Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-02
Partisan Clamor.


We have already fully expressed our opinion
of the mistake made by the Government, both
in policy and in principle, in the arrest Of Val
landigham. The way in which the press of the
country receive this act, demonstrates quite
clearly who are endesvoring to make party cap
ital out of the peris Of the country, or the mis-
takes of the Administration. On the one side
large majority of the Republican papers mod
erately criticise the course pursued by the Ad
ministraton, or quietly pass it over in silence,
with no attempt to justify it by any argument in
its support. But the Democratic press Of the
entire North are. out. in full cry, and with the
loudest kind of clamor against this, as they
term it, tyranncal course Of Republican Ad-
ministration. They are busy getting up ,ndig-
nation meetings, and passing resolutions express
ing the most violent protestations Of eyerlast-
ing fidelity to tie cause Of free speech, and the
liberties Of the people. But there 10 no need
that this party lion sh ould stop in his roaring
to inform the multitude. that he is only Snug,
the oiner, and in all his frenzy only playing
part. The people have not forgotten him, and
will recognize him in spite OF bis DISCUSSES.
His conversion 10 belief in the sacredpess Of
free speech is too recent, and the public have
too fresh remembrance Of his past record on
this question, to allow themselves to be misled
by this simulated zeal Of new convert.
II is true and the record will prove it, that
for the last forty years the party hostile to the
aggressions Of the slave power, has been the par
ty of free speech, while the party working to
conserve that destructive institution, has been
the party opposed to free speech. The Democ-
racy and the Slavery party together, have al
ways been, in practice, hostile to all free speech
but their own. Slavery is built upon ignorance,
and every thing which tended to dispel that ig
norance, whether free speech or education, has
been opposed and denounced by these friends
of Slavery Orators who have endesvored to
awaken the conscience of the public to the
grieyous evils, moral and political, Of Slavery
have been mobbed by Democratic rowdies, with
the cordial endorse ment of Democratic papers.
Athertons gag was forced through Congress by
Democratic majority, and justified by Dem
ocratIc press.-And even now these same con.
servative gentlemen, who write flaming editorials
calling on the people to jealousy guard their
sacred heritage Of free speech, and resist even
unto blood, any military invasion Of their privi-
lege Of calling President Lincoln an imbecile,
our Generals fools, and the war gigantic crime,
will, in parallel columns of their papers, de-
nounce, with the most bitter invectve, and with
evident Indictment to riot, the speeches Of
Wendell Phillips, the editorials Of Greeley, and
the sermons Of Beecher and Checver, and will
commend the military spirit Of returned soldier,
who expel peaceable travellers from the cars fol-
expressing their opinion Of the late Gen. McClel-
Ian. They hope to make their championship Of
free speech a good enough Morgan till after
the election !" but once give them the power
and their contempt Of courts who registered
judgments against their assumptions, would b.
more conspicuous than Gen. Jackson's q, New
Orleans, and their hostility to free speech
agarns, slavery, would be as it has been in time
past, and is now, one Of the cardinal principle
Of their political faith. For political effect
they now nscribe their campaign banners will
the good old Republican watchword, Ere
Speech, and hope by this snare to advance thei
political fortunes.
We admoush the people to beware of thes
new preachers of the true political faith. Their
is but one party in The country that can, in th
long run, be the honest champions Of free speech
and that is the party hostile to slavery; an
wherever man is found advocating both slave
~ and free speech, you may be sure that hi
pretended devotion to the latter is deceit an
asham. The two cannot live together