Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-08-06
What will the Radical Conven-
ton do?

The history Of politics in this State shows
that the people are accustomed to think for
themselves They take no stand because some
seI-appointcd leader tells them to. but because
their sense of duty tells them it is right. Hence
when the Democracy led off in the resistance to
the extension Of Slavery into California, the
people were prompt to support them and their
numbers were steadily increasing, and at no dis
tant day they must inevitably have controlled
the State But upon the change OF admins
traton the policy of the Democracy changed
they went in fauor Of extending Slavery instead
of opposing t--leaving conscientious Democrats
and Liberty Men, who had united with them,
to fall back upon the same principles embodied
in another platform of their own. AT the same
time the Wings were cast adrit by the breaking
up of their party organization. Here, then,
we find the people of the State in 1854 at
which time it was proposed to all who would,
to unite upon common PLATFORM for the
purpose of a more efleciual opposition to the
Slave Power. In this union, many OF the Wing
party commended that the platform was too Anti
Slavery, and the members of the Liberty party
claimed that it was not enough so, while the
platform marked out course of action far in
advance of any position heretofore occupied by
any considerable party in the State or nation
upon the question of Slavery. As the Wings
largely out-numbercd any other party which
was merged in this Republican organization,
there is naturally jealousy Of their finally con-
rolling the organization in this State. And
when threats are thrown out that that is to be
done, and an apparent disposition shown to
bring the organization back to the position of
the old Wing party, there are but two alterna-
tives for the lesser portion Of the party, after an
unsuccessful attemptto preserve the oFganiza-
ton iuviolate-to either divide from the organ
ization, Or to follow its lead. This attempt to
preserve the principles Of Replblicsnisn invio-
late from the less anli-slavery doctrines OF the
old Wing party is, we are conf lent, all that is
now designed by the Radical Aboltionists These
Radicals are not of the Garrison School. of
= Down with the Union " No such thing.
They contend that the Constitution affords am
pie power to abolish Slavery in the District of
Columbia, the slave traffic, and finally wherever
it exists in the United States. This is our
knowledge of those engaged in this Radical
move
As far as is possible to learn the nature of the
present state Of politics, we think the public
good and the good of the cause will require of
/ the Convention the utmost caution, and it is to
be hoped that the nominations will be those of
the present incumbents Of our State Offices. No
one can for Il moment doubt the position of our
excellent Governor upon the leading questions
now at issue, viz. Slavery and Intemperance
His radical views were early known to the peo-
pie Of the State, and too that those principles
were learned from the school of William Good
ell, Elizur Wright, and others of the great
founders of the old Liberty party, twenty years
ago and we have no mimation that he has
ever retracted or compromised those principles
in the least And now, while we base our 60
itical existence upon the acknowledgment OF
the equality of human rights as the foundation