Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-03-24
Jaa:;bmnr s STATE journal.
syn .P. WALTON, I,tn
MONTPELIER. MARCH "a. 1893.
POLITICAL PRUDENCE.


Our medicine to the Freeman still operates char
mingly; an immense amount Of poisonous bile has
been thrown OF, but il is not all out yet. Alight
dose will answer now. But first we must correct
a slight misunderstanding. The doctor should al
ways yield to the harmless whims Of his patient.
Last week we said, with what seemed to US to
be a demonstration, that one Of the Freeman's po-
sitions amounted to IAN indefinite postponemenp
Of the amendment to the constitution The Free
replies thus
We obliged by this persistent Misrepresentation,
again 70 say that The Watchgian wenever printed
what charges uponus. This IL what we did say-and
II answers the inquiry above, well as convots the
Watchman Of pNlpaole misrepresentation
The amendment requires the approval tsenty
Safes before It bccnmes part Of the Constitution,
Reckoning all he loyal ststes not YET having coed
against 20 for IL. and adding Tennessee. Arkansas
and louisiana and there will be but twenty Eve sta IS
atfying &c he ratification by Vermont will not there
fore make il the Law Of the land al present. OF before
lfhis is the method whi.h the Waa6pian employs
% run argument into the ground the trick is
which any INSCRIPTIONS editor perform II the
"achnlqH. however, is capable OF conducting news
apprehension with approximation 10 fairness, 1t
viii copy this Paragraph. and acknowledge that It has
misrepresented us -frecaan.
Well, our readers now have this thing exactly as
the Freeman put il, and still we do not admit
particle of Misrepresentation The Freeman puts
in all Of the votes of the loyal states, and claims
that the required twenty-seven cannot be had be-
fore October. Night it not just as well have said
that they cannot be had after October, until some
indefinite period when two Of the disloyal states
shall become both loyal and free That, we still
insist is just logical to stop at October, and
absolutely certain indeed If, as the Freeman
Il. l.. Il l.
changed from No to Aye, or had in some other
way, before October Now we remind the
Freeman again that it based its argument wholly
on gross injustice to the Governor, by counting
Kentucky and New Jersey against the amendment
when the actual fact was that the Governor called
the extra session upon an assurance and expecta-
ton that the votes Of both of those states could be
given for the amendment, and before October.
Add these votes to the % conceded by the Free
man, and you will have the q required to adopt
the argument of the Freeman utterly fails as a.
gainst Gov. Smi.h--the required q votes and the
emancipation of the nation could be secured be-
fore October" That was exactly what Gov. Smith
was after, nothing more and nothing less, and the
extra session was the contribution Of Vermont for
that grand object. True it is that this result may
be defeated by the unexpected action of other
states, but that is not fault of the Governor, or
OF Vermont. Both he and the State have done
what they could to hasten the great day Of deliver
ance and very moderate expenditure for hat is
what our anti-slayery brother complains Of.
Now, when the editor of the Freeman is exceed
ingy sensitive as to any thing in the slightest de-
gree unfair to himself, should he complain when
we ask-Why cannot he be fair 10 Cor Smith
In view of the political relations of the Governor,
Mr. Willard and ourself, as well AZ the anti-slavery
professions OF Mr. W, is it impairment in us to
suggest that the Freeman ought not to condemn
the Governor unjusty without respect to his reas-
ons and motives for an act which was not merely
well intended but purely in the interest Of Free
dom ? When we think we see an able, scholarly
and accomplished man, who is competent to give
efficient aid to the ideas and men Of his party con-
tent to play the part Of the dog in the manger as
to Gov. Smith, the President and his advizers,
or his own political associates, and even giving
( positive aid to their avowed enemies-may not we.
of the party, modestly suggest that It indi-
Gates " singular lack of prudence ~ The fact is
that the sight of the Freeman supplying food to
the Argus has suggested an old phrase which is far
more forcible than elegant--about feeding a bear
but we used no language and expressed no idea
that should subject US to censure.
The answers TO these questions we suppose are to
/ be found in another article in the last Freeman,
and, without quoting largely we shall endeayor
to give them in the apparent spirit Of the editor
Of that paper
To act in accordance with the advice OF the
Waterman would be, says the Freeman, e seryilt
subseryiency to party measures and menu 70 act
on ''the doctrine that the king can do no wrong :;
surrender Of % the right of individual udg,
ment, of fearless criticism, of independent ac-
ton y to say black is white !" to lie about Andy
johnson; to declare that corruption is honesty
peculation virtue, swindling fair dealing y to
muzze the press > and it is deInoralizng
pernicious and time-serving doctrine"
Now, is the Waterman SO thoroughly bad
Has it even provoked the editor OF the Freeman
by any unreasonable suggestion to assai it in tina
way? Whoever has read the Waterman for tn,
last few weeks knows and even the readers of tn,
Freeman, if they will but examine the very tex
from our paper, which so strange a commenta
ry has been made, will also know, that we hav,
not denied the right Of the Freeman to advice, o.
criticise, or even condemn the Governor shoulC
there be just occasion that we have not asked i
to surrender its independence, or the right o
private judgment that we have suggested that i
should extend TO the Governor not one ot or tittl
more of courtesy than christian gentleman /
bound TO give to another--the concession OF goot
motives, though he might have erred in Judgment
and Of common justice and fairness in criticsinl
his acts; and, finally in respect to party prudence
that it is hardly prudent TO set ones own poltica
friends by the ears, like so many fighting ours
and at the same time hand over to the enemy
whip to drive them from the field. For that
certainly for nothing more offensive than that
the Freeman has given to column, that nigh
as well have been entitled a comnentary upon
( Peter 2 1911. 1t has no applicability to us
nor has it even the poor merit of being an ngen.
ious evasion of the matter in issue between us
Shall we draw for the editor of the Freeman til,
picture of a carping critic, ever snaring at BIZ
friends-blind TO their virtues keen-scented fo