Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-10-20
Mr.. Reyes Speech

we puOilHn the IOlOwlUg eAlTdCte nun INC
speech of Hon. Edward l. Keyes, on taking the
chair as Presld Mt of the Free Soil State Con-
ven,i,n The speech was received with reat
applause.
boldly say that all the great changes and re
forms IN measures aud public sentiment. which
have distinguished The ast four or FIVE years ut
the history OF this STATE, have resulted fro u the
organization Of our party and may not ascrlbt
that great event winch took place in foreign
land and when forms glorious epoch IN our
history to the same cause ? lmean of course
the glorious achievement Of our countrymen III
the Gr-clan seas, on the classic shores OF Asia.
, in n0bly CAUSING the stars and stripes to Illus
tr,tp and confirm the bUast which our Country
men have 81 luug proclaimed IN IT'S behalf. Ap
| pluuse and three :neers Tor Cap. lugra IAN 1t
was our party organization. which after the first
hurs of exclt passion had spent Itself. sfInu
lated and encouraged the geat Magyar 20 pour
OUT those foods OF + oquence which convicted
the nation If lis shot co"'ngs. anG urged tn
people to assume their proper posltio IS "A pow
ei on earth. And who do not ttei tIiat out OF
those lmpasrioned teachings has sprung thai
glorious acl, hich, tor The first time during
b. If century has illustrated The boosted charac
terlstlcs OF our people. Great enthusiasts. We
have long claimed to be the treest nation Oh
earth. We have also claimed to be brave and
powerful Yet we avr not OIL cursed on our SOIL
one OF the CREATES and worst !yranls that ever
dirkencd Inc earth, bat we have tacitly asSented
to tue establishment and perpetuation of tyranny
al over the world The stars and stripes have
A1a'ed ever every sea, but they have aft rded
protection TO nothing out Cotton bales and car
goes OF merchandise. 1t has at last however,
thanks to Gsd, accomplished higher destiny.
II HIS proved at once to be what II was de signed
to be. the beacon aud sword Of liberty Ap-
plause.l We have 50 often been called to beno,d
our republican ensgns devoted 10 objects OF IN
justice and oppression, aud to hear our boast.d
watchwords OF liberty perverted to the behests
of slavery and the slave power, that we had cu,ne
to d>trus', and even l,athed those once sacred
IN lxins of patriotic pride AMI enthusiasm be
queathed To US by our fathers But new epoch
has d,wned on our flag. The stars and stripes
are no longer the protection Of cotton Gags and
merchandise alone but the symbols OF terror 10
tyrsns, and of dellverance to the down trodden
and oppressed. Cheers The Visions VINO,
the poor and overtasked peasants OF Hungary,
Italy, and Greece, have had are OF distant
country, where all are born equal, aud where the
blessings Of liberty are universal and whose
flag carries deliverance To thu oppressed where
ever 1t flpats, aud when has kept awe all their
hopes, until the clouds OF despair began to gath
er. are at last fulfilled. they have beheld this
glorious picture Inc letters OF the lyrant are
on the limbs of a trembling victim, whose crime
Is only haired OF oppression, and love of freedom.
He lifts up his rupIorlng voice to those nations
,.,t, huvo n.J, Il A..
powers of the ealth, and no response Is heard.
tie sees in the future the dungeon and the stake.
A harnlt IS outcast, without country and without
friends, he beholds nothing hut obscurlty and
death as the reward of his devotion to liberty
But stay. The dag of IA nation which springs into
existence thousand years after those Others,
wh"se signals are floating on everv hand, APP
proaches. 1t comes charged with the spirl in
which II was originally c0nsecratud to the ger
vice OF rerdom. The letters drop from his llnbs
HIS counlrynen our counuymen, lrishnen. En-
gllshmen, Frenchmen, the Swiss, the Swede,
and the German, all rejoice. One swelling an
them Of applause rises from the heart of n crush
ed and bleeding world. Tn eyes of vast n,yrl-
ads are turned to behold the symbol which has
wrongh such an nposng and auspcious mira
Gle, and the rap'urrs on their lips they cxclaln
- II Is the stars aud stripes! Yes, the ars
auu stripes have spurned the status put upon
that banner, by the mlnons Of slavery. aud shine
brighter even than when Illuminated by The rays
OF rs. Applause. A new festival of liberty
may be Instituted to commemorate the new dis
pensaton, the names o. Kossuih the Presenter,
ard lngraham. will shine amid the halo which
shall surround It, Enthusiastic cheers Had
the men who now adorn our ranks never aban-
doned their old orgahlzation, the Wing party.
with It's selfish aud arIstoc,atic conservatism.
would still have had It's heel upon the necks of
the people of Mass. chnsetts, AID the Demncrat-
&c party, with ITS feeble and cherished minority,
would have been listlessly following he lead of
Southern slave drivers and demagogues, to do
their bidding, Tor the sake OF reward. [Cheers.l
On former occasions we have had difficulties
to contend with IN the nomination. OF candidates.
The men who we're best fitted to brco,pe our
standard bearers, aud whose brows we're already
wreathed with Immortal hnnnrs, were fitted also
to rouse the fercest opposition. Happily for us
duty and expedlency perfectly har,aonzed. The
man who presents the best claim 10 our nomina
ton Is Of all others the one VIII can lead US mos,
trunhanty through the contest. IAppause.l