Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-02-06
Plain Talk.

Those of our readers who have had access
to the democratic papers of this State are pro-
baby aware that the democracy OF Vermont,
although few in numbers, are not entirely har-
monious. During the past season the New
York Netcs has opened several broadsides
against Smalley, Bowdish, Eastman and other
prominent leaders of the party, while Colby,
Benjamin and others have been stroked with
the hair and 'gooded'' al nduSedin. What
occasioned this onslaught on the one hand and
laudation or the other we have no means of
knowing. But one fact was observable the
Argus was as still as a mouse during all the
while the fight raged-a space of several
months.
OF late the Argus has been zealously affect.
ed towards the administration in lis attemp; to
force the L%ecompton swindle through Congress
and down the Threats of the freemen of Kansas.
1t even went so far as to read Senator Doug
las out Of the party. The Patriot rebuked its
contemporary for such a course, proved the ed
itor of the Argus TO have been in the outset an
opponent of the Kansas Nebraska bill, and sug-
gested that a man "who had not been in the
State long enough TO know a spruce lice from
a hemlOck should not be too forward in de-
nouncing the course Of older and ADLER men
The Argus simply cried ''pcccari" to these
charges, claimed that he stood shoulder TO
shoulder with the Patriot throughout the last
campaign, and mildly suggested that ''the Pa
trlot has erred in its attempts TO stir up a quar-
rel in the party" 70 this the Patriot replies
as follows
cool FOR AN OPEN WINTER.
Tho RolIoue Ealis Arrrs tl;,Ls a tIo p,..;-. L..
erred in lis attempts to stir up IA quarrel in the party p
"lhe Fth70f STIR up. a quarrel in the party" That
will do-that will do!
Did the Patriot "stir up the rascailv attacks Of the
New York News upon the Democracy of the State?
Did the Patriot "stir up some of the abusive articles
that appeared in that paper, or were they 'stirred up
ut Bellows Fnlls2 Have the men who commenced the
quarrel in the party" through the News, STIRRED up
the Patriot of the Argus with their sneaking conmu-
nications? Did the Patriot, Tor the low and selfish
purpose of venting n petty spite against two or three
Democrats or of grabbing the spoils, stir up the
fuss about rotation ~ Did the Patriot str up the
outside interference with the affairs of the democracy
Of 81 Jolnsbury? Did the Patriot "stir up the vile
and d~astardly attacks against some dozen Of the lead
ing democrats Of the State ? Did the Patriot 'stir
up the disgraccful performances during the last ses-
sion Of the Legislatare-thc secret conclavcs, the ~
ing to the democratic mcmbers-and The silly circu ar
about rotation? Did the Patriot 'slir up the petit
tions and get them circulated through the State for the
removal of Col. BOwdish? Did the Patriot ",tir up
the cart-loads of letters that have been written about
VIZ bAAA't NNA W " 7tlAAEA' AAA''A NlliAilNAhllN hAAAAA
ing and abusing the hardest wurkingdcmocrats among
u~H--Did the Patriot "stir up all these quarrels? II
nor, who dd, Mr.. ArSns? VINO PIN? The Argus
knOws-the democracy of the State know. that the
Patriot, while all these things have been going OH,
leaving out of the question the attempts of the Argus
TO cut its corners, aud Of its bosom friends to ostracisc
its editor, has remained rs one of lis best friends has
said, "unacountably quiet; = and now. after having
borne so much, and so long thu forLearance has been
degrading, its advances TO the defence Of the men and
measures OF the party, 10! it is ~"sti'liag up a QUAR-
u 4 in thu anil Ihn lnnr1inr ..lf. 80 81. lan1 e
the fountain, according to the fable, has, before this,
accused the lamb, below him, of troubling the waters.
The Argus has been, and is now, in close commun-
ion with twoo n three uneasy spirits here, in Montpelier,
who have done all they could, and are now doing all
they can, 10 ''stir up Il quarrel in the party The
candidate of this set for Collector. goes down to Bel
lows Falls, and holds more know nothing meetings with
the editor Of the Argus. (Did the Argus ever hear of
his holding any with the PdtriotO The editor of the
Argus is IN all the secrets of this quarrelsome set. lie
sympathizes with them in all their plots, and aids
them all he knows, in all their intrigues. lie and they
have lett no stone unturned-no lie untold, no Islander
unwritten, no abuse unsung of the men who have
wwaded in blood up to their arm1pits for the party in
the State whom now, for the Patriot to defend is to
"stir up a quarrel in the party"
There Is no use talking. The democracy Of the
State understand, who has stirred up a quarrel in the
party" and we are willing to leave them to settle the
matter-as they most assuredly uH, before the quar-
rel is over.
We do not interest ourself to any great en-
tent with the q%uarrels of our opponents, but
this discussion has become so piquant that we
cannot refrain from letting our readers see the
fun of The thing. As the Patriot does not cir
culate to any great extent in this county and
the Argus is altogether too modest to sound its
own praises we will give them all a chance to
be seen in a political mirror. The reflection
does no more Than justice.