Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-01-20
The Sale of the Free Democracy,

The second number Of the Libcrty Standard
Is out, aud contains the promised L" History
OF the sale and transfer of the Free Democracy
into Fugitive Slave law IIunkcrism by Bar
Der, Field, Nccdham, Mclean and others.
during the last Legislature"
The substance Of this History is nothing
especially new, but it gives names and the
particulars of the transaction more fully
than has hitherto been done. The facts
stated are as follows.
The representatives of the Free Democracy
went to Montpelier on the opening of the
session, OF course full of zeal for Freedom and
hatred to Slavery, and suppoeing themselves
to number some eighteen, all told. TO their
surprise, however, on enrolling their names
IN their first caucus, they found themselves
numbering .forfy dght, and feeling doubtless
very much as Adam did when he awokc from
his deep sleep and found himself doubled.
Like Adams fair but frail better half, too
the new converts while protesting to be
g bone Of their bone and flesh of their flesh"
commenced Immediately with the encourage
ment Of the Free Soil leaders, to treat with
the Old Line ''Advcrsarv" who soon "snakcd"
the whole party out Of their Free Soil Para
disc.
The process was this. \ "Committcc of
Conference was appointed "to confer with
the Democratic and Wing parties" relative to
some arrangement for distributing the Offices,
which ''contcring' proved to be the accepting
with cagcrncss the propositions of the Old
Liners and the refusing to receive any PROPOSE
ton from Wings. d" In all the Caucuscs" saws
the History, " the Democrats were cxtollcd
and the Wings run down to the lowest degree
possible, while Field exclaimed in his wrath
that Whiggery was stencil in his nostrils
while Democracy was SAVIOR Of life unto
Life. y OF course Wings were excluded from
their caucuscs while avowcd Old Line Demo-
Gratis mingled in their deliberations. In the
mean time the leaders made :. thrilling and
pathetic speeches ''-procaimcd loudly their
intention of sticking by their party-urgcd
their followers to keep united and let the
old parties take of themselves" and thus kent
their party together " until I'VE quote from
the llistory,) enough had been labelled with
Robinson and Kidder upon their backs and
then no flock of sheep ever went over stone
wall any fnstcr than they went into Slave
holding Democracy" On tho final result it
is useless to dwell.
Two prominent facts are made evident BY
this erpOsc. One is that the Free Democracy
were not betrayed by some sncaking traitor in
their camp.but were sold By thar o,cn haders. |
The other is that those who now head the
scanty remnant of that pnrtyarc disgustcd-
not with the sale of their party--but because
IL mas sold SO chcaply. The elQsc Of the His |
tory lets thia fact out Of the bag 1t winds
up thus:
"Thc conclusion of the matter is-~had the
offices which the Old Line Democrats con-
fcrrcd upon us, been of any real imrortance.
we should not feel like Judging our leaders so
harshly."
On facts like these comment is s,lpcrfuous.
We leave it to conscientious Free Democrats.
II such there be, to - make note" of them
and draw their own conclusions