Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-09-01
To the Freemen of Washing
ton County.

In the foregoing article, specially address
sed to our Wing friends, you have some Of
the motives for vigorous, united, and, we
trust, successful effort in defence of one of
the noblest causes that will ever demand
your service. We have there recorded the
highest Wing authorities in the defence of
Freedom; but that cause starts beneath
and towers infinitely above any mere party
platform. II was the seed, of which the
Revolution was the first bud, and the eslab
lishment of popular republican government
the maiured fruit. Nuriured by the apos-
ties of all parties-by WAsHINGroN, HAM.
ILToN, and the elder ADAMS by JEFFER-
SON, MADISON and MAcoN-by j. q. An
ANS, CLAY and WEBsrER-lt is fit that
Rolc in the crisis of Freedoms fate-nOir,
IN the hour of mortal danger NOE, the hon.
est and patriotic friends of I recdom in all
parties should rally for its defence, and If
need be, pledge their lives, their fortunes
aud their sacred honor" 10 the cause.
Freemen of Washington County the
Convention of the 9Th OF August was based
upon the concilotory and patriotic principle
of the co OPERATION Ct all good men of all
parties for the defence of freedom. 1t WINS
callcd-honestly, fairly, openly aboyeboard
ON this principle. True, an anonymous
writer for the Freeman-doubtless an snemy
IN lsguise--inllmates that there was some
unfairpess or trick in changing the day from
the 29ih Of July to the 9Th of August. No
we tell you the trick was on the other side.
After the call was out for the convention of
the friends Of freedom, the enemies & traitors
to freedom, and their pimps, ascertained the
day of meeting, and attempted 10 hIcarf and
discOnoert Il, by calling their own convention
on the same day Eastman g. Co. had out
their call to the democracy, so as to draw
of democrats, if possible, from the Mass
Convention. WIN. P. Briggs & Co. con-
splred with Eastman to do the same thing as
to the free sollers. We tell you what we
know previous to any call, Eastman, Chas.
Reed, ]. 7. Thurston, administration men J
and VIM. p Briggs and another free soiler
Whose name we prefer to suppress, as he is
now behaving little bet,er,l waited upon
the chairman of the Free Soil County Com
mittee, Obadiah Wood and sought to in.
veigle him into coalition Of the free soil
ers and friends of the present Slavocratc
Administration Yes they were brazen
enough for just that-and then, as some of
them have done since, they tempted the in.
tegrity Of Obadiah Wood; and then, as
since, these men who went wool GATHERING
came home shorn.' "Get thee behind ma
Satan~ In the spirit of that noble exam
pie, they were repulsed by honest Obadiah.
They were ultimately repulsed by Winch
also; and then Eastman, Briggs & Co. them
selves undertook the dirty work, to which
Wood and Winch would not submit. East
man 4 Briggs selected the day originally
fixed for the Mass Convention and updoubt-
eddy they intended to defeat that -Conyen-
ton. This was the " trick"-an il was all
their own. Before Eastman & Briggs call,
the originators of the Mass Convention de.
termined to alter the day of meeting SO as
to accommodate Che hay-makers-an they
were confirmed in their purpose when they
learned the :" trick" of Eastman g. Briggs
That Is the whole story. Now what "uick"
was there IN postponIng the Mass Conyen-
ton : 1t allowed Eastman g. Briggs to come
10 ahead, and commit all they could in ad-
vance. Why should they complain; If the
Mass Convention had been changed TO an
earlier day, they might possibly have shad-
ow Of excuse for whining. But only shad.
ON for what business, we ask, had Eastman
O. Briggs to be consulted at all by the friends
Of the Mass Convention They were the