Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-07-10

For the Vermont Phonix.
Mr.. EDITOR My attention has Just been
directed to the Editorial in your last number
In speaking of the anti-slavery meeting at Brad
ford last winter, you say that the notice of that
meeting "announced that Garrison, Pillsbury,
Foster, Remond and host of other practical
disunionists would be present and take part in
the discussions" In this think you must be
mistaken. ! saw no such notice, and no notice
from which it could be inferred that the above
individuals would attend. Besides / happened
to be in company with Gov Fletcher soon after
his return from the meeting, and recollect dis
tinctly of hearing him say that he had been
wholly misled by the call, and had thus entire
" Inexperienced the character of that meet
ing. lie said his first impulse was, upon reach
ing Bradford and learning who were to be the
speakers and controlling spirits of the meeting,
to take the first train of cars and return home.
This resolution was combatted by DIR. McKeen
and other friends at Bradford and overruled.
They wished him to remain, hoping he might
N some degree check and modify the fanticism
and extravaganza of these utraists He furth-
er said that he went to the meeting expecting
n calm iudicious and healthy discussion of the
subject of slavery by cool and dispassionate men.
However YOU may dislike Gov. Fletcher,
hope YOU are willing to do him justice. 1t seems
to me your article as it now stands is unjust and
unfeeling. JUSTICE.
REMARxs.-We publish the communication of
Justice" with pleasure, as well on account Of
the conceded candor of the writer as for the cor
rection of a mistake that we made in our article
entitled "Abolitionism not Republcanism.
At the time of writing that article we had not a
"call" for the Bradford Convention before us,
and we wrote from our recollection of its tenor.
Since then we have read the official notice and
find that our correspondent is right in inferring
that we were mistaken in saying that Garrison,
Pillsbury and other disunionists were there adj
vertised to be present. Our mistake arose
probably from confounding the notices of the
meeting that appeared in some of the journals
as editorial with the official call. We are quite
confident that notices to the effect that these
gentlemen were expected to attend and address
the meeting, appeared at the time in the col
umns of some of our contemporaries, for we
recollect distinctly the tenor of conversation be-
tween ourself and different gentlemen in rela-
ton to the proposed convention, which took
place some time before the meeting was held.
The character of the convention called was pref
ty generally understood in this quarter, we be-
lieve, long before the day of meeting.
Our object in abiding to the course Gov
Fletcher saw fit to pursue, on that occasion was
to disavow, as an individual and as a conductor
of Republican journal, any connection with
aboltionism, using that term in its most COM
mon and accepted Specification. AS member
of the Republican party that placed the COVER
nor in the executive chair, we were panied to see
him associated in any manner with class o.
men who openly deny their allegiance to that
constitution his Excellency had so solemnly
sworn to support. Our grief was greater be-
cause the enemies of the Republican party charge
us with being sectionalists and disloyal to the
constitutional charge it is needless to say tina
we pronounce false. But when we see the chic
magistrate of sovereign state mingling in sucl
an assemblage, among class of men who's
fanaticism gets the better of their judgment ant
discretion, and who pronounce the constitution
of our country compact. with hell we can
not wonder that our opponents will seize upol
such an exhibition and parade it in support O
their stale charge. 1t is that the Republican
party may not suffer in its position and stand
ing before the world, by such exhibitions ant
the construction naturally put upon them, tina
we offer our protest.
Whatever may be Gov. Fletcher's individual
opinions upon the subjects then and there dis
cussed it is not now our province to inquire
To us it would have appeared more seemly 70
him to have deferred signing the call for sue
meeting until he had retired from the ofic
to which he had been twice elected by the Re
publicans of this State. But tastes differ. w
shall make no issue on private opinions honest
ly entertained. The public as well as the off
cial actions of the Governor of Vermont are
legitimate matter of discussion and review lie
who will fill that honorable office. 1t is in thi
of his Excellency; and in this light we shall al
ways claim the privilege of reviewing the cours
of our public men-candidly and dispassionate
ly We trust-without being subjected to charge
or insinuations of personal favoritism or pei
sonal opposition. Our views Of the principle
adopted as the political creed of the Republica
party may and undoubtedly do differ from thos
entertained by many other members of the OF
ganization. We speak of Republicanism as "
understand it, and shall labor, how effectuall
we cannot say, to explain and defend it on TIL
ground and this alone. With so called "abt
litionism' we have no sympathy. We believ
in the binding force of the Constitution of on
country and of all the compromises of that Coz
stitution. At the same time we are prepare
to resist the aggressions of Slavery and its e,
tension at all hazards and under all circun
stances.