The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-08-14
The Identity Of the old Federal and
present democratic whig" parties,
AN ADDR ESS,
Delivered before The MOUNTAIN STATE Asso.
CITATION, at Woodstock, July 10Th, 1910,
BY c. G. EASTMAN.
[REpUBLIsHED BY REQUEST. ]

BY c. G. EASTMAN.
REPUBLIsHED BY REQUEsT.1
Mr.. President and gentlemen of the Association:
If were to consult my own private feelings
should not have yielded to the invitation 10 address
this Association with which you have honored me.
But, in times of great political excitement, when
the principles of the democratic party at stake,
it becomes the duty of every individual, who is in
terested in their triumph, to aid their success by
his pen and his tongue. Assaulted as those prnci-
pies now are, by Elschood and Misrepresentation,
by shouts, by clamor and huzzas, by pensioned
presses and brbed demagogues, ] should feel
ashamed of myself, if were not willing to stand
up in any place and at any time, and raise my voice
in their defence This is no time for faint-heart-
edncss or delicacy: no time to find fault with the
ability that God has given us, Ii is rather time
to put forth whatever that ability may be, in aid Of
the great cause we have cspouscd, and for the ul-
innate triumph of which, we are all looking with
earnest hope. The clouds that lower about the
horizon of our political sky are ofno ordinary black
ness. They poriend fearful storm, but storm,
that only demands of u.s. energy, frmness, zeal and
scf-devoon to withstand its onset, to bide our
time till it has passed away and the calm and the
sunshine come again.
I, sir, am u son Of the MOUNTAIN STATE
The earliest rccolections of my childhood, the first
awakening of the hopes and fears incident to this
mysterious life, are welded to the rivers and the
hills of Vermont Beneath her sky, upon my
mothers knee, first learned to lisp the tongue in
which am now cndcavoring to advocate the prln-
ciplcs of the political party to which belong
would defend the State where my slres were born
have lived and are buried, with the life her air has
nursed. | will defend her hardy and warm-hearted
ycomanry with what little intellect her halls of SCI
cnce and her teachers have developed, as long ms
live. | will start to her succor when assailed as
il Goals of fire were henped upon my naked heart
Being, as ! am, an enthusiastic though humble
advocate of the great principles of government
which lie mt the foundation of our Institutions, |
cannot have it, that people love and respect as
do the ycomanry of Vermont, should, ignoranly
though it be, stand up in opposition to those prn-
cpcs cannot bear that they should he deceived,
and pursue the wrong, when they honestly think
they are pursuing the right. With n few unfortu-
nate exceptions, | firmly believe, that the people
of Vermont venerate the great principles of democ-
racy as much as do, and abhor their antagonist
principles as much as ! can. The fields Of Ben
ningon Platisburgh, Chippewa, Brdgewater, where
the arm of many a gallant Vermonter, was barred,
and barred for the last time, in defence OF his coun-
try, will remain forever. to tell of the patriotism
man then assert, that the people of Vermont, gal
liant and true as hey are in the defence of our com
mon country, are knowingly leagued with band
of reasonable consprators, whose only object has
been to overthrow the liberties of that country, and
lead her back to the foot Of the British throne.
have no sort of doubt but that the grea, majority OF
the feemcn of this State honestly believe they are
on the old republican ground, nor have doubt
bu, that the moment they become convinced they
are not they will rctrnce their steps with the eager
ness and alaciy with which good men always
abandon the wrong and seek the right
| When two men find themselves differing upon
any subject and so materially too, that there is moi
one single point upon which they agree, and in a
short time find themselves agreeing upon the same
principle, with an agreement perfect as their for
mer difference, and that too, without the principle
having assumed new character and without ell
ther having changed; would not the position they
would occupy in relation to each other be rather q
singular one TO a spectators Let the body of the
wing party in this State call to mind for one
moment the difference of opinion that existed be-
tween themselves and their present leaders during
the late war, and the perfect agreement that exists
between them now, without either having changed
and tell me if their present position is not to sa,
the least questionable one. III assert to-day tina
all TnHl tVuitl, anu NY
all right angles are not equal, and Tomorrow w
agree that all right angles equal, it is matte
of absolute certainty that one of us must hav'
changed our opinion. And yet, this difference o
opinion between myself and my friend upon a sim
pie principle Of mathematics cannot be more es
senal than was the difference between the mas
of the wing party in this State during the late war
: and those who are now their leaders The mas
of the wing party, were warmly in favor of tn
war. Their present leaders were as warmly op
posed to the war. The former were straning eve
~ nerve to sustain the Administration of Mr.. Madi
son; aiding our gallant little army and navy; watch
ing with beating hearts every change in the politi
cal sky; shouldering their knapsacks and marchin
with a firm step and lofty brow from their home
TO battle by day and BY night TO suffer and to di
in defence of the liberties which their fathers hal
beoueathed them; whilst the latter were formin
Washington Benevolent Societies, holding trea
sorable meetings with John Henry, devising meas
ures TO trammel the government, resolving that
was unbecoming moral and religious people 4
rejoice at the defeat Of their enemies; voting agains
: returning thanks to Almighty God for the success
Of our arms. rejoicing at defeats and moulnln
over our victories. And when the Banner of tn
Stars tapped its bright folds over the crouch"d an