Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-26

We believe in the old Roman law, that no
good citizen will despair OF the Republic; but
the proceedings at Washington do look some
what ominous. The Republicans have large
plurality in tho House, and yet, for more than
month they have failed to elect Speaker
No sooner had Congress assembled, than one of
those slave-lovIng Democrats filed resolution
in the House, in the nature of an Indictment,
charging Mr.. Sherman, the Republican candi-
date for Speaker, with having counseled, aided
and abetted the circulation of an incendiary
publication, and Immediately proceeded to the
trial of Helpers book. No doubt this is an in
cendiary publication by the laws of the slave
States. Everything is incendiary that is not in
favor of Slavery, by their laws. But Mr..
Sherman is an Ohio man, and Helpers book is
not an incendiary publication by the laws of
the free States, though this slave-loving Democ-
racy would make it so, if they had tie power.
Now Mr.. Sherman, being member from free
State, should be tried by the laws of the free
States, and would be so tried if we were not COL
onles. AS it is, our mother country, the slave
holders, have a right to 'make laws to bind
their Northern colonies in all cases whatever"
When the British Parliament asserted this
right, our forefathers took it in high dudgeon,
and fought good hard fight upon that argu-
ment We see the trial of Mr.. Sherman pro.
coed, under the laws of the slave States, with
great meekness and humility. "The glory of
the ancestors does indeed cast light upon their
posterity that serves to show what their des-
pendants are. 1t alike exhibits to public view
their degeneracy or their worth" We have
greatly degenerated. Their maxim was, IF
we lose all and gain our liberties we and our
children will be gamers" We, their "chA-
dren," have placed our liberties in the hands Of
demagogues, cotten-spinners and cotton-mer-
chants, and seem willing to see them bartered
away for few Offices and few cotton-bags.
Are the people of the slave States free? 1t
has always been held, and is now in every civil
lied country, that freedom of speech, and free.
dom OF the press are necessary to liberty Mel
ther Austria, France or Turkey have as severe
laws against these as have been enacted in most
of the Southern States, and where these laws
fail, they in all cases resort to mob law. No
man dare write, print or utter, or cause to be
written, printed or uttered, anything against
the institution of Slavery. The rights of the
masteS are held to be divine rights, and no per-
son is permitted to question, or even to discuss
them. They have established a moro rigid sur
veilance over the mails and post-o6ices than is
established in any empire in Europe.
This negro coveting, slave-loving Democracy
will tell you this is caused by the course pur-
sued by the Northern Abolitionists This is
only one of the ten thousand lies that they are
constantly telling, for the purpose Of excusing
the grinding oppression practiced by the slave
holders. Any man acquainted with the histo-
ry of the country, knows it to be false. Be-
tween the years 1889 and 1899, seven States
passed laws freeing their slaves During the
whole of this period, and down to the year 1912,
this institution was more freely debated, and
more fercely assailed, both North and South,
than it is now by the Republicans. During the
whole of that period, Jeferson's Notes on Vir-
ginia, and other Anti-Slavery books, pamphlets,
and papers circulated just as freely in the South
as they did in the North. Why were none Of
these laws against the freedom Of speech and
the press necessary then? Why did not the ag-
itation of the question of Slavery endanger the
shareholders then as they say it does now p
We will tell you before we get through with
the subject.
Thomas Jefferson was most violent and un-
compromising enemy Of Slavery He com
mencod his political career in the Virgin ia
House of delegates, in 1894, and one of his first
acts was to introduce bill to abolish Slavery
in that Colony, and he had violent quarrel
with the Royal Governor for defeating it
From then down to the time when he was elect
ed President, his hostility remained unabated.
BE fought it, he talked against it, and wrote
against it, and was an active member Of an Alb
clifton Society when elected President. Now
who brought forward Thomas Jefferson as a