Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-05-13
Conservatism and Radicalssm.


Some old writer has defined conservative to |
be one who will not look upon the new moon I
out of his regard for the ancient and venerable
institution, the old one Although the point OF .
this definition lies somewhat in its exaggeration,
there is yet enough Of trlth in it to give
the sarcasm force There is class of writers
and politicians, who take 10 themselves with
much self-complacency the designation Of con
scryltyes who have no better clam to 1t than
would the man who bIindiy worships the Old
moon and tnrns away in plous horror from the
new, And Just now we hear great deal about
conservatives and radicals, conservative repub-
licans, and radical republicans, conservative dem
ocrats, and radical democrats, and conservative
generals and radical generals, and efforts are
being made necessarily to convince the public
that the conservative element IN all these IS
the only safe one for the country in its present
troubles. But us this conservatism Is variable
quantity, hardly two who arTogate to them
selves that title, agreeing as to the precise way
to save the country, it isn't quite fair for them to
draw the line and shut anybody out as radical.
In fact, their conservatism consists in just what
it is convenient for them to-day to advocate,
whether that term is strictly applicable to it or
not just as the old democratic party baptized
all OF their party measures with the saving and
popular name, Democracy. We are one day
told that Senators Wilson, Sumner, and Hale
are radicals by the dOuDtfuly veracious CORES.
pendent Of the doubdully loyal New York Her
aid, and the next day the same correspondent
announces the vote to refer al the contiscaton
bills before the Senate to select committee, as
triumph of the conservatives yet Senators
sumner Hale, and Wilson voted for this refer
ence But with the Herdld, and its correspon-
dents and imitaors, there is one test which de-
termiues the question VIZ Every person who
hates Slavery, and desires that the country may
be lid Of it, is radical, while those who are
defending she institution are conservatives. We
are sorry to see good word, one that n It's
true Specification i, wen enough made to do
service in so bad u cause and we still more
regret to see those who really dislike slavery,
misled by a name into bolsterug up an IN
stItution which they know to be positive and
constant evil to the country.
Now we hold that the true conservatism, in
the Statesmanshlpo our time, is to preserve
our free Republican institutions, and, not only,
to preserve them for to day, but to preserve
them fer all coming time. We do not regard
slavery as one oil our free Institutions and 81
we DO not supposc that slavery must necessar'ig
be conserved in order to save the Republic.
If physician were called to a patient suffer
ing with the detrim temens we should moi
consider him radical in any bad sense Of thai
word. it he should suggest that Intoxicating
liquors brought the patient to his delirium, anc
that, in order 10 preserve him, they should b,
kept from him. The treatment would he rad
cal, IN the sense of going to the root Of the dis
ease, but It would be conservative, We think
for all that. And 80 we do not consider II" rad
ical in any obnoxious sense, or anti " consery
alive" to intimate now that Slavery hal
brought the country into its present peril, anC
: that the less we have of Slavery hereafter III,
less likely shall we be to have II repetition o
, rebellion like the one we are now suppressng.
, Lie must be indeed dull scholar, or precisel
e such conservative as answers the definition
given ut the outset of this article, who has 60
no new ideas Of the power Or the evils Of Sla
very, or it's danger as "a disturbing element il
our free Institutions, within the last elghteel
months. Slavery has been revealed to the Ma
ton as capable of doing what the people ncye
before supposed it would undertake. Men VIII
= were the fast friends Of the institution yea
ago, even, have renounced it entirely now =
- Ana 1t stands, Or ought to stand, to day, upo
It's rserlts, sheltered only by such deIcnces a
criminals ever have, the inv and the c0nstitu
ton. those who assail IT. or those who stau
by 1t, are neither conservatives or radicals /
any FAIR sense Vi those terms, any mDre tina
they would be it they were respectively prosec'
ting aud defending jeff Davis in erimin,
!. court on the charge Of treason jeff. would III
: doubtedly think that u " radical proceeding
y as he unquestonably deems the advance
the Union armies on Richmond an exceeding
4" antl-conseryatlye movement. But the pros
cntlon oF treasOE or The advance on Richmond
nevertheless. would have direct tendency
conserve 'he Republic, and are used only f'
CT that end. Anl o our mind, the effort TO mai
Slavery, by the methods Of cooiiscatiOn, pa
'e the penalty of the crime against Republica
'e liberty which it has committed, is, il we tai
into account tomorrow and the coming gene
:" atoms, as well Is to-day and our pockets, Il
J true conservative conduct 10 the statesmanshi
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