Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-02-17
The Anti-Slavery Sentiment Of Vermont,

4Ho huIl-olaV6ry sentiment OF vermont.
We take it that there is no man nor set Of
men in this State who undertake to set them
selves up as better than other men in their OPP
position to Slavery. All who have enlisted in
the common cause are equal in this respect, al
though every true anti slavery man has re,
spect for the decided stand and continued action
of few who have at last beheld the fruit Of
their long endeavors. We do not suppose thai
all agree upon technicalities Us relates to the
best manner of opposing Slavery. On the con.
trary, there is a diversity Of opinion. Some Of
them, we are sorry to say, we cannot fellowship
not even to admit their right to advocate them
Such are the Garrisonian disunionists, who seem
to hate all mankind. The idea of dissolution
of the Union we cannot for moment harbor.
There are Others who profess to be anti. slavery
men, yea, abolitionists and who still can nee
but evil, and evil only, in the action of the as'
Legislature in cnacting that there shall be nc
Slavery in this State, nor shall Vermont recog.
nize the guilty fantasy that there can be prop.
erty in mpn. Such an one is correspondent Of
the hydra-headed paper printed ut Windsor
known in one locality as the Journal" ant
in another as the d" Aurora This correspon
dent, whom we know not, deemed it polite tc
NOT only criticise their report, but abuse the
Committee, upon the subject of Slavery, ant
charscterizes it as injurious to the cause of Free
dom in Vermont. This criticism we shall SPEAK
of hereafter. But VIC wish now to call attcn
ton to the fact that the people of the State have
asked for this law, and it is now their duty
to sustain or denounce it. And in SO dolnc
they must demand of the Vermont press an OK
preston upon tho subject, Or else dcnounc,
that, too. Not 4 paper in the State had tn,
manliness to say an encouraging word in favo
of the enactment of any such measure by which
the members could judge of the impression
abroad, and as yet all have maintained 1
studied silence upon the subject; not even in
forming their readers that such an act passed
only as they published the laws for pay and a
advertisements. Such neglect of the wclar
of the cause in this State will reflect no credi
upon them at home, and most certainly no
abroad The members of the Legislature hav
gone home and waited patiently for thre
months for some intimation of how their act
have been received The only indication is tina
the people, as represented by the State papers
arc ashamed Of their representatives at Mont
pelier. But we are pleased to be able to say t.
those who come in hearing of our remaks tina
ace have as yet heard only praise, and praise con
tinually, for the noble stand they took. Tn
record of the State is right and the honest PEG
pie unawed by fear of political reactions, anN
who have no selfish motives to crafty, will b
unanimous in their applause of we'll done
thou good and faithful servant"
What is the more gratifying to us, and give
the more surprise to the silence of the Republi
can papers in the State, is the fact that but 8
votes, and those all from Black Democrats, wer
cast against the passage Of the bill. Every Re
publican member except a very few, absent 0
not voting, recorded their vote in favor of it
enactment.
Any attempt on the part of our cautious Alb
olitionists to cast obloquy upon the measure i
ill-timed and unworthy any one who bears tn
name. If old fogy or silver grey defenders Q
conservatism wish to dissent, well, but Repuh
licans should be United.