Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-01-12
Vermont a Leader
In Forming the Liberty Party, TN
Free Soil Party and the Republican


Times, appeared in the Montpelier Journal of
| Jan. 81
Will the press of Vermont kindly pub
| fish this inquiry Are there any survivors
in this state who voted the Liberty Par
| ty," or anti-savery ticket, James G. Biz
ney for President, in 1910?
Their number which afterwards became
famous in connection with the growth Of
the Liberty Party in Vermont was 3l0.
| They cast no vote at the state election Of
that year, and it was very remarkable that
in the few weeks intervening to the presi-
Dental election and the great excitement
prevailing between the Wing and Demo
| cratic parties, that they should have polled
the first distinctive anti-slavery vote in our
state With no state organization, 1t was
really the spontaneous expression of few
| independent voters of that day. Among
them there could not have been one who
had the remotest thought that slavery in
this country would be abolished in little
| more than two decades. 1t is not probable
there is living today any of that number.
| II is possible that the late Hon. Daniel
Roberts of Burlington was the last surviv-
or. 1t so happened that the writer hereof
addressed and mailed note of inquiry TO
Mr.. Roberts on this point, and as it
proved, the note was written at the hour
of his DEATH Later a member Of his fam
| lily kindly answered the note but could not
give the desired information. Nor could
the Hon. L. E. Chittenden of New York,
the former friend and partner of Mr.. Rob
erts. These circumstances favor the idea
that he may have been one of the 319. In
1910 he was a resident of Manchester.
One vote was cast for Birney in that town
and he was one of those who had no fear
of voting alone.
The total official vote of our state at
that election was: Harrison 80, 440; Van
Buren, 1907; Birney, $40, and only seven
scattering. This vote will be found in
Walton's Vermont Register Of 1871, and is
the only presidential vote by towns which
l now recall as ever having been published
in Vermont register. Apparently there
are some errors as to towns but the official
canvass as to totals is no doubt correct
More than one-third of the Liberty Party
vote was polled in the two counties of
Orange and Washington, II and 90 respect
lively. The largest vote in any one town
was Randolph, %, but BrOokield gave is
and STAFFORD IL. In Washington county,
Watsield cast Is, Barre IL, Waterbury 10,
Fayston s, and Montpelier 3. In other
sections of the state Dorset gave II, Shafts
bury q, Westford Ii, New Haven II, Berk-
shire II, St. Adams 10, Weybridge 10,
Londonderry 8, Waterville Q, Putney Z,
Brookine 4, Mt. Tabor a. Lowell s. AL
bany o, Barton ), Bethel !, Woodstock 3,
a number of towns to ) each, and %
towns one each; 66 towns we're represented.
The growth in our state Of the antisav-
cry sentiment, or Liberty Party, as it was
called, was rapid, and in the next year,
| 1S41 they cast 1901 votes for Titus Hutch
inson of Woodstock for governor, 1922 for
Shafter for governor in 1874, but could
not quite reach that for Birney against
Henry Clay, for whom Vermonters had
great admiration. In lS4S there was a
landslide in New England and New York
of Democrats and some Wings to the Free
Soil party, largely caused by the two Dem
ocratic factions in the latter state, known as
Hunkers and Barn-Burners, and in that
year the Free Sellers in Vermont polled
Is, S37 votes.
Preceding and following this decade,
such men as John Quincy Adams of Mass
chusetts, William Slade of Vermont,
Joshua r. Giddings of Ohio and John p.
Hale of New Hampshire, were fighting the
anti slavery battles in Congress on such
questions as the Seminole war in Florida,
the Amistad slave case, the Right of Petit
ton, etc.
l have been led TO the above inquiry and
"Reminiscences by reading the proceedings OF
Free Soil reunion held last summer al
Greenfield, Mass, for Franklin county OF
that state. 1t appeared that this reunion as
sociation was formed IL years ago, with near
ly 200 members, though only IL were pres
ent at their last meeting, and this reminds
! me that the first political organization
known as Free Sellers was formed in thi:
state, and refer to it as showing another
advance step OF the anti-slavery sentiment
in Vermont. 1t was In 1S4S that six dele
gates in the Democratic state convention
at Montpelier bolted the pro-slavery action
J of that body. They were led by l.. e
> Chittenden of Burlington. The other five
had chosen him for that purpose, though
5 the youngest of the band, being only "a, anC
handsomely, effectively and faithfully die
he make the speech of revolt. The six
3 Field of Newfane, Charles l. Walker Of
Bellows Falls, A. j. Rowell of Troy, K. d
Barber of Brandon and G. d. Kasson o
Burlington. After Mr.. Chittenden's speed
the gentlemen Immediately retired to
o | room in the Pavilion and there Mr. FielC
= moved the organization of a new party Il
D., be called the Free Soil party, his motion
+ which was in writing, further declaring un
g compromising hostility to slavery and thu
e ways and means by which the pending
r campaign should be conducted. This mo
ton was adopted unanimously, and thu
was first organized in Vermont the Ere
# Soil party of the United States, as it ante
J. dated the National Free Soil convention a
j. Buffalo by several weeks. The abov
). named gentlemen are yet well remembers
by many now living for their fine abilities
fidelity and faithfulness to principle Tn
Hon. L. e. Chittenden, register of tn
d treasury department under Lincoln, is still
v a resident of New York city, author O
t several interesting books, and is the onl
J. survivor.
a 1t is announced that book Is soon TO b
10 published giving the origin, history an
k promoters of the Republican party of New
i England. This means the Fremonters @
k 1856, and here, too, Vermont will be foun
ION the firing line" In 1854, severs
state conventions were held, most of theI
f. at Montpelier, the Wings having held their
+. at an early day in June at Rutland Il
July mass convention was called at Mont
pelier, the call being addressed to all op
70 posed to slavery, This convention style
y and christened itself as Republican,
- and was thus the first Republican conven
ton held in Vermont and the Unite
Of States. The Wings and Free Sellers G
b. Chittenden county united in a conventio
be at Essex junction in May of that yeal
and nominated candidates for stata oans