Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-12-08
Who is Responsible?

brass to enable them to charge the Republican
party, or any of its leaders, with having abetted
Brown in his foray on Harper's Ferry. They
know this charge to be absolutely false. They
know the Republicans, collectively and indiyid'
ually repudiate their doctrine that Slavery is
National institution. The old Jeffeisonian Re-
publican party held, and the Republican party
now hold, and steadily and stoutly maintain,
these self-eydent truths, that Slavery is State
institution, depending solely on State laws for
its existence, and the States where it is establish
ed are alone accountable for it; that the people
of the free States have right to interfere with
it in The States where it is now established,
either by Congressional legislation, or any fore
ible interference whatever. These are our prin-
ciples. Now what is the doctrine of this sham
party? They profess to hold that Slavery is a
National institution, recognized and sustained
by the National Constitution; that this Con-
sttusion recognizes the slave as property, and
no distinction can be drawn between the slave
and other property that the Executive, the
Legislative, and the Judicial branches of the
General Government are bound to guarantee to
the master all the rights in his slave that he has
in any other private property.
Now, if John Brown was led astray by the
principles of either party, it was by those of
this Sham Democracy They insist that the
people of the free States arc bound to uphold
the institution Of Slavery, and Brown, in his
delirious musings, may have come to the con-
clusion that if the Constitution gave the power,
and imposed on him the duty, as citizen, to
uphold Slavery, it necessarily carried with it
the power, and imposed the duty to abolish it,
and he, as good citizen, was bound to do it.
This conclusion may be arrived at too, by men
who are not troubled by mental alteration, and
if the principles maintained by these shams
should be once established, they may lead thou
sands astray as they have Brown.
Again, is there anything in the declarations
and teachings of the Republicans that could, in
any manner, have sanctioned or encouraged this
attack upon Harper's Ferry? They have con-
stantly opposed any measure that tended to
produ &c civil broils and blood-shed They have
strictly proclaimed their attachment to the
Union, and their perfect willingness to submit
to the will Of ii Majority of the people. Not
so with the Democracy. They have been
preaching treason everywhere. They have pro-
claimed from every house top that if we of the
North did not vote in accordance with their
dctation, they would organize treason, dissolve
the Union, and involve the Country in civil war
and bloodshcd. While this cry of BLOOD
and Thunder - came booming over the land
from the South, a set of mean, cowardly shams
in the North conspired with the shareholders,
and told the freeman that the South were in
dead earnest, and if they did not vote the Dem
ocratic ticket they would be likely to get their
threats cut. This is the true import of the
language they have held to US, for we all know
that civil war is u very uncivll, throat-cutting
business, and these threats do contain threat
of personal injury. This reasonable course of
the Sham Democracy had excited the fears of
the, free States, and actually reduced them to
the condition of colonies.
The moment the freemen of the North begin
to get rid Of their fright, and assert their indie
pendence by voting in accordance with their
honest convictions, this reasonable cry of civil
war and disunion is redoubled. Already the
shareholders swear louder, grind their teeth
harder, and shake their Bowie knives at us
fercer than ever. Already set of cowardly
Northern shams are down on their hands and
knees, and like pack of whining spaniels
6 creeping round between the huge legs - Of
the shareholders, and raising their frightfu
howl of civil war and disunion. They now tel
us that if we elect Republican President, they
will rebel-seze on the Government, and pre-.
vent the organization of a Republican Admins
tration. We know this Sham Democracy are
only shaming. We know they dare not COMM
a single overt act; but these incessant threats
do have direct tendency to lead holder mer
than themselves to commit treason. The slave
holders cannot be ringing the tocsins of REBEL
ion for years for the purpose of preventing thu
sober, second thought of the people. These
Northern shams cannot conspire with them, an(
be constantly proclaiming to the Country tina
rebellion is at our very doors, to brighten thu
freemen of the North out of the free exercise o.
their elective franchise, without producing tin
most pernicious effect. God has told US that
We SOW to the wind we shall reap to the wIirl
wind. If this Sham Democracy, in their fierce
and unprincipled struggle for power, continu,
to SOW their treason to the winds, the Countr,
may yet reap whirlwinds of treason Thes
long and reiterated threats of rebellion and dis
union have worn channel in the public mind
and Produced current in the opinions of mel
flowing in the direction of revolution and blood
shed. No man who examines the history of tn
country for the last five years, will fail to per
ceive that it has blunted the moral sensibilit
of these Sham Democrats, and must be put a
end to. or these threats will produce the mos
fatal consequences.
But again, is there anything in the /" actng
and doings of the Republican party that coul
have any tendency to produce the affair a
Harper's Ferry? They have steadily condemn
ed and stoutly opposed any interference wit
the rights of the people, by force or otherwise
either at home Or abroad. Not 30 with the De
mocracy. They have been fllibustering in Gu
ba, fllibustering in Lower California, fillibut
tering in Mexico, fllbustering in Nicaragua
and fllibusterlng in Kansas. They have mul
dered more than three thousand FIVE hundre
men in these piratical expeditions. Everywher
they have been dabbling in blood. Have an
of these pirates been punished? Has one G