The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-15

tween whom is the armed conflict" now going
on! or-admitting, for the sake of the argu-
ment, that it is war of - theories between
what theories is the strife? Is it between CAL
houn's theory and Garrson's! Does Mr. Lord
mean to say that the Government. on the one
side, stands on tho " Capitalization ~ theory of
MIR. Garrison, whatever that theory may be,
and that jeff Davis, upon the other side stands
upon the Calhoun doctrine of State Rights? If
he does not SO mean, when he says these " two
false theories have now come into open conflict
what does he mean? We have supposed, and
still suppose, the Government to stand upon the
Anti-State Rights doctrine of Webster as advo-
Gated in his speech against Hayne, and we hope
they will stand there to the end Of the war and
let Mr.. Garrison and his theories take care Of
themselves. Mr.. Garrison and his ideas, and
his theories, have never been, and are not now,
of any political sgnfcance-less even than the
Bell and Everett party and platform of the last
campaign, which started with the high sound
ing phrases, u" the Union, the Constitution, and
rebellion of its leader against the Union. the
Constitution, and the Laws-and it is belittling
the cause of the Government and the supremacy
OF the laws for which we are all contending, to
say that the conflict is between Calhoun'e" false
theory on the one hand, and Garrison " false
theory on the other, or between "false theories
at all. We believe the Government and the
Country stands upon the theory Of its right to
suppress rebellion and to use all g indispensable
means to that end. That is not a " false theo-
ry,' nor is its truth or lalsity in any way affect
ed by the fact that MIR. Garrison does or does not
support it. And we deny that there was prior to
the war any considerable body of men, and no
party of any political significance whatever, that
ever, either " consciouslyo or unconsciously, ad-
vocated the theory that the General Government
ought to be used = for the destruction of State
rights" or that ever threatened to fling the
Union to the winds because it could not be used
q" to invade and upse, the municipal institutions
of another State The charge is grave one
to be made in Vermont and to Il Vermont audi
ence, and we think tie people may be excused,
when charged with such crime, for pleading
not guilty and demanding to be confronted with
lowed to add in regard to the lnterrogatory res
pecting our" sensltveness,' that, while we have
not at present any sensitiveness'' about these
" false theories" at all, we don 'tknow what we
rht INV ~ 81. &C
much that seems vague and general in both the
discourse and IN the munication In other
words,-if we may be pardoned for adopting for
a moment MIR. Lords own style of answering
qucstions-if Mr. Lord means Republicans when
be speaks Of the conscious or unconscious fol-
lowers of Garrison, perhaps we might be '' SEN
sitlve, but if he don't mean to include Re-
publicans in this class then we are not " sensi-
tive"
(3.) We did not ask Mr.. Lord what his pol
itcs were, or what ticket he voted. We were
not finding any fault with his political creeds
or acts, but only giving, as fairly as we could,
our reasons for dissenting from some of the po-
stlons of his sermon. With his private belief
we had no concern. But for the purpose of
giving him an opportunity to disclaim any i'm.
putation upon the Republican party, We did
ask this question Do you think the Repub-
lcan party as party, or through its recognized
leaders, contributed to bring about the conflict
in which the nation is now engaged by the ad-
vocacy of any false theory of the Constitu
ton and if so what was that false theory "
We submit-with all respect, THAT Mr.. Lord 8
answer is SO evasive and vague, as to bear but
one Interpretation, and that is that he does not
choose to answer the question at all. 1t gives
US no light that We did not have before. The
question was capable of a plain and particular
answer, pointing out the sin and the man, and
freeing the meaning of the writer from any am
bguity, and we think. merited such response
But it called out repetition, in another form, of
the same "glittering generality OF course
Mr. Lord has perfect right to seek such ref
uge, as he had perfect right not to give any
answer, but we think the evasive skill of the
dlalectician is more conspicuous in it than the
!rankness of the fearless champion OF truth, a
champion who doesn't fire random shots, bur
like the archer, who inscribed on his arrow
For Philips right eye gives direct and
personal application to the shafts he Launches
against error. Nathan preaching to David, asc
furnishes a profitable example OF the style Of
! direct adm JultlOn.