The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-07-31

puE OlID w AShiNUfONiAN bENEN-
CLIENT SOCIETIES X THE PRESENT
WINDSOR COUNTY.
AN ADDRESS
Delivered before he MOUNTAIN STATE ASSOCIATION, at
Woodstock, July l9ih, 1910,
ny C.. G. EAsTMA
Mr.. President and gentlemen Of The Association;
If were to consult my own private feelings,
should not trouble you with any remarks of my
own. In times of great political excitement, when
the principles of the democratic party are 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 Assailed as those princi-
pies now are, by ialsehood and misrepresentation,
by shouts, by clamor and huzzas, by pensioned
presses and bribed demagOgucs, should feel asha-
med of myself, if ] were not willing to stand up in
any place and at any time, aud raise my voice IN
their defence. This is no time for faint hearedness
or delicacy: no time to find fault with the ability
that God has given US. 1t is rather a time to put
forth whatever that ability may be i'll aid of the
great cause we have espoused and for the ultimate
triumph of which we are all looking with earnest
hope. The clouds thai lower about the horizon of
our political sky are of no ordinary blackness.-
They portend fearful storm, but storm, that on
" demands of us, energy, irnncss, zeal and self
devotion To Withstand its onset, to blde our time
till it has passed away and the calm and the sun
shine come again.
| l. sir am son of the MOUNTAIN STATE
The earliest rccollectons of my childhood, the
frs, 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 prin-
cip!cs of the political party to which belong. !
would defend the State where my sires were born,
have lived and are buried, with the life her air has
nursed | will defend her hardy and warm-hearted
yeomanry with VIVA, little intellect her halls of sci
ence and her teachers have developed, MS long as
live. | will start to her succor, when assaed, AS
if coal of fire were laid upon my naked heart
Being, as am, an enthusiastic, though humble
advocate Of the great principles of government
which lie at the foundation Of our institutions. |
cannot have it, that II people love and respect as
| do the yeomanry of Vermont should, ignorantIy
though it be, stand up in opposition to those prin-
ciples. cannoLl pear that they should be deceived,
and pursue the wrong when they honestly think
they are pursuing the right. With few unfortu-
nate exceptions firmly believe, that the people Of
Vermont ycneratc the great principles of democracy
ms much rs do, and abhor their antagonist, prln-
ciples as much as can. The fields Of Bennng-
ton, Plattsburgh, Chippewa, Bridgewuter. where
the arm of many gallant Nermoner, was barred,
and bnred for the last time, in defence of his eoun-
try, will remain forever, 10 tell of the patriotism
and bravery of the Green Mountain Boys. Let no
man then assert, that the people of Vermont, gal
LIANT and true they are in the defence of our
common country, are knowingly leagucd with Il
band of reasonable consplrators, 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 great majority
of the freemcn of this State honestly believe they
are on the old republican ground nor have la doubt
but that the moment they become convinced they
are not, they will re,race their steps with the eager
ness and alacry with which good men always
abandon the wrong aud seek the right
When two men find themselves differing upon
any subject, and so materially too, that there is not
one single point upon which they agree, and in Il
short time find themselves agreeing upon the same
principle, with an agreement as perfect as their
former difference, and that too without the pInci-
pie having assumed Il new character and without
either having changed, would not the position they
would occupy in relation TO each other be rather
n singular one to a spectator? Let the body OF
the wing party in Windsor county call to mind for
one moment the difference of opinion that existed
between themselves and their present leaders du-
ring the late war; and the perfect agreement that
exists between them now, without either having
changed and tell Inc if their present position is not,
to say the least, questionable one. assert to-
day all right angles are equal and my friend asserts
that all right angles are not equal, and Tomorrow
we agree that all right angles are equal, it is mat
ter ofabsolule certainty that one of us must have
changed our opinion. And yet, this difference Of
4 ~,
pie principle of mathematics cannot be more es-
seniial than was the difference between the mass
of the wing party in this county during the late
war, and those who are now their leaders The
mass of the wing party, were warmly in favor Of
the war. Their present leaders were az warmly
opposed to the war The former were straining
every nerve TO sustain the Administration of Mr..
Madison, aiding our gallant little army and navy,
watching with beating hearts every change in the
political sky, shouldering their knapsacks and
marching with firm step and lofty brow from their
friends 10 battle By day and by night, 10 suffer and
10 aid in defence of the liberties which their fathers
had bequealhed them; whilst the latter were form
ing Washingtonian Benevolent Societies, holding
reasonable meetings with John Henry, dcvslng
measures to tranlnIel the government, resolving
that il was unbecon,ins moral and religious pco-
pie TO rejoice at the defeat OF their enemies voting
against returning thanks to Almighty God for the
success Of our arms, rejoicing at our defeats and
mourning over our victories. And when the Ban
ner of the Stars tapped its bright folds over the
crouched and humbled British Lion and from one
end of the Union to the other, from the gigantic
church where the thousands assemble from the cot
age of the aborer aud the heart of every true pa
riot sent up hymn Of praise TO the God of battles
one with tears Of JOY in their eyes smoothed down
the ruied feathers Of the bird of our banner and
mingled their songs Of joy with his wild scream oil
victory, while the other gathered about the crouch
ed and whining British brute, pated his fallen ores,
poured the oil Of British sympathy into his wound.
and mingled their grcans of disappointment with
his howl Of rage. A few years pass away, md 10