that some OF our good Free SoIlers have decided
to adopt thu afi NATIVE of the question as the
basis of tiieir action, | wish to occupy a small
space in the Telegraph tor The purpose of show
ING that such a course, though 1t be by the best
OF friends TO the cause is lnexpedienl, unjust and
absurd.
III the f st place. 4 contend that the question
now at issue, in relation to the temperance cause
is not OF vital Importance to lis progress, or 10
It's efficiency fer good. The only question in
VOWED Is whether the present M ,lnp) law Is
expedlent or lnexprdIent Among me opponents
OF the law there are many true friends to the
cause of temperance: SO that, should this law
be repealed or modified, there is no reason TO
doubt that we should have a substitute that
would be nearly or quite as efficient in its opera.
ton, for the reason. # no other. that it would be
more acceptable to many who are some what
particular in relation to this.
But whether this law, or some ether, or no
law, is the result, it should be borne in mind
that all the moral appliances are left free and
acnpccnh1a Eunru frtanI IS ,la 49,. q -.
perance is left 10 iull possession of those moral
agencies which have hitherto wrought SO won
derfuIly upon the public mind, and which, with
patience and perseverance,, is still the main
source Of dependence in this glorious cause.
No edlct has gone forth from high places for
bidding " agitation in Congress and out of it,"
No law with Its thousand dollar Zoe and ten
years Imprisonment as penalties stands in the
way of the free course Of popular OPINION. No
trained bands of rufins and blnodhnunds are
posted to arrest the progress of the taglt,ve from
intemperance. No lynch law with its star and
feathers. or rope arguments stand in the tempe
rance mans path il be wishes to seek out the
slave Of the RUIN bottle, and point him to a more
than Canadian refuge. And last. though not
least, there arc no sainted D DIS to throw
arounu the run cask and the rum trade the
sanction eff Holy Writ, or plead it a dlv,ne'y
appointed thing. When this state of things
shall exist in relation to the Temperance cause, as
II now does IN relation to slavery, | viii be ready
to hear arguments in favor OF giving the pres
ent temperance qnestio precedence over the
question whether II shall forever be the policy OF
tins government to MAINTAIN, Increase and ex-
tend the curse of domestic slavery.
1t is no part vt my intention, IN this commu-
nicalion to underrate the evils Of n,etnpera nee,
or to withdraw favor IRON our present law. | am
an uncompromising and decided friend of the
law, and believe it will never be repealed. NV
purpose is rather to show that the magnitude OF
the slave question 81 far traiscends i, ia res.
pect to claim upon our votes, that no true Free
Soller can give the forner a secondary place In
his estimation.
Il rs unnecessary 10 raise the question which
OF the tive evils, slavery or intemperancs is the