Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-07-11
Republicanism not Abolitionism.


The Montpelier Freeman expresses satisfac-
ton with the denomination Of our present State
officers, by the Republican Convention, recently
ksii at Burlington but it is as much dissatisfied
with the resolutions then and there adopted
They are not sufficiently denunciatory to suit
our mercurial contemporary. lie thinks they
are shut little, if any, in advance of the policy
of the old parties previous to 1854" and "hard-
ly up to the Philadelphia Platform" Further
more, he says that we must ''resolve to restrict
as well as to sustain"
The Freeman makes another complaint as
follows: another sad mistake is the fact that
the odes, Silver Grays are honored with ma
jority of the State Committee, while the ranks
of the old liberty party are left unbroken." 1t
concludes the category of complaints by declar-
ing that 1--WE shall not be disappointed to see
those who have been the least radical given the
future nominations, and an attempt made to car
ry off the large numbers of former Free Demo
Gratis and AboIitionists 10 policy not essential
ly differing from that of the Wing party of1s52
We think the Freeman very much mistakes
the principles upon which the Republican party
was organized and the ends it hopes to accom-
plsh. 1t mistakes Repablicanism for Abolition
ism, than which two different lines of public pol
icy are not wider apart.
The Republican party is essentially conser-
vatve and defensive party. 1t was born and it
lives to prevent innovations, not to make them
The necessity for it has sprung from change,
great change, in Southern sentiment and poll
cy in reference TO the institution of Slavery
The South has of late become aggressive in her
demands and in her actions. The leading poll
ticans of that section Of the country have sought
to extend the area Of slavery over free terrific
ry. For that purpose they have encroached up
on the just rights of the North in the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise. Slavery, instead Of
being regarded as a curse, is, in the language of
Daniel Webster, now looked upon as mo evil,
no scourge, but great religious, social and NOR
al blessing" 1t is not possible for a change like
this, whatever may have been its cause, to come
over the Southern mind, and become the con-
trolling influence of Southern policy, without
meeting opposition al the North. Neither was
it possible, when the national administration and
the democratic party cast themselves into this
new movement of the South, to prevent the rise
of another party designed 10 resist it. 1t is the
changed mind and changed policy of the South,
and the concurrence therein of The democratic
party, that have generated the Republican party
and, in so brief time, given it its strength.
Such is the origin of the Republican party,
and by it its object may be inferred. 1t is no
business of the party to interfere with Slavery
in the Southern States nor is it any part of its
mission to hurl denunciations and anathemas
against those who hold their fellow men in bon
dage under the sanction of State law. The Ill
ira aboitonists hold an exclusive patent for that
kind of tactics, and one on which the Republi.
can party does not propose to infringe. If any
thing is TO be gained by resoIvi against Slav-
cry, odous the instition is, in the States where
we can never exert any executive, legislative Oh
judicial power, the abotionlsts are welcome to
al the capital they can make out oft.
In another place we have expressed our opn-
ion of the resolutions adopted at Burlington
That they do not substantially differ on the sub
ject of Slavery from those of other convention
held in years gone by proves how substantial
are the foundations upon which they rest. o.
the subject of Slavery the position now occupied
by the Republicans is substantially the same a
that held by the Wing party OF this State dur
ing the last ten or fifteen years Of its existence
Other issues have passed away and thus left tn
way open for union of all who agree upon thi
cardinal question of American politics. w
have no feelings of hostility to aboionists a
such, but we shall resist all their attempts t
make the Republican party responsible for thei
blatant rhetoric and their impracticabie vagarie
So far as they 60 with us shall be happy t
receive their cooperation in restraining the az
gressions of Slavery, but we cannot sacrifice til
claims of the Union and the Constitution on the
account.