The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-16
Jabez G. woodman,s yindication.

anu Wilttcu CouccinibS me II mas DeeT my
usual practice to take no notice of it. The
above is not only untrue, but regard it as
the most infamous libel that has ever been
published concerning me. Presenting that
you may not have intended 1t as such, ex-
pect you will print for me this vindcaton.
Whether the statement that / am crank
abolitionists'' was unnecessarily and designedly
thrown in as denunciation or as a compli-
ment, matters but little, inasmuch as the APP
pellation does not technically and properly
belong to me. From the use of the word
frank" l suppose 1t was intended to denounce
me. From the great intelligence and exalted
virtues that the two classes of technical abo-
litionists in this country generally possess, l
might well be content to pocket the insult, and
wear it as a compliment. / have no right to
do so.
The word obolitionist has been constantly
used by the enemies of freedom and the enc
mics of the country in vague and indefinite
sense, and as a term of denunciaton. For in
stance, at the present time the Copperhead
sheets of the Democratic party, whose editors
are more anxious to save slavery than the
Union, denounce all earnest members of the
Republican party, who are determined to put
the rebellion down at all hazards, and who
are willing to use the slaves for that purpose,
as abolitionists. The newspapers of traitors
in the seeding States, denounce all who are
in favor of the Union, as dboiitionists. For
merly, leading editors of the late Wing and
10 loIl H., of
the late Free Democratic parst. party organ
lied for the exclusion Of slavery from all pla-
ces. under national jurisdiction and for the re-
peal of all unconstitutional statutes enacted
for the benefit Of slavery, as dbolitionists.
But such use of the word is technically in
honest man you have no. right to make any
such use of the word.
Technically, within the last thirty years
there have been in the country two classes OF
abolitionists. The first class consists of VIM.
L. Garrison and those who have affiliated with
him. This class regarded slaveholding as the
greatest sin and crime. They regarded the
Constitution of the United States as pro-
slavery document, and constantly labored to
persuade the people to dissolve the Union in
order to get rid of slavery. The number of
this class is very small But they are men of
great ability, great earnestness, and pre- emf
ent in virtue. / do not think their whole
number has ever exceeded five hundred in the
whole country. There were formerly four or
five in Portland, of whom Peter w. Morrill,
and the late Oliver bennett were two. For
several years / am not aware that there has
been a single abohtionist of this class in Port
land
They have constantly refused to vote under
the Constitution and never have formed a po-
ltical party. For the most part they are nom
resistants, and have had no hand in bringing
on the present war, except so far as il may
have resulted from the truth they have dis
semminated in relation to the enormities of
slavery. BY their great earnestness, their
great intelligence, their sei-denyiDg virtues
and their persevering energy, they have done
more to open the eyes of the community 10
the gross barbarities and the revolving enor-
mites of slavery than any other class in the
community. With regard TO the great crimi-
naliiy of the slave system agree with Mr..
Garrison, and believe that with his vigorous
pen he has never been able to paint it SO bad
as il is.
But do not see any guaranty for slavery in
the Constitution. And i have always regard
ed their persistent efforts TO persuade the peo-
pie TO consent TO peaceable dissolution of
the Union, as extremely unreasonable and vi
sionary. To me the Union always seemed of
incalculable value. lis dissolution have al
ways regarded as synonymous with continual
civil war. So there is no cause to speak of
me as AN abolitionist Of the Garrison school.
The second class of abolitionists consists of
those who with Gerritt Smith hold that the pro-
visions of the United States Constitution in ia
vor of freedom and justice, were sufficient to
abolish slavery in the States; and that il has al
ways been the duty Of Congress TO establish
sucffiient number of Courts to set all the slaves
free. The number OF this class is also small
But these men are also men of great ability.
great energy, and preeminent in virtue. To
begin with Gerritt Smith. II he is not the
noblest man in the United States, he has few
equals. These men have differed widely from
tho Garrosonian Abolitionists. They have be-
lieved in political action. In the month OF
December 1889, few anti-slavery men met
in Boston and formed political party, calling
it the Liberty party" for the avowed object
of excluding slavery from the District of Co
lumbia and other national territories, and for
repeating all the unconstitutional statutes
that had been enacted in favor of slavery
This party did not claim any power to abol-
ish slavery in the States. Technically and
properly speaking, it was not an abolition par
ty. In lS40 this party cast about 1000 votes
for James G. Birney for President. 1t was
the nucleus of the great Republican party,
that twenty Years afterward elected President
Lincoln.
When this little party came together in 1874
to nominate a candidate for President, Gerritt
Smith and some OF his associates insisted that
the convention should declare that Congress
had power, and that that body ought forthwith
to abolish slavery in the States. The con-
vention of the Liberty Party refused to do
this. Gerritt Smith and those who agreed
with him seeded from the Convention of
the Liberty Party, and organized them
selves under the name of 1.-The Liberty
League" These were technically abolition