Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-10-05
The Patriot on Slavery.

A few weeks before the election. the |
Brat,leboro' Republican overhauls I'd file of
the Vermont Patriot, aud furnished from its
columns some thorough-going anti slavery
doctrine which that oracle Of the Washing
ton County democracy put forth in 1875
The article showed beyond dispute that the
Patriot then stoully maintained as genuine
democratic doctrine, those very positions on
the subject of extending slavery into free
territory which il now denounces as the ex-
IRENE OF abolition aud disunion heresies
We copied the article, the tenor of which
our steady readers cannot fai, to remember.
Oi couise nobody supposed the editor Of the
Patriot would bring his two sets Of doctrines
together before his readers and try o show
their agreement with each other or that he
would frankly own that he had changed his
ground and give what he considered good
reasons for so doing. To shuttle the matter
out OF sight as quickly as possible was the
course naturally TO be looked for, and here is
the way in which it was done.
The Bratileboro' Republican publishes
something It has dug up in copy of the
Patriot printed in 1913 seven years ago!
ave can accommodate The editor of the
Republican with an old hat we wore seven
years ago. II was just the thing then, and
though trihe out of fashion note, will do
nicely for man in the old clothes business.
"P. S.-Ditto an old pair Of boots to the
Burlington Free Press"
AS well as could be expected thought
we. The Patriot knows verv well that few
of It's readers probably not oncl will look up
what It did say in lS4S. Neither are they
likely to be readers Of either the Republican
or the Free Press, so they will remain in that
happy ignorance which best suits the PdiTi-
/ OTIS wishes.
! The cool impudence with which the editor
/ denounces this year precisely what he advo-
/ Gated seven years ago, relying upon the igno-
rance of his readers to save his inconsistent
cy from detection, we can understand. We
see such things done elsewhere than in Yer
mont The Patriot can cite ample prece
dents for such course of action. That the
Patriot should also show an entire sympathy
with that high-handed act of Judicial tyrran
nv. the commitment to prison of PassmorC
| Williamson oy Judge Kane, is no more thar
one would look for. II is written in the bond
No one who holds office under the prcsen
corrupt administration is allowed to hint dis
satisfaction with anything cone to strength
en- slavery, or to show particle Of sympa
I NY WIN any Ouf WHO sNlltTH ututT any OUT
rage committed by its upholders MsJo
Jack Downing is not the only major who i
ready TO say to the President, 81 assur,
you am not the man to desert an admins
tra,ion so long as hold an office under it
But we find in the Patriots late article OF
Passmore Willamson's case, the followin,
unqualified statement:
"To this writ THE Habeas Corpus writ is
sued by Judge Kanel Williamson refused a
answer, he neither denied his having tn
control Of the persons nor made any answe
whatever, but treated the authority Ct tn
court with utter contempt"
Our wonder is, not that the Patriot make
an assertion 80 absolutely false, but that
makes ii noio, when the truth is directly be
fore the eyes Of all the world. Is It possible
that the readers of the Pairiot-that is, tn
mass Of them-can be 50 ignorant that the
may be presumed by the editor to know II
better Than to believe him ?-Buriingto
Free Press.