Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-11-12

RIGHT vIEws.-The New York Tribune of
| Thursday last, in speaking of the mistakes
made in preparation for the late election in
this state, and especially the lateness of the
time the republican state convention was held
arguing that it should have been earlier.
says
''lnstead Of this, our State Convention was
Kept back to within eight weeks Of the cleo
tion,--it was said, to give opportunity for
formal conference thereat with the Amcri-
cans. That Uas Just lchat should hare bern
carefully aroidcd, 1t was our interest and
duty to have drawn to ourselves tho great
bulk OF the American party By undertaking
and erecutiug all The laudabte purposes Of their
organisdt'on. Any other mode of "fusion"
could not fail to be unseemly & unpopular. /"
In this view of the whole matter we agree
entirely with the Tribune, and feel very con-
tident in the belief that had the convention
been held a month earlier, and the course in
dicated been boldly taken. from and after
date fusion would have been matter oflittle
consequence. For an entire year all the
honest portion Of the American party had
been disposed to Join us, and stood ready to
do 50 as soon as we would adopt so much of
their principles the Tribune has stated.
and of which we all approved.
But while the Tribune is right in these
views, it has, in our opinion. erred much in
Others, and especially in expressing its readi-
ness to compromise the most essential prin-
ciples of the republican platform by sustain
ing candidates in no sense pledged to sustain
those principles. And not the Tribune on
ly, but many other Of our papers, have talk
ed toomuch about Ani-Lecompton as if that
covered the whole ground, and our great
principles of opposition to slavery were no
longer worth contending for, and we were
willing to abandon them to sustain men who
but condemn single measure Of the admin
istration The effect was injurious, and to a
considerable extent.
For our part, all through the past cam
paign we have never used the term anti Le-
compton at all, for the r,.... E. tat it contain
ed no part of the platform or the principles
for which we were contending. The Efforts
of the administration and its Instruments in
Kansas and in Congress to force the inla-
nous Lecompton constitution upon the un-
willing people Of the persccuted territory,
had been tyrannical to an extent that arous-
ed the Indignation Of the whole country.
and called for most decided condemnation
on the part Of the people. But after all that
did not cover pending issues, for the inqui-
tous measure had been rejected, condemned
and cast out by til. people Of Kansas them
selves. In this state Of things any man
might join us in condrmnins LecomptoH, and
yet not agree with US in reference to u single
pending question of government policy.
1t is maxim with us that no party can
ever stand and sustain itself permanently on
negative ground alone. 1t may oppose the
measures Of those who have the rule, but at
the same time it should ever have measures
to sustain, and great ends to accomplish, if
it is to have permanent existence and Sc
cure continual success. Let US look ahead
then, and keep before the people what we
wish TO DO, what ends we are anxious to Sc
cure, and what policy We shall sustain if ,vo
have the power, and then We can not only
preserve progressive organization, but by
taking advantage OF the issues as they arise,
be continually gaining strength by calling
those to uswho approve Of our objects.