Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-16

QueDce OF failure to adopt this amendment,
the President undertakes to help hi. case be-
fore the people by turning good Union men,
who believe with Congress, out Of Office, and
fills their places with men, either Republicans
or Democrats, who believe in his policy, is
there any such ground Of alarm in this
should frighten US out Of our propriety, and
drive US to doubtful and desperate expedients
The whole thing is founded in mistaken
lack of faith in the people. This has been
comm error of politicians and public men
always but the mistake is greater now than
ever before. and especially in regarding any
past experience Of The effect and power of po-
litical patronage as applicable to the present
condition of things. Iu former times. when
the people regarded politics a trade by which
certain men obtained a Eving-when the issues
between the parties about internal i'm
provemen,s. the public lands, banks, tariffs and
she like subjects, the real merits of which the
masses Of the people knew little about and
cared less-when they had no real belief that
the success defeat Of either party would
make farthing's difference with them or the
country, than body of stirring, active Of
fee holders to circulate the documents, hsr
angue the people, and GET out the voters, could
produce a very important influence upon any
election. But this state of things has 10 ex
istence now ,and no reliance is to be placed now
loug years were engaged in most desper-
ate and bloody war, which periiled the very e1-
isteDcs of the nation itself. The attention of
the whole country aroused and WAS kept
most painfully intent upon the causes and course
of the war, till it ended In the overthrow OF
tbs rebellion. Almost every family through
out the loyal North was represented 10 the
army OF the Union by some father, or brother,
son, and mourning and sorrow were carried
into almost every Northern home by the death
IF some dear relative in the army, by disease,
or on The still more cruel mode OF starvation
in prison. In this way the people have come
to comprehend everything pertaining to the
sublec, es fully rs the first statesman in the
land Nor have they since the close OF the
war lost any Of their interest in 1t, and will not
until the whole matter is put at rest. l have
heard il said here-I have read it. in the pub
lie ptess-that the great anxiety OF the people
was have the matter settled and get all
the States once more il to the Union together.
The people are anIious to have the Union
stored, and all act again together but that Is
not their great anxiety. What they fear (and
about which they are earnestly anxious) is that
they should not again be admitted until 1t is
m.de perfectly certain that they not again
to come under Southern domination, and that
no; even by combination with their allies In
the North can they again control tie govern
ment. The Union people Of the North are
not reyengeful or malignant, but they cannot
forget their martyred brothers and sons, or
their own anxieti.s md .orrovs. They cannot
forget the immense burden Of public debt i'm
posed upon them, and they are often reminded
IF 1t by the tax gatherer-al of which has
been brought upon them by the conduct of
the people of those States-to feel over-anx-
ious for their to participate in ruling the
that they are safe in doing so. Another
sol whcn keeps them watcnful and careful is
that almost every Union man in the whole
North, who has any considerable property, l.
ne holder OF the bonds Of the government,
which thsy feel would be pu, in peril if the
Southern men, with Northern help, could ever
again hold the control OF thi. government. IL
is not true, cir, that the Union people OF the
North are dissatisfied With the policy or the
action of Congress on this subject What
they do fear Is that We shall Iot stand firm to
the end Tney fear the effect Of patronage on
u.s. and they have far more reason to than We
have fear them. Now, NJ. President,
what luck do you suppose some Postmaster, or
Marshal, or Assessor, made by the President
cut OF a CopPerhead or simpering Republican,
would have among these people arguing for
lmmed late and unconditional admission of the
rebel States ? Tne idea is simply ridiculous.
Inc truth is that the Union mass OF the people
stand firmly with Congress in this matter, and
vii do so to the end, if do not allow them
to make issues against US by The adoption of
unbearabie measures. Our platform is firm
and strong. and all the Union party will stand
With and by US upon it unless ve, by our own
folly, let il j weak timber, or rather plank, to
frignten them from it. In this particular mat
ter of the patronage of The President, IL We
do hing made an
er for it. if the President turns out good Union
men because they sustain Congress and concur
with the mass of their party, and puts in Others
because they agree With him, he will raise such
a storm Of indignation against him elf emorg
Union uen not been Witnessed before.
he truth s that the President, if he entertains
any such design, cannot build up ior himself
AZ gAinst the Union party, Presidential party of
any considerable numbers without having in it
the men who opposed every measure for the
pulling down of the rebellion, VINO discouraged
-nlislments, opposed the draft, voted the wsr a
failure, and many other things of that character
This very fact will destroy his party if he en-
deav0rs 10 make cne. Where those men 90
the people will not. The people look upon the
thing as they did during the war-not as an or
binary question of politics, bui as a question OF
loyalty or treazon-aud if the President aban- |
doas the great Union party to form for !
himself, and his party is made up, as it must |
be in the min. BY the men VINO opposed the |
war, they will soon be the only men left in it.
Ii the Presiden, ambitious to have such q |
party as this, shall We deny nun The soillary peas
ure of few hired mercen.ries in the shape of |
federal othce-holders ifhu desires If he choses
10 make changes, so far my own State i. |
concerned, ne will have to make them from |
men who do not belong TO the Union party. |
have never yet heard Of Union man there |
who does not heartily support Congress. be- |
iieve my State is not singular in thi. respect |
but that the same will be found true of every |
loyal State. Let u then have faith 10 the peo- |
pie, stand firmly upon our principles, avoid all
false and doubtful expedients, leave to the |
President the full and free exercise of every /
right and perogativs, so that any |
action Of his, hostile to the party that elected |
him, if he can be guilty Of any, shall be with
out excuse. Ii We can keep from killing our
selves, have no fear Of the President being |
able to do 50, even if he entertains any such |
wicked purpose. Mr.. President, expect to be |
rebuked and lectured, here and elsewhere, for
opposing this amendment, know tha, one can |
hardly be allowed TO question 4 measure here
however injudeious or unwise he may deem it,
without mourning the charge of being . Cop
perhead, or Conservative, Johnson man.
have seen In a leading Republican paper a
notice Of my motion to reconsider the vote BY
which this bill was passed, in which il was said
hat had adopted the language Of the Copper
head press, and the Senator from Kentucky
Mr.. Davis) says my ideas on this subject may
be odd and old-fsshioned. l admit it but
they such have always been obtained in
Vermont. Mr.. President, do not know of
anybody who can sustain such accusations With
less danger of injury to themselves than Yer.
mont and her Representatives. Vermont has
always upheld freedom aud law The doctrines