Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-12-21


have the same privilege in his turn = ne
seized on the peculiar phraseology of my
subsequent proffer, "opening the meeting TO
Alanson ST. Clair, and all others, 10 say
achat they pleased, at iohdt time they pleas
ed: and as much as they pleased" All
discerning minds must see at once the de-
sign and scope of this invitation. The de-
sign of il was, TO throw eff all restraint, and
leave each individual to ACT on his own
responsibility. governing himself by his own
views OF fairness and right. But ST. Clair
and his abettors, like pack of children,
construed it into an utter throwing away OF
all rights and privileges on my own part,
and all obligations TO justice, fairness or
decency on theirs! Over and over again,
was told by ST. Clair, Blood and others, IN
reply 10 my checking them for their boylsh
Impotence and barbarous disregard of right
-"wly, you said we might speak when we
pleased and as much as we pleased."! My
uniform reply was--fso did; but in doing
it only left you on your own responsibility,
and to your own sense Of justice, without
| throwing away my own rights, or the rights
of others--at the same time it being under
stood that if you see fit to trampie on my
rights am 10 suffer it without violent re-
sistance." l. is impossible for me now 10
tell The number Of times they resoried TO this
whining justification for their gross outrages
upon good order and fair dealing. Take a
single instance Of the conduct CT ST. Clair
| in this direction. In the midst of one Of my
replies TO him, he arose and insisted on my
sitting down and surrendering The audience
! 10 him during the remainder of the session.
His plea was, that he had right to insist
on replying 10 the same audience to which
| had spoken. In doing this, he struck down
the same right in me which he was claiming
/ for himself - for was in the midst Of a
reply 10 an audience 10 which he had been
speaking! He persisted in his violence, and
| sat down. The act was worthy of The
cause and of the man. No man confident
Of the goodness of his cause, or Of his own
ability 10 do il good service, would have
| been guilty Of it. But he was engaged as
the champion of the cause Of violence. Ani
what but violence and outrage should have
been expected Of him2
/ Take specimen Of their violence IN an
other direction, or shape. After the friends
Of violent government were defeated in their
| attempts to force moderator and rules OF
decorum upon the speakers and the meet
ing, they seemed bent on convincing The
audience of the necessity of such violent
government. So, after getting up disturb
ances from time to time, they would close
them by saying to the Audience" see
now the necessity of moderator" At
length, as the last resort, for the purpose OF
shaming them into a course less ANNOYING
10 The audience, il became necessary 10 ex-
pose them, by stating TO the audience, in
plain words, that il looked as il these vio-
i lent spirits were practising violence for the
sake of getting an argument oul of il for
governing the meeting with violence This
had the desired effect, in some measure
One of the worst jars 10 the meeting was
between Friend Blood* and myself, brought
on by his violent interference 1t was al
the commencement of the meeting on Fri
day evening. ST. Clair had closed the pre-
Vious session, and il was my turn TO opeu
this. | bad taken the stand and was wait
| ing for the people to get seated. Blood THRUST
himself forward and commenced haranguinc
the assembly, 10 obtain an expression with
regard to the course The discussion was
taking - with view TO influencing and re-
siraining the The speakers. The charge was
that | had been off from tue question.
uttered few sentences, by way of remind
ing him and the audience that he was ou
of his place - that any expression was un
called for, and would be useless If obtained
After few moments of vain strife, yield
ed TO his violence and sal down. From this
time forward, they pursued different course
Twice they bad put me down with violence
They did not like 10 take the responsible,
of continuing their ou!rages before the PEG
) pie They saw that would not strive will
them beyond the point of asserting my right:
and showing the people distinctly where III,
right lay-that yielded to brute force. 81
: Clair arose in the midst Of my reply, lha
evening, as he had done before, and Gale,
on me 10 be seated and allow him to max
another closing speech. told him couI
not consent TO his right to any such thing
:, that could not yield the floor, unless con-
: PEELED by violence, as before. He did nc
like 10 take further responsibilities of tn