Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-03-17
G9atcbman & STATE Journal.
BY r. p. WALTON
MONTPELIER. MARCH II, 1865.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.

or more articles to the Waterman Truly,
the gentle dose OF medicine we administered
(eided perhaps by the nauseatng effects of
the Aattery Of the argus upon a very sensi-
tive constitution has produced copious evac-
ustions, and we hope our patient is now real
ly in :he way of improvement. 1t was not
pleasant for us to handle this case. We would
cooperate with our neighbor, always, rather
than censure him or complain Of him. But
when he repeated his censure Of tho Govern
or, and deliberately added censure Of the
President, for what we are surs was in each
case an honest and we'll considered movement
to hasten the contamination of the grandest
act this nation can ever perform. we felt it to
be our duty to arragn him, as fair warning
that ne cannot unjustly attack the Republican
Administration, National or State, nor bring
the curse of factions into the politics Of Yer
mont, without being held to some sort Of re-
sponsibility. That purpose we have at least
accomplished, and we hope we may never
have occasion for recurring to the topic
Now we propose to wind up the discussion,
if the editor Of the Freeman will, lawyer
like, give us the closing argument. And
first: the Freeman accuses US Of "a disrep-
utable trick" for emitting with unmistaka-
BILE marks of omission few lines in para
graph we quoted. No trick was intended,
and we certainly can see none now, after all
the light the Freeman has shed upon the sub
ject. TO safety every body who reads our
paper, the editor Of the Freeman included,
we now give the paragraph entire, with the
omitted portion in hdlic-thus
The truth we suspect that this extra session has
been called in obedience to commands from Washington;
and this is undoubtedly what the Watehan means by
It's highest authority" and best informed quarters
Indeed IN It paper soyt that Governor Smith had been
enPhati ally assured" by this highest authority"
" that eItfd should be called " t o0uid cost
double the estimated" 1t would be pleasant for the
tax payers Of Vermont TO learn'who this highest auhoT
y H. Who thus dictates to our Governor What s beoom
ing for the State But the Governor having yielded
this outside dotaton, SC fireman.
We quoted enough of that paragraph to
show, and solely for the purpose Of showing
that the Freeman was attacking the Presi-
dent; and the omitted portion only adds en-
phasis to the proof. If any OF our readers
doubted before that the editor of the Free
man was setting himself up little above
President Lincoln, as we'll as Gov. Smith,
they surely will not doubt it now. The
editor of the Freeman still says that our as
seftion that the President, and other high au-
T thori,ies, advized an extra session, justified
him in calling it " outside dictation - SO
: be lie still quarrelling with the President, and
in the absurdest way imaginable. Once more
we suggest that advice by the President, on
matter Of the highest national moment, is not
" dictation." The President in his military
: capacity can command subordinstes. and in his
civil he may direct in many cases but in 9TH
ers be adUizes. He advizes Congress be adj
, VICES the heads of Departments he adviges
the people, and not unfrequently Governors
and States, in his messages, by correspond
ence, and verbally. If the Freeman is cor
rect, he is a Dictator but in fact he is only
, President, and an excellent one, in spite Of
the bad taste and worse definition of the
: Freeman. Our neighbor does not yet see the
ridiculous position in which he has placed him
self. lie took position against an extra ses-
J sion to rstify the constitutional amendment,
, before the Proclamation had been issued, and
yet he denies practically the right of the
President to express a contrary opinion, and
affirms that it is " dictaton" il he does In
J deed indeed is the editor of the Freeman
really a Dictator, that the President should
seal his mouth, and the Governor bow in
meek submission, and the abolition of slave
ny in the United States be postponed to some
: future time not yet fixed by the editor afore-
said
: Right here we must notice the fact that
, the editor Of the Freeman says he did not ar
t que for an indefinite postponement, and that
: we " knew" it. We "knew" that his argu-
ment could be run into the ground by stating
, that Legitimate conclusion from it, and we Just
run it into the ground in that way--that was
. all. His argument. or rather assertion, was,
that the amendment cannot be ratified before
October, even If Vermont and all the other loyal
States should vote for it. Pray, sir, when can
it be adopted, then? Will you be so good as
to fix the time 1t still looks to us very
much like an " indefinite postponement."
Another point The Freeman thinks it
preposterous in anybody to look for the vote
Of Kentucky before October, because the
Legislature is yet to be chosen. 1t is to be
chosen in August the campaign is to be
conducted by the friends of freedom on the
amendment Of the Constitution as their plat
form the Governor is for it and it was I'M
derstood. before Gov. Smith issued his proc
lamslion, that the Governor of Kentucky will
at once summon the Legislature Of Kentucky
to rstify the amendment, if Legislature
, friendly to it be elected. Such result is not
only hoped for but expected. Does the edit
or Of the Freeman--as an anti-slavery man
wish to throw any obstacle in the way of such
a result Does be scorn and Aout it by
stale tale ~ doubtful dslicscyi We do
not believe he willingly did any such thing
We are sure, indeed, that he had no such