Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-06-20
=. ABOLITIONISTS AND SECES-
sFnNISTS

There is a sort of one-h0rse loyalty which
attempts % sweeten the bitter task ot
c1ndeuning treason, by classifying So
ca.si0nists with ab1litiJnIs,s, as equally en-
emies Of the government
Now what is an ablliti0nist Literally
and briefly. be Is a man who advocates, and
abors for. the abolition Of human slavery in
this country. In one sense. every decent
man is an ab0liti0nist. provided he has been
bred in a region where his judgment and
conscience have not been corrupted by direct
interest in. OF association with. the lnsiItu-
tian of slavery. All humane pers0ns-al.
ssh. boIievs In the Declaration Of Independ-
ence-Iu who believe IN "a pure Christianity
-art. IN their hearts, Gb1l3t.0nlsts. That
Is. th,y wisI there were some safe ami prop
sr way for freedom TO come % every human
being. We all 70 as Tar a. this, but those
who are technically known as ab0liticnists
~ further. They believe it TO be their duty
o a,i-atc Gr the immeli.ie abolition Of
slavery. They have, in limited numbers,
cursei the Constitution. Some Of them
have been willing to sea the country divided
rather than See the free states saddlsd with
any responsibility for slavery. But these men
have been few and VOwericss. Their zeal
has 0utrun their discretion, and their indis-
erctl1n has destroyed their influence but
their original impulscs were good, and they
have only loved the Niger not wisely but
too we'll But where are the abolitiOnists
to-day! Almost all of them are supporting
the government. while secession, born Of
slavery, is demonstrating the devilish spirit
of that institution to De precisely what they
have always represented It to be.
The ab5litionists will bear US witness that
we have been far enough from sympathizing
in their peculiar schemes, or their mode Of
spec,h and operation but we beg leave to
say that we can hear no coupling of the
names of secessionlsts and abolitionIsts, as
nen who ara equally guilty in the eye of ma
tional Justice, and equally responsible for
the evils Of the present war, without anger.
such an association OF names, which are IN
tended 70 be dIsgraceiul epithets, Is mean
and cowardly act, no matter who performs
It, The attempt 10 shift the responsibility
of this war, with all its burden Of blood and
CRIME and misery upon abolnOnlsts, Is an
outrage upon the plaInest historical truth,
established by tdevOluntarv boasts and con
l,.,si ms Of the secesslonists themselves. The
army which is engaged in fighting the bat
ties Of the country, and pouring out its
blood like water, is more than half abolition
led to- day, by what it has learned of sla-
verv during the war. Are these brave and
seli-sacrifcing soldiers to be clas0ed with So
csssionists? President Lincoln and his en-
tire cabinet would rejoice in the cmancipa-
lion Of the slaves, and propose it. Are they
to be classcd with secessiOnists Out upon
such nonsense The only real enemies of
the government are secesslOnIs.s, aud there
are none, North or South. who deserve class
ifcation with them, except those who try to
Int the responsibility Of the war from their
shoulders, or those who, finding it unsafe to
be indecent, take their revenge by abusing
decent pcople.-SpriHgtis Republican.