Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-09
The House Organized.

body except the Dlsuni0n Democrats, with real
pleasure, as a triumph of the friends of the
Union and the Constitution, the upholders of
the law, and the lovers of order, over the lanai
ical, reasonable, Union hating, corrupt and
demoralized Sham Democracy. The only thing
the fire eaters have accomplished by their pro-
tracted and factious Efforts to bring about the
eternal rule of discord is their own qualification
and political condemnation. The Republicans
have lost nothing, but on the contrary, in our
judgment gained everything by the contest
They reluctantly allowed John Sherman to
withdraw his name from the contest, but as
this involved not the least departure from any
part Of the Republican creed, their course in
this respect is deserving Of the highest eulogy.
II has proved that they fight for principles and
not for men, Mr.. Sherman himself was the
first man to recommend this course, the first
man to propose the name OF William Penning-
| ton. And MIR P believes in, and acts up to, the
Republican creed in all it's length and breadth
on the Slavery question. lie voted for and
used his entire influence from the outset in sup
port of Sherman, and justified in every partic-
ular, the course pursued by the Republicans
Why he was any more acceptable to the half
dozen members who had persistently withheld
their votes from Sherman, isn't plain to us,
though it doubtless was to them. If they are
satisfied, we certainly are. If the rose by any
oEh has 1oIs OhE II f0,
them, it is not thereby made disagreeable to
us.
But the long battle has completely shattered
and broken the forces Of the fanatical fre-eat-
Ing, corrupt Democracy. They have voted for
Bocock, Barksdale, Wilson, Maynard, Boteler,
Hamilton, Scott, Vallandigham, Smith, McCler-
nand II ire-eaters, Disunionists, Know Moth
ings, and Squatter Sovereigns,-in short for
almost every Sham in Congress, except Dan E.
Sickles,-and if The contest had been prolong-
ed another week, he, no doubt, would also have
been " complimented." And their dying strug-
gle furnished an edifying spectacle to the coun-
try. Their last great demonstration was made
on Smith, an American of North Carolina, who
possessed any quantity Of negative merits. Seiz-
ing upon the favorable moment when six or
eight American Republicans had " compliment
ed this negative candidate, while he had al
ready rcctiv the entire South American vote,
the unterri6ed Democrats began to throw them
selves into this pit dug for them by the South
ern Know Nothings. The g Gulf Squadron"
headed by Keitt, went first, and boldly, with high
rhetorical phrases, accoutered as they were,
plunged in. Next the Democrats further north
were driven up to the mouth of the yawning
chasm, and like sheep dumb before the shearers,
opened not their mouth, but "pitched in,"
andsu TO rise no more. John Cochrane of
New York, was led up to the brink-his col
league, Sckles, having gone down sometime
before, perhaps thinking in that direction lay
the cuckold's paradise with great sound.
ing words, said he wouldn't go in,-he would
see them in purgatory first he preferred to go
back to his constituents and tell them lie had
not lost bis manhood and self-respect, he had
no particular desire to cut his own throat
However, he after little while changed his
mind, and concluding that, after all, purgatory
was not SO bad place, while his brother Demo-
Gratis were mostly there, down he went. The
Douglas Democrats were then driven shudder.
ing to the pit, and with averted faces, dreadful
comforting of visage, d" sweating drops of
blood" as Etheridge said, reaching out their
hands to the Germans of the North West, and
praying them to remember those who were in
bonds, as bound with them, that they were
not acting thus of their own free-will, but, be-
cause they couldn't help themselves, they
took the fatal leap, and went down with the
rest. But after all, it was of no avail, and the
great Democratic party as their only reward for
this utter abandonment of that wonderfully
conspicuous Anti-Know- Nothing plank in their
platform, had the unspeakable consolation of
knowing that they had made unmistakable asses
of themselves, individually and collectively.
Yet they did have one other comfort, howev-
er,-that of being laughed at to their faces by
these same South Americans, when they after
wards invited them to vote for McClernand of
Illinois. They were then most numerically
snubbed and jeered at by the very men who
had put Smith forward, aud McClernand had
the exquisite satisfaction of learning that,
while he had gone down into the pit, in the
support of Southern Know Nothings, that par
i -. :,