Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-06-14
Presidential.
We give below the letters of J. G. Fremont
and JOIN CocnRA,E, accepting the nomination
made at Cleveland

| -NEN 1ONh, jan" ~ NOt.
GENTLEMEN In answer TO the letter which
J have had the honor TO receive from you, on the
part Of the representatives Of the people assembled
At Cleveland on the 3lst OF May, desire to ex-
pres; my thanks for the confidence which led them
offer me the honorable aud diiic III position Of
their candidate in the approaching Presidential
contest.
Very honorable, because 10 offering il to me
you act in the name OF great number OF citizens
who seek above all things the good of their coun-
| try, and who have no sort Of selfish interest in
view. Very dilic It, because 10 accepting tle
| candidacy lou propose to me ! am exposed TO tLa
rsptoach Of creating sohism in the party with
which have been identified.
! Had Mr.. Lincoln remained faithful to the pfu-
| ciples ne was elected to defend, no schsm could
ave been created and no contest could have been
possible. This is not ordinary election. 1t is
a contest for the right even to have candidate.
md not merely, az usual for the choice among
them. Now, for the first Time snce '16, the
question Of constitutional liberty has been brought
directly before the people for their serious con
sderaton and vote. The ordinary rights secured
under he constitution and The laws Of he coun.
try have been violated, and extraordinary powers
gave been usurped by the Executive. II is di-
fectly before III people now to say whether or
not the principles established by the Revolution
are worth maintaining.
| If, as we have been taught TO believe those
guarantees for liberty which made the distinctive
value and glory OF our country, are in truth IN
riol4by sacred, then here must be a protest
against the arbitrary vIoAilion which had not even
tne excuse Of necessity. The schIsm is made By
those who force the choice between shameful
silence or protest against wrong, 10 such
considerations originated the Cleveland Conyen-
ton It was among it, objects TO arouse the at
tenron Of the people to such facts, and TO bnng
4 them to realize that while We are saturltng South
ern soil with the be,, blood Of the country in the
name Of liberty We have really parted with it at
home.
To-day we 6aye 10 .hs countrylihe abuses Of a
military dictatoD, without It's unity Of action ahd
yigor execution. An admil.stIalio marked a.
home by disregard Of constitutional tights 65
its violations Of personal liberty and the liberty OF
I the press and, as a growing shame, by lts abtn
donment Of the night OF asylum, fght especliI-
/ Is dear to all iree nations abroad. It's course mas
I been characterized 0y iee5leness ard want q
principle which has misled European Power and
driven them to belief that only commercial III
terests and personal aims are concerned, and that
20 great principles are involved in the fsue. Inc
adm raoie conduct Of The people, their readiness
10 mske every sacrifice demanded Of them, then
forbe rance aGd silence under the suspension Of
everything that could be >-sp-nded their many
acts Of herojsm aud sacrifices, we're all rendered
iruitess By The ncapacity or to spesk more exac =
ly, by the persont ends for which the war was
managed. ibis nclpacity aud ,-fshnes7 natural
n produced such results as led the European
Powers, and logically enough, to The conviction
that the North, With is greatly superior popula.
tlou, is immense resources and Ia credit, vii
never be abb, To recover the south Sympalhies
which should have been With US from the outset
Of the var we're turned against Vs. and 10 th,
way ID. administration has done The country a
dJlbls wrong abroad. Il created hostility, Or a.
best Indifference, among those who would have
been il friends If the real interests Of the PEG lie
could have been better known, While at the same
time, Il neglected no occasion for making the
most humlliatng conc ssons.
Against this disastrous conoitIon OF sifirs the
Cleveland Convention was protest
The principles which form the basis Of lis
platform have my unqualified and cordial appro
baiion but cannot SO heartily concur 10 al. the
measures which you propose do not believe
that coudsc rion extended to The property OF all
rebels /. practicable, and if i were .o, do not
think % a measure ct sound policy Il is in fac,
a question belonging to the people I! emseye TO
decide, and is proper occa sion for the exercise
Of their original and sovereign authority. As a
war measure, in the beginning OF aleyolt viii h
might be queed by prompt severity, Understand
the policy OF c1nfscatlon, tut not as a final mea
sl 81
Instruction.
! Ia The adjustments which ate 10 follow peace,
10 cnnsder,joLs If vengeance can consistently
be admitted
The object Of the war is 10 make permanently
secure the peace and happiness Of the whole coua-
Try and there was but a single element in the way
Of its attainment. This element Of slavery may
be considered practically destroyed in the coun.
try, and it needs only your proposed amendment
OF the constitution To make its extinction com
peie.
T With this extinction Of slavery the party d.
vision, created by 1t have also disappeared, And
Il IN the history OF the country there has ever been
a lime when the American people without regard
To one or another Of the political divisions, we're
called upon to give solenn'y their voice in mat
Ter which involved the saiet, OF the United States,
/, is as,utedI, the present time.
II the Convention At Baltimore will nominate
any man whose past life lustifes well grounded
confidence in bis fidelity to our cordial principles,
there is no reason why there should be any di.
vision among the really patriotic men Of the
country. I any such shall be most happy TO
give cordial and active support.
. My own decided preference is to aid in this
Way, and not to be myself a candidate But il
Mr.. Lincoln should be reuomoated as | believe
il would be fatal to the country to endorse poll.
cy and renew power shic& has cost Us the live.
of thousands OF men, and needlessly put the
country on the road to bankruptcy, there will re-
main no alternative but 10 organize against him
every element OF conscientious opposition, with
the view to prevent the misfortune Of bis re.e,c
ton.
i In this contingency accept the nomination at
n Cleveland, and as preliminary step, have re
signed my commission in the army. This was
sacrifice it gave me pain to make. But had fol
loug time fruitlessly endeivored 10 obtain ser.
vice, | make this sacrifice now only 20 regain
liberty Of speech, and TO leave nothing 10 the way
Of di'charging to my utmost ability the task you
have set for me,
With my earues, and sincere thanks lor your
expressions Of confidence and regard, and for The
many honorable terms in which you aoquaint me
J with the actiors Of the committee, am, gentle
men, very respectfully and truly yours.
j. {. FREMONT
10 Worthington g. Snelhen, aud Others,
s GENERAL ooCHRANBs REPLY.
Nav YORK, June 1, 1864
GENTLEMEN-l have received your note inform
. ing me officially Of my n>mii alton by he radical
democracy at Cleveland on the 3ist ult., as their
candidate Tor Vice President Of The United States