Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-08-28
From the Middcbury Peoples Press
THE HON c. p. VAN NESS, EX GOV. OF
WEIR MONT


From the Middlcbury Peoples Press
THE HON c. p. VAN NESS, EX GOV. OF
VERMONT
DEAR SIR:Not long since was perusing pam |
phle containing your address delivered before the adj
mlnlstration convention at Woodstock in May last.
must confess that was much surprised by finding
statements therein which did not accord with |
the facts for had heretofore formed very exalted
opinion Of your talents, and candor and knew of your
being noted Tor truth and vcracity while you Judge
of the Supreme Court and Governor of tho State |
1t appears to he the man object of your addresses
generally to convince the people that the present wing
party is the old federal party that formerly sup
ported John Adams and Alexander Hamilton who |
you say was in favor OF President and Senate for
e Now sir, if you will take the trouble to read the
9th chapter OF the "Olive Branch" by Matthew Ca |
ry you will find in letter from this same Alexander
Hamilton (whom you admitted, III your address at |
Mddlcbury, TO be an honest MANI to Timothy Picker
ing, dated September 10th, 1903, the following: "The
highest toned proposition which l made in the con-
vcniion which formed the U. s. constitution was for
President, Senate, and Judges during good bella
vor" And he strongly incrs III the same letter that
Mr.. Madison must have been of the opinion.
That letter also says "ncither the proposition thrown
out for debate nor even those votes IN the earlier
stages Of the deliberation considered evlden
ces Of definite opinion in the prOposcr voter. 1t
appeared to be IN some sort understood that, with
"vlcw to free investigation, experimental propositions
might be made, which were 10 be received merely as
suggestions for consideration. Accordingly it is u
"iact that my fixed opinion against Executive
"duting good behavior, on account OF the increased
"dangcr TO the public tranquility incident to the cleo
ton of magistrate of his degree Of pcrmancncy.
In the plan OF constitution winch drew up while
the convention was sitting and which | commune
"catcd TO Mr.. Madison about the close OF it, day
"or two after, the office OF President was of no long
ser duration than three years"
Ii we lake your honest Mr.. Hamlltons own words
as true, many persons might be led TO believe that
Old Federalism never was quite as bad as you would
be glad to have it, But, sir, as bad you represent
them to be, | never have known Of an instance where
any Of your party have refused 10 take them into
your ranks, provided they Will r0c as you wish And
your party have gone SO far of late as to nominate
for member OF Congress III the I'd District in YER
mont, which appears TO me as very inconsistent with
your argument. also have my opinion, that you
show to the world great share OF ngraude to those
old iedcaliss who used every possible exeron in their
power 10 elect you to the United States Senate in
1926, by casting them oft as rascay wings.
1t is admitted that John Adams abandoned his for
mer principles and embraced democratic long before
his DEATH and you admitted in your address at Mid
dcbury that John O. Adams was democrat, in order
to screen yourself from the charge of being wing
in lS2i-25, when you supported him for President.
On the 9Th page of your address you state that you
have some further land marks by which the old par
ties be distinctly traced and recognized. You say
that every state N the Union which voted for Mr..
Jefferson in 1900 and every state which sustained the
measures of MIR. Madison during the gloomy years of
1913 and 1914 voted for Gen. Jackson, and afterwards
for Mr. Van Buren, This fact of itself goes far tow
ard proving that for which am con,endlng"
In your address at Brandon on the 18th instant you
mentioned the above statement that you had made at
Woodstock and added that those states had voted for
Gen Jackson and Mr.. Van Buren,, for President
and you said also that 1t had been denied by any
OF the wings. | am now sir, under the necessity Of
informing you that your statement is absolutely and
positively false, but do not go 50 far to say that
YOU knew il to BIO false, but do say that at the time
that you we're at MIR. Shaw Hotel in Mddlebury on
the 9th of June last, and stad there during the day
and night number of the Mdilobnry Peoples Press
OF that date was in the bar room, where you
casonay during the day and evening" and in that pa
per ls poscdcnlao the correctness of your above
statement. In that denial is the following "Ihc
states Of Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and South
Carolina, voted for Mr. Jefferson in $500, sustained
Mr. Madison and the war in l9l3-l4, but did not ever
give vote for Mr. Van Buren, for presisent. Ohio
also sustained the war and Mr. Madison still never
voted for Mr. Van Buren, for President and l think
that those states voted for Mr.. Van Buren, for Vice
President he is still in the same dilemma for neither
South Carolina nor kentucky ever gave vote 10 Mr..
Van Buren, for Wee President. These are historical
facts, notwithstanding the assertion of the American
ship under Spanish colors in l6l3-l4, and wing in
1876, SO in the corner"
The vote for President and Vice President for each
year from 1853 to 1888 you may find in Walton's Yer,
mont Regist Register for 1885, taken from official re
cords from Washington published by authority and
printed al the Government Office.
On the same page of your address you say 'Let us
come to some proceedings which have taken place in
| Jul ONH sthlt. III 1919 TIC IcucTalStS obtained q
majority in the house of assembly but still retain
ed the greater number of the Council A resolution
was passed by the latter body and sent to the house
for concurrence, which proposed that the members
both Houses should convene on day mentioned, &c
offer up thanks to Almighty Con, for the victory oh
tanned by the American Army under Gen. Harrison
near the river Thames the combined forces of thu
British and Indians. On concurrng with the Counci
IN passing the resolution, ninety-ive (a the Repub
lcans voted in favor of it. and every Federast thcr
los voted against IT, Now these los war federaliss
Chat is for war with their own government, l affirm
that but one ever hns come over to party. fine
also that 80 of them dead but OF the rs Living
h ones, every man except the one already alluded to Is
u thorough going modern rhig" Now Sir, l affirm
@ that there iro of those l03 federas,s menone,
| from Addison County who now Van Buren men
they represented Monkton and Salisbury that year
r There were eleven from this county who voted wit
;. the 03, seven of whom dead, and the two iron
Starksboro' and Middlobury are now wings. Their
were also who voted for the resolution five Of whic
are now living and are all wings, they were fror
Shoreham, Addison, Panton, Ferrlsburgh and Wal
| rem There were two others from Leicester and VIII
ting who have died wings within u few years. Til
other two from Hancock and Lincoln have no inio
g. melton. There were from Chittenden county den
L. and fed. two of the 8 are dead from Jericho an
- Wes16rd, and from Richmond, Colchester and Esse
e. the members now living and are wings. Unde
N hill member il Loco, and Huntington both claim, an
r from Bolton have no Information. Ofihe feds.
I'd are living and are wings, and are dead, and Cha
C. lotte not known All the feds. from Washing to
T. County who are living but Waitsield one, are no
wings, of him have no knowledge. OF the der
an who voted in favor, the HARE and Calais membe
Q are now Loco and Montpelier whip Worcester nj