Green Mountain Freeman

For the Freeman.

Thomas H. Benton.

Friend Thompson: I was highly delighted on reading, in your last paper, the noble sentiments of that old, tried and faithful champion of Democracy, whose name I have placed at the head of this article. Oh! what a noble contrast does this language present, compared with that of the time-serving, miserable straddlers who have been crawling for years through the filthy slime of slavery—debasing themselves and disgracing their country—seeking the Presidential chair as a boon in the gift and control of slave-holders. And now where are they! Fogies old and young—Functus Officio, who lived and breathed only in their degraded servility.—Thanks be to God! they have been consigned by their owners and underwriters to one common grave of infamy, so deep and so obscure that no resurrectionist will ever dare attempt to exhume them. With one exception, they are gone, gone, to the tomb of the culprits—one only escaped—galvanized at the last gasp, by the embalmers, into an ephemeral existence, as the last forlorn hope of the leprous crew. He stands forth before his countrymen, a livid and pallid emblem—chained and fettered to a festering corpse. He holds out the delicious banquet to the people—aye, to "the Democracy"—and says to them, "come come, fall down and worship—for there is but one God (Slavery,) and I am his Prophet!"

Shade of the departed Jefferson! thou chief saint of the Democracy—how dost thy bones rattle in thy coffin at such profanation! And does not thy spirit "rap" indignantly at the call! Yes, thank God! and there is one medium thro' which thou canst be heard. Thomas H. Benton, the survivor! He yet lives, and breathes the pure air of Democracy; uncontaminated with the stench of dead and dying Hunkers. He lives, while Fogies die. He lives to rescue the standard of Democracy from its foul reproach; and high as heaven above the cringing doughface, whose bloody flag must surely trail the dust—shall he be borne aloft—bearing the banner of liberty unfurled till it waves in triumph over the land, giving universal freedom to man!

Democrat.