Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-08-29

II ~ IRONY kON - man.
Since some of the articles in this num-
Der of our paper were written, we have
come, by a fclictous dispensation of hui
man providence, into possession of one
of the circulars sent out through the
this town, and their allies, the Demo-
Gratis. The object Of this circular is, to
prove that Mr.. Atwood is what the
Democrats call "a TROOLY LOIL MAN"
We need not assure the readers of this
article that Mr.. Atwood's cote, given
against sustaining Congress, in the
State Senate, last Fall, is not in that doc
ument, as a part of the proof. 1t was
probably forgotten by the authors, or
perhaps it did not appear on the Town
Clerks books. What an unfortunate
omission!
1t is fair for us to presume that Mr..
Atwood is an honest man, and has acted
from his own convictions of right. The
question for Republicans to ask is,
Where have his convictions carried him?
Convictions of right, but not right con-
uictiOns, carried stronger men than Mr..
Atwood into the rebel army. Those
men our loyal soldier resisted with
arms, and saved the country from the
most direful results of thei Convictions
of right" Convictions of right led
some men in every community almost,
tn 10
possible support to, the government in
its hour of need. Such men we justly
oppose now, if our cause was and is
just. We claim that MI. Atwood was
by his UOte last fall what his feelings
were then. Nothing can be pointed out
which he did for the cause of the Union
which he was not in a manner compel
led to do. TO be sure, he did vote
to pay bounties to volunteers, that no
draft might be necessary, and there was
a reason for it. With him the reason
was we are justified in asserting, that he
had two sons, both eligible to the draft.
The only way to meet the possibility of
their being drafted, was to make a draft
unnecessary, by promoting enlistments,
by bounties.
No act in favor of the Union cause,
not prompted by entirely selfish inter-
ests, can be attributed to Mr.. Atwood.
He did not believe in the war
for the Union. He did not help it
he helped himself and his family.
Nothing was done by him which his
interests as an Opposer Of the aOar did
not req uire. Until his sons were liable
to be called on, he did nothing to aid
the government. When they were tout
of the draft his interest ceased. The
circular put forth with so much preten-
ton of truth by Mr.. Atwood's friends,
purpOrting to contain his ''war record, -
is a fraud and a cheat, even admitting
that such records as it cites do exist. 1t
is cheat and fraud because it gives
such record with the intention that
people shall be misled to believe that
Mr. Atwood did all which he did do,
out of love for the Union cause. 1t is
also cheat and fraud because it pre-
Il
tends to give "NIr. Atwood's war re-
cord" and only does give the portion
least reprehensible, and totally omits
all those things in his record which par
ticularly made him known to the people
here as having no sympathy with the
Union cause.
The authors of the circular do not
believe Mr.. Atwood did anything be-
cause of any sympathy for that cause,
nor will Mr.. Atwood assert it. If Mr..
Atwood was union man in feeling, OF
if he had been one, he might have come
out and asserted it, openly and bravely,
and at any time from the firing of the
first rebel gun to the present hour, the
Union men of this County would have
hailed his advent to their ranks with
applause. But they do not do that and
! it is because they have no reason to and