Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-08-09


but swceer than all this, is the smile of that guar
dian angel, as, invisible to mortal eye he looks forth
upon the first triumph Of the Orphan Boy in the
rough log cabin in the West The father of The
boy and the mother, sleep under the green sod, in
far away land, and yet the son. the rough clad
orphan son, has discovered the existence of the
mighty power within him--has made his footsteps
ring on the iron threshold of the lofty temple con-
secrated to fame. The guardian angel gazes from
the shadow that enwraps Its existence upon anoth-
er scene.
In a wide and lofty hall, spanned by magnif-
cent ceiling, enriched with the triumphs of arch-
lecture, with the morning sun shining through co
lossa windows, a strange throng of men are gath
cred, sitting in solemn deberatlon on the fate and
destiny of their land. From the North and the
South, from the green Savannah and the ice-capped
mountain, from the ocean. shore of the East, and
the rolling prairie Of the West, these men have
hastened as the chosen Representatives Of free
and mighty people. The matter in council is of
fearful moment-War or Peace Here are men
whose cry Is ever Peace Though the decks of our
vessels desecrated by the footsteps of British
outrage, though our flag is flung dishonored in the
dust by British hands, though our borders star
tied by the of the British Lion, though our ma
tional fame is loaded with scorn, our rights trodden
10 the earth, our liberties violated the religion of
our republican faith blasphemed all in the name of
the British, crying God and st. George to the res
cue, still the cry Of these men with side-long looks
and lowering brows is Peace Peace. at every risk
and all hlzards -Pe0ce! Others there are, with
honest hearts and firm hands, who dread war;
They rise on that Representative floor and depict
the evils of a continental war-the town laid in
ashes, the field desolated, the valley made waste
national commerce destroyed the wide land crowd
ed by the bodies of the dead, the great Heaven for
ever blackened by the smoke of the fight.
al Is doubt, disunon, and disnay Dorbt. while
thn of Britain throuuoI tIo
MON, while the red-coat armies are in our very Dor
ders dismay, while the first roar of the blood
stained Lion, whose proud threats felt the taons of
our Eagle in the year 'o3 dsmav, Will, the first
roar of the British Lion thunders in our ears Now,
guardian angel, look well upon your charge
While all is doubt dsunion, and disnay Leg.
lsator fresh from the ranks Of the people, arises in
his place, aud speaks his word of counsel TALL
sinewy, aud gaunt in form, his manner displays the
man OF eJucation-but, gaze upon his face Can
you tell the meaning OF that lull grey eye ? can
you read the mystery Of that towering brow p
Speaks the wide mouth with compressed lips of a
vascotng or determined mind? speaks the full
voice OF an orator whose eye is ever Peace or of
the patriot whose liturgy Of national faith and hope
and honor is compressed in the syable-War?
lie speaks Tor War; Aye with his proud form
raised to its full height, with his grey eye burning
like living coal, with his forehead all radiant with
mighty mind, he speaks for War; War for our
national hohor! war IN the name of the past -
War ut every risk, and at all hazards-War!
His words ring ecloing through the hall Traf-
fckers in national honor hang their heads in shame,
they dou fully start aside witt surprise, cxclaiming
in wonder-ls this The young backwoodsman of The
West?-they fearful raise their voices with The voice
OF the orator, and the cry rings to the very ceiling
| in Gods name give Us War;
Now, GUARDIAN ANGEL, look upon your mighty
ward and smile Look upon the advocate of ma
tIOu1I honor. standing holIlv in hot u
sentative Hall, and as you look, tell u.s. is this the
young backwoodsman of the West is this the or
phln orator OF the rustic log house is this the
stranger whose mother and father sleep under the
green sod OF Hanover?
| There came another day, when doubt possessed
the council Cf the nation. A band of brave men
were struggling in tar.off land for freedom
struggling against Turk and Christian, combined
in one unholy league of wrong; sir ,glInp over
the green graves of their fathers under the shadow
of mighty temples consecrated by the memories of
three thousand years still fighting and struggling
for life and liberty These brave men, with the
blood of their wives and little ones slain in merc-
less massacre, yet smoking before their ewes, with
the "Al Hu" of their renorseess butchers yet
ringing in their ears, sent to far land, where Lib
erly driven from the Old World made her home,
and begged the children of the Revolutionary Pat
riots to give them some little aid-to extend but a
hand TO their assstance-to recognize them as a
And they denied them. Yes the American
Congress refused the petition of these brave men
of the Grecan land
Then it was that this bold Backwoodsman of the
West uprose on the floor of that council hall. Then
it was that fire came to his eye and words to his
tongue. Then 1t was that with his stature undu-
latlng in all ITS commanding height, with his burn
ing brow flushed with solemn indignation, this Man
OF Ashland spake forth to the councilmen of the
nation his fiery messape-
| "Go home !"-he cried in a voice of thunder =
$50 home TO your fresides, frecmen that We are
descendants Of the heroes of Seventy six; PC
home aud when your constituents speak to you OF
the cause Of Greece, tell them with the blush Of
shame on your brows, that you dared not ackpowl.
edge the freedom Of this gallant nation! Tel
them-oh. be sure and tell hem-that We dared
not that dim visions Of scimetars and crescents
OF tuIbans and bow strings, scared you from youl
| duty! Tell them that Greece plead, and wept and
plead again at the very feet of your Goddess OF
Liberty, and that that Goddess gave scorn for tears
contempt for prayers Tell your constituents this
and let it be written down in the history of oul
land, that in tie year of our Lord eighteen hundred
and twenty tour--in the year of the Lord and Sa.
vour, who came to bring Peace TO all the earth
this Greclan land, oppressed, down-trodden, and
slaughtered, sent to The last home of Freedom il
the wide earth, asking the countrymen of Wash
ington for aid, and-uh shame on the burning dis
honor-they refused their petition, scorned the
prayers, and closed eye and ear on their solemn en-
treaties"
The man Of Ashland prevailed. The word wen
forth to all The earth that the land of the New
Noild Freedom gave its solemn sanction to the
) cause OF Old World Liberty, and with that word Of
sanction went forth the name of the advocate o.
the cause! Oh! it would make your heart warn
and hro5, and throb again, were TO call up before
your mental eye the mighty panorama of that strug
gle the shadow Glen, where thousands fell he