Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-07-27
S. E.
Eighteen Years Ago.

touching Judge Poland's early polit-
ical history, and then decide in your
own mind, what you think of that
abominably wicked SANDER, which
says that he is politically unSound.
Decide also, what to think Of the man
who whispered that SANDER in your
ear.
"Not many men in the State or out
of it can show better or earlier rec
ord upon the cardinal principle of OPP
position to Slavery, than Senator Pc
land. AS between the Wing and
Democratic parties originally, it will
not be pretended at this day, we pre-
sumo, that there was ever any differ
ence on this subject. Both were
ready to follow where slavery led the
way when party ends could be served
thereby; and neither ever stood up
in manly and united opposition to its
aggressions. Hence, as a terrible
power in the land, it swept on, until
it felt strong enough to take up arms
for the overthrow of the government
and the severance Of the Union of the
States.
Twenty years ago or more, all the
freemen in the land belonged to one
of these great parties. Therefore
any accesSions since made to any
other party have of necessity been
made from one of these. As both
were equally corrupt and equally
welded to the interests of slavery, it
has not seemed to us Important at
this day to enquire from which OF
= them this man or that came. He
| who first detected the grand aims OF
, slavery to obtain entire control Of all
the affairs of government as a means
to further its own interests and lifted
4 up the voice of warning against it, was
| the most prudent man, and so far, Is
t the man for us. Hence we say all
: honor to the old Liberty Party. Few
in numbers, despised, condemned, rid
iculed as no party ever was in this
n country, we say all honor to it. They
= were the pioneers, the skirmishers III
; this great war Of thirty years against
r slavery.
Then there came the Free Soil par
: ty of 184S. The Wings had nominal
i ed for President Gen. Taylor, obedi
) ent to the demand of the Southern wing
Of the party. Gen. Cass as the n0mi
n nee of the democracy had written his
famous Nicholson letter repudiatine
the doctrine of the Wilmot proviso
and so the two parties, as always be
j fore, were carrying on the campaign
d of that year, in the interest of slavery
). Under this state of things the better
< men of both parties cut clear of then
! old political alliances and organized
under the banner of "Free Soil, Free
1t Speech and Free men," In New
y York they were led by such men a.
;, Preston King + u Cnlvar, and 3 F
d Butler; in Massachusetts by John G
:, Whittier, C. f. Adams, Horace Mann
and Stephen C. Phillips; in New
IL Hampshire by John p Hale, Amo
u Tuck, and w A. AIarston; in Ohi'
N by Salmon ?. Chase, E. 5. Hamlil
h and W. A. Roberts; and in Vernon
l. by Horace Everett, s. 5 Brown. Wn
Slade, O. l.. Shatter, and Luke p Pc
" land. The first meeting ever held b
s. this new party in Vermont, was a
IS Hydepark, on the 20 of June of tia
Sc year. Mr.. Poland, then thirty-tw
ID years Of age, was the leading spiri
49, in this meeting and served as chain
~ man of the committee on resolutions
Il For the benefit of those who doub
st the sincerity of his sentiments, eithe
ur now or then, upon the sebicct Of slay
of cry, we hanscribe the first of til
- series Of resolutions reported by hi
on this occasion -
III ResoIred, That every principle {
re- justice, humanity and republican free
he dom is opposed to slavery as wicke
ut in itself, destructive in its efforts upo
H. free institutions and grasping and il
tolerant in its policy towards the il
terests and principles of the peopI
of the fr zee S t t e 5; and h a
it is the duty Of every friend Of fire,
dom to use every legal and constit
he tional means to arrest its progres
IT. and provide for its extinction
he The democratic State Conventio
IT,, Of that year, held at Montpelier c
le- the 18th of July, was stormy one
J." the scene of hard fight betwee
Oh Hunkerism and Freesoilism. Hunke
ee, ism was triumphant and the free so
I'd, men proudly withdrew and immed
re- ately organized a meeting elsewher
ty Of which Mr.. Poland was chairma
he They issued a spirited address to IL
ed people, and called a State Conve
ra- ton to be held at Middlebury on til
of first of August following. In IL
lat Middlebury Convention, we still fin
Ia Mr.. Poland acting prominent pan
NC serving with the committee on res
Is lutions and receiving the nominate
on of the Convention for Lieut.. Gov. "
ial should like to give extracts from Il
ng resolutions, but it is needless. ST.
6 fee it to say that they were brimf
ty. of the spirit of equal rights and equ
be- justice for all. Not even the resol
in tions of our late State Conventi(
ne, were more pointed, earnest and tie
ip- ing.
sh- Here then is the position whi'
he Judge Poland took eighteen yea
in ago. 1t is the sentiment of Vermo
,ar to-day. For the sake of maintainil
me and promulgating these views he Il
7e; large and powerful party. At t
cut ensuing session of the Legislature,
ma was unanimously chosen one of Il