Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-03-18
tFrom the Montpelier Freeman.
Gen. Banks in New Orleans.


/ gurated ty Gen. BANKS in Louisiana;
when Mr.. Phillips attempts to make a Yer
mont audience believe that n. P. Banks is a tool
| in the hands Of Louisiana Shareholders and Sc
cessionists, he is splitting against the wind. Our
people have far more confidence in the fidelity TO
the cause Of free labor of the mechanic who has
worked his way to such high places Of power and
trust, and in the philanthropy Of the general
who lifted the tired little slave girl on TO his
cannon than they have in Mr.. Phillips state
ments''
Our purpose in calling attention to this para
graph in the Free Press is not to defend Mr..
! Phillips, as that writer will doubtless survive
this newspaper attack as he has many similar
and some more ferocious and dangerous ones,
/ but 10 ask the Free Press-which is an able
! paper, and a candid one when its feelings are
/ not too much excited-on what ground it defends
! Gen. Banks labor system The colored persons
whom Gen. Banks apprentices to those who were
/ but recently Shareholders, for very small wages,
are either free or slave. If they are slaves, Gen
Banks cannot be entitled to much praise for con-
tinung their servitude; and if they are free men,
| will the Free Press give US and its readers. he
authority under which Gen. Banks acts What
/ right has Gen. Banks to apprentice free color
7 ed man any more than free white man? Gen.
] DANk- may nave uttu y utEuhults hUl tuliAAtu
/ to great credit for having worked his way up
| from that position to his present one, where he
/ lets out. BY the hundred and thousand, men as
free as himself, but submit that the fact that
be was a mechanic is not sufficient justification
| Of his present course. We trust the Free Press
will favor Us with some additional reasons for its
faith in him
We have been little surprised by the r.
utation shown by some Of the admirers Of
Mr. Wendell Phillips at our notice of his
late lecture here. The Montpelier Freeman
above speaks Of it as q" severe" Our neigh
Dor of the TINES thought it 80 harsh and un-
generous and we believe some correspon-
dent of the Times went into ' state Of
mind" upon the subject, and applied we 10
not know or care how many bard names 20
it and US Now We did not know that we
had been very severe on Mr.. Phillips. We
certainly did not frV TO be severe on him.
We have no spite against that gentleman,
not a particle. But our praise was mingled
with censure Why not? Mr.. Phillips Is
the last man for whom exemption from cri-
ticlsm can be claimed he don't claim it
for himself He told his audience here Al
the outset that he should say thngs they
would dislike They did, the mass Of them,
dislike the latter part Of his lecture He
was not a. bitter here as he frequently Is,
and was apparently still less 50 at Montpe-
lier but he found fault with men for whom
we have sincere respect and We find fault ac-
clrdingly with him He is free to say he
has more confidence in Fremont and Butler
than in Banks or Lincoln. Very well. we
have more confidence in Banks and Lincoln
than We have in Mr. Phillips. and as good a
right to say 50. Phillips is brilliant, able,
eloquent, attractive, but he Is a man Of
strong prejudices, often unfair. a ra,lsr, a
destructive, puller down of men and things.
There may be need for such a man az times
but he cannot claim the respect and esteem
which j, given to the earnest builder.-the
man who has to show for his labor. not
pile Of ruins, bat worthy structure.
But we are asked by the Freeman on what
grounds We defend Gen Banks tree labor |
system. We have not defended that system
and do not propose to. We know TOO little |
about 1t. TO defend or condemn it. But We
have a strong faith in the truth, patriotism
and ability Of Y. ?. Banks faith founded /
on close scrutiny Of his course for many /
year,. We believe him to he b. man Of the /
people. the friend Of human rights. for |
black and white the foe Of slavery. aristo- [
crscy and rebellion. Intmations thar be is I
in sympathy with sece-sionists or Is carrying I
out some pet plan Of Mr.. Stewards '' or Is the .
confdant and tool Of Thurlow v eed. We
whistle down the wind as " stuff and non
sense" Mr.. Phillips possibly BY this time
may think he has been mistaken. He as
serted by implication. that Mr.. Hahn, the
new Governor Of Louisiana, was a pro-slave-
~ secessionist since then the mails have
brought Mr. Hahn's inaugural. in which he
SAYS
The Union Of these States handed down hv
our revolutionary ancestors, Is Of more value
han any fslsely-styled s'State-rights. especial
y when ''these rights mean sectional institu-
hons, founded on a great moral. social and
'olucal evil, and inconsistent with the princip-
es oi free government. The institution Of slave
y IS opposed alike 10 the rights Of one race and
NE interests Of the other; II is the cause Of the
present unholy attempt to break up our Gov
'rnment; and, unpleasant rs the declaration
nay sound to many of you. tell you that re-
,art its universal and immei ate extinction a.
public and private blessing
Of course God alone, and possibly Mr.
Phillips. knows what Mr. Hahn is az heqrf.
But tins does not sound like lover OF slave
Y. or a sympathizer with secession
Mr.. Phillips also told US, without an If or
'ut, that the blacks would not, and did not.
work under Gen. Banks regulations: but
gere lying around, starving in idleness On
he other hand, the official report of Colonel
tanks tells Us that " ne negroes trork :"
hat ''many thousand were employed at re-
wages; that ''at this date there
: not in the department single able-bodied
ecro who is not seli-supporting," and that
'thtre are now not over 200 souls. including
o orphan children, supported at the public
Expense IN the department" Now we pre-
er, even TO the assertions of an able lecturer
rom the Hub of the Universe, these state
lents by the Superintendent of negro labor.
n the spot, corroborated too by Coy. Hahn,
rho says, in his inaugural
The happiest results have already been wit
essed on many plantations now worked and
lltivated under the compensated labor regula
ons Of the distinguished commander Of this nil
airy department
OF course Gen. Banks may make mistakes.
ut he will try to do right, and will have
ood reasons to offer for any course he is
king. And if he does not come out all
ght IN the end, this will be the first time.
VIII the Freeman please credit extracts