Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-02-21
yOr the Freeman.
Letter to the Editor Of the Richmond En-.
quirer.
BY A GREEN MOUNTAIN YANKEE.

BY GREEN MOUNTAIN YANKEE.
DEA9 SIR:-ln your review Of an articl. in
the Richmond Sentinel you hold the following
language upon which beg leave to oner few
comments. You say, "a decent respect for the
opinions Of mankind, required our ancestors. when
about to dissolve their political bands with Gr.s,
Britain, to declare the Causes which eomn.ll.d
them to the separation. Tat high, nobl, prece.
dent was not 10 lowed by these states, when in
the course OF human events II became necessary
to separate from the United States" You for.
'ner say, that the absence Of such declaration
has enabled our enemies 10 msrepresent our
cause, aud to place us before the world, a. a ma.
ton seeking not self-government, but the per.
ps'u''on and extension Of slavery why,
'aid Mr. Golden 10 bis recent speech at Roch
dale is there no such declaration Because they
have but the grievance that they want to sopsoli.
date, perpetuats, and extend slavery Thu, the
occasion OF the war has been misunderstood and
misreprsssnted, for its causes, and the rightsou,
noble object Of ssi-government, for which we are
lighting, kept OF, Of view, and slavery perpe.ual,
paraded before the world as the corner stone of
the confederate states
Now, dear Sir, do not reproach yourselves too
severely. /, !, no, to be expected that. people,
who have trampled upon tbs rights Of humanity
all their dayS, would have a very" decent resp, G.,
for 'hyopiuions Of mankind Had you bsen
decent set Of fellows We could no, make 40
much allowances but US it is, Yankees are dis
posed 10 be mognanimousi But after all il DOES
'sem passing strange you should have been 80
needless and reckless, Of that high and noble
precedent set by your worthy ancestors. )"
Perhaps as an alternative you can nov convince
the world il was q mistake, and so come in. for A
,hare Of the good "opinion. OF minkind in
general. But your aftsr-thought that, "Perhsp,
the time has passed for any such declaration Of
grievirCes 10 be either proper or profitable" may
be an objection TO such sn effort, We are dis.
posed TO give you credit tor 90 sensible A thought
Your great trouble appears to be 10 convinc c.
Great Britain and France ,ha, you are fighting
for the noble right Of selfgovernmsnt. You
oommerced lighting for the liberty to hold slave,
bu, +" the prospect Of securing that liberty /.
quite dubious, under the circumstances, and a,
Great Britain, and France, an ! the rest Of man.
kind in general are .Aah Slar,ry, you are ali
at once deeply impressed, (,s an alternative
though y with a" decent respect for the opio ion.
Of mankind" Thoughtful and r,a,ciiag indeed
When you charge your euemie, with continuAlIy
"parading slavery before the world" you make
sad mistake. Why sir-it was your own Vice
President, Mr. Stephens, that laid ,hi. corner
'tons Of your Couiedsraey. Hn. you forgot
ten hi. rropk'tic speech in the Georgia con.
vsution' You certainly do no. reckon him a.
one Of your snemi.s.' But again. Ii |, be
Necessary to convince the world, that We should
libcrss the negroes. and II thu. liberation can b,