The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-20

IL
called it the Old Compass whose polarity Is free
dom, the chart of former patriots who built the
ship and knew its capacity, with which they have
navigated that glorious old vessel amid all the
storms of State safely into harbor." Liberty "
was then the magnetic power in that Constitution
to which he confessed attracted
He eulogized Thomas Jefferson's Ordinance of
Freedom, which made the great Northwest ire
vocably free soil. 1t was because the Constitution
was ordained to secure the blessings of LIBERTY,
that he took pleasure in declaring his allegiance
to it. And the Convention that nominated him,
to take the place of Mr.. Peck who held opposite
views OF the Constitution, said in a resolution
"We discover but one distinctive feature of the
Wing party in its present phase, as shadowed by
the present administration-.fdeity TO Slavery
and the maintenance of its supremacy and inUio,
tatl'ty we shall therefore oppose the Whig par
ty as to principles, it no,o processes none."
Can Mr. Redfeld with any justice now say that
he was then only insisting on fidelity to the Con.
stutone Was he not rather urging fidelity to
Liberty, and employing his rhetoric, his learning,
his logic, in the work of showing that in thus be-
ing faithful to Liberty he was obeying the Consti-
tuition both in the spirit and in the letter that
he was thus stripping the Constitution of the pro-
slavery rubbish of commentators, and taking it's
pure and simple text of freedom as the fathers
made it; that he was taking the Old Compass
from the disturbing influences of gambling, pro-
slavery politicians, and restoring it to its true
polarity (which) is freedom"7 What would he
have said twelve years ago, il an adversary had
attempted then to expound his text as he ex-
pounds it now2
But Mr.. r., evidently conscious Of the utter and
rreconcilable hostility between his views now and
n 1851, attempts to Justify bis abandonment of
he truths he then taught, by quoting the bred
Scott decision as an authoritative ad Indication
# the questions which he debated when formerly
andidate for Governor. But Mr.. Redfeld then
aid the cause of the " agitation in the country,
nd the danger of dsunion, was from "Negro
Slavery" Does he now hold that decision of
he Supreme Court has changed the fact and
made, what he then asserted to be truth, now
lie! Has that decision had a retroactive effect
nd authorized or compelled Mr.. r. now to write
abolition where he then wrote slavery" as
he mischief-worker in the Union ? Can the de- .
sion of any court make error truth and truth c
rror Can it change the "poarty" of the .
constitution, and justify Mr.. Redfeld in boxing
lie compass with its extra.judcial opinionsP And
hen Judge fancy utters his voice, does Mr..
.edfeld, whose polar star in 1851 was Freedom,
ecome unmagnetzed " by stress of circum-
ances"p Has he no voice of remonstrance,
hen the Constitution is thus shackled," when
avery is nationazed and Freedom localized !? 7
)oes he thereupon hasten to eat bis own words. .
take steps backwards" and desert bis pri,s- ?
piles " ? Is this the consistency of principle
hich Mr.. r. how justifes in himself AS we'll t
light he attempt to prove that the New Testa- = =
lent and the Koran are the same gospel.
We have taken some space in thus showing the II
in Mr.. RS political course, because
e deem it a misfortune to the community that o
IAN OF his capacity and learning, and who has once
cen the champion of Freedom, should become
lie advocate and apologist for slavery; and this
ore especially where the same slavery which he
nee SO vigorously denounced is striking at the =
cart of the Government, and all Constitutional II
liberty. Slavery has at last taken up arms
sainst the Constitution and the Laws and invo- {
ed its own destruction and every humane heart, y
very Christian sympathy, every philantrophie !
notion should take sides against the oppression