Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-02-13
Freedom of Opinion and Speech.

people. tsspecial correspondent at Washington
telegraphs that paper that " distinguished rep
| resentative +" called the President the next
morning after the publication of the report of the
| reception of the colored people, and-substan-
tially-asked President Johnson what he meant
by his speech of the day before,-whethsr it was
to be interpreted as an intimation that he MIR.
johnson) was preparing to join the Democratic
party, or getting ready to make an issue with
the great part of the Republican party. To
this, II is said, the President responded, that he
had purpose of joining the party which opposed
the war for the Union-that he agreed, in the
main, with the U non party-that he expressed
his individual views to the colored people, but
yet held himself to be the servant of the people,
and ready to go with them, far he could
| cons!tutionally, in the work of reconstruction.
If this version of the Presidents position is
correct it may be fairly inferred from it, that the
President will advance as far and as fast the
people advance. 1t, ho viewer, throws greater re-
sponsibility upon the people, and makes clearly
their duty to express, all proper occasions,
their whole mind upon the subject. There is al
ways danger that President, who holds in his
gilt such immense patronage as our President
now controls will have followers and fatterers
who do not praise him because they believe the
doctrines he breaches, but because they hunger
for the loaves and fishes he has to distribute.
This class of parasites stand ready at all times
to affirm that every presidential uterance is the
wisest, most statesman-like, and most sagacious
that ever proceeded from the mouth of man. The
consequence is that the President is in great dan
ger of never seeing any criticism upon MS views
or policy, however erroneous or dangerous they
may be, and is cheated into the belief that his
course is satisfactory to the people, when, if the
people expressed their honest opinion, he would
| learn that it quite the reverse.
| What this country needs, and what our form Of
government makes peculiarly useful, when hon.
esty and in the proper temper employed, is plain,
frank, blunt criticisms Of the course OF President
and Congress, by men and presses OF all parties.
Newspapers and public speakers who ought to lead
or represent public opinion, under no obliga-
ton, moral political, to praise apologize for
any act of President Congressman because
he belongs to their party; and it is dishonest and
mschievoua to praise, such cases, for the thrift;
that may follow the fawning. Those who believe
the Presidents opinions are sound should
hesitate to say so, and to uphold them with all
the energy and ability they can command. Those
who believe them unsound, should not hesitate to
frankly and plainly avow that opinion, and freely
give their reasons for It. 1t is only in this way
the President, any official, can learn what are
the real opinions of the people. We have seen
many comments upon the opinions and actions OF
President johnson for the pa ST ten months, writ
ten, evidently, by those who disagreed with the
Presidents positions, yet expressed so gingerly,
and with such q deferential mannsr,-as much as
TO say, a. hope, Mr.. President, you will not be
hard upon poor fellow for not quite cordially
agreeing with your highness that they lost al
their force, and, as evidences OF public opinion or
as elements in moulding popular sentiment, were
mere ciphers. There IS certainly good reason
for this negative method of criticism. The Pres
ident is supposed to be the representative of the
ideas of those who elected him, and not they the
Representative. of his opinions He should re-
fleet and carry out heir views, and not they his
And how can he know what their wishes are if
they do not frankly express them? If there is
any disagreement, the will OF the people, and not
that OF the President, should be the supreme law.
We should like to see the people and the press
of the nation once fully emancipated from all
presidential or party tyranny, and become fully
Independent and fearless in the expression OF
opinions upon all subjects affecting the general
welfare. Then We might hope that what is well
done would be praised whoever did it, and what
was not well done would be condemned whoever
did that. Out Of this freedom Of speech would
We are confident grow a much purer state OF pol
tics, and much honester and more righ tous ad-
mnistration of government, in which the rights
Of man. the rights Of human nature, would be
rated as of far greater importance than the tenn
porary sxpedents and compromises of time
serving politicians.