The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-15
MONTPELIER, VT
MON DAY, SEPT. Is, 1867.
War and Politics.


Soon after tie rebellion began to make its
armed assault on the Government, the usual par
tisan luminosity that had distinguished all polit-
zeal campaigns, was very generally buried or
forgotten and men, without much reference to
their former political faith, We're put in places
Of POSITION influence, and power This was
especially true as to the officers in the army, and
lncumbents in civil offices in many of the loyal
States. 1t was urged, and with much force and
great plausibilty, by the most earnest advocates
Of 9 no party" that but one question should
be asked of any candidate, and that should be
respecting the character Of his loyalty. 1t was
said that all old party issues had been set aside
and a., i.arty lines oblterated, by the a,most
universal exhibition OF devotion to the Govern
ment and determination to uphold it, alike by
men of every shade Of political opinions, and
that no man who stood by the flag ought to be
excluded from any office. These arguments,
however, never seemed quite sound to US, and
our readers will remember that, when they first
began to be urged, we combatled them IN The
FREEMAN as having a dangerous tendency, and
calculated only to pu. the power of the Govern
ment ard the control of public affairs into the
hands of those who never had any sympathy
with the principles which were at the tounda-
ton OF the Republican organization. We could
not see why loyalty, and DEVOTION to the flag were
any less the duty or privilege of Democrats than
IL, ~ a,
was any less an insult to their ma tiona ensign
than 10 ours and that, N fact, SO lar as any po
llncal action WAS concerned, the simple fact that
Democrat vas not "a traitor, should make any
thing ID his favor at all. But while We thus
believed, and thus wrote. we ut the same time
were ready to support, and did support through
IHE FREEMAN, and elsewhere. the promotion 10
responsible positions, both ciyiland military, of
men whom we had known as Democrats once,
but who we believed, had seen so much of the
pestilenr hercsy Of State Rights, and the evils
which Slavery had brought upon the nation,
that they had cut themselves forever free from
such dangerous political principles, and ON
these points had come to a substantial agree
ment with the cardinal principles of the Repub-
lcan creed. Such union as This we believed
was the only substantial basis for any lasting
harmony of political actlon,--a union which
should rest on agreement OF opinions respecting
Tie civil adminslra ton of the Government. and
not De limited to the single purpose, vaguely
and generally expressed, of suppressing treason.
Time has, we think, shown that we were
nearly right IN this position, and proved that
there is neither safety, or expediency, or harmo-
ny, in any attempted political Union between
men who hold disslmlar political opinions,
whether the Nation is at war or at peace
Slavery, which has divided political parties
more than any other subject for the last eight
years, is just as much bone of contention 10
day as it Was before it rebelled against the Gov
ernlneRt, and, strange as 1T may seem, there are
many loyal men, formerly belonging to the va
rious parties which have divided the country,
who are Just as tender in their Judgment of this
institution, and just as solictous that it should
come to no harm. as the strongest pro-slavery
politician in former party times. The develop.
ments Of the War, have, however, made many
men hate Slavery, who before were Indifferent
TO it, and have alsJ proved either the insncerity
OF the opposition of many Republicans to the
Institution, or their lack of courage to meet
the question OF dealing with it. face to face
when presented by an armed rebellion. 1t il
just here that it becomes utterly impossible t.
harmonic all loyal men, for the simple fact tina
neither side will yield their belief. And it i
JASt this want OF agreement that not only make
united political action impossible, but unadyisa
Die, Tor the obvious reason, that the friends 0
Slavery are the only persons who will be bcne
Tilted by it.
What year may bring forth in the politica
world, it would be idle now to anticipate, bu
we NAV be assured it will not lessen the hatre
Of slavery 50 generally felt in the free states
and any united political action which ignore
this hatred will be a deuslon and "a cheat. A
ready the Republican party, or that portion {
it which has been honest in its hostility to slt
very, is every where becoming the nucleus Of
political organization that urges the most VIC