Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-10-26
SENATOR coLLAMER's SPEECH.

In compliance with resolution OF the
House. Judge Collamer addressed the Gen
eral Assembly, in the Hall Of Representatives
on Thursday evening. The Members OF both
Houses of the Legislature were early in their
seats. The lobby and vacant seats were filed
by ladies and gentlemen. Chairs and settees
were brought in to fill the open space On the
foor-and were flied in like manner. At
the hour, Mr.. Colamer commenced speaking
to n very large, intelligent and attentive au-
dence.
SIX years ago, said Mr., Collamer, l was
honored by an election as your Senator. !
took the post, and not without misgivings-
ard my experience in it has not le5sencd my
sense Of its responsibilities. The prerequls-
ties for the position are OF no ordinary Im'
portance. Every member OF the Senate Is
expected to contribute has share 10 the Dig
nIty and weight Of the body. Its duties ez-
tend not only to the grave aildus OF lesisla-
ton for the nation, but to the most lmpor-
tant questions Of international law ana IN
tercouse 10 the promotion Cl tre4Jios with
foreign nations, to the confirmation or reJec-
ton Of servants Of the people IN hlga o1ces
of trust at home and abroad. 10 July per-
form these duties, and to grasp ana guide
arirht the interests Of the nation, no orlln
~ ability will suflce-and any man may
well hesitate'belore undertaking TO discharge
them. Trusting to your charIty'sl entered
On the duties OF the post with such zeaI as
vou can Judge. How have discharged them
Il not for me TO say. reelection oil GO-
lie officers, who have served with reas0napie
fidelity. is SO much matter OF course IN TINS
State. that it is the less an expire sion oI es-
pecial confidence Still the promptness and
uuauimity Of this reelection, give me some
little reason to accept it as an echo OF a sen
timeDt Of public approval. l am deeply
grateful for the honor and the mark OF your
favor and accepting the appointment l shall
90 On, with something more OF experience,
bat with less Of manly strength and Tesolu-
ton, for know that age has marked me.
shall still claim charity and overlooking OF
errors at your hands; but my failures shall,
at least, not be for want OF good intention
Mr.. Collamer went on to say that he was
not called on to make a stump speech 10
that audience he need say nothing as to their
duty at the approaching election. Nor need
he follow what he considered the very poor
! example set nowadays, when II Is thOugtt ny
some that a man may tOot his own whistle
and stump himself even into the presidency
an Office once thought to be too high to be
either sought or declined. lie doubted the
success Of the experiment, and at any rate
there was no need for him TO follow it for
his election was over, and he believed they
had not even the power OF reconsidering It.
At this time when the subject of Slavery
IN Its relations to the welfare Of the Nation
is moving the length and breadth Of the Land,
no public man could long occupy the public
mind without taking up that subject or its
cOrrelatiyes, and on some of those cognate re-
lations OF the subject, he should address them
in familiar way.
1t was mistake, MIR. Collamer said, to
suppose that the present general dislike of
human bondage, Throughout the North. had
its origin in the influence or necessities Of
any party. 1t took its rise fir behind and
beyond the ezcitements of the present day
far back of the Republican party-Older even
that the Declaration Of Independence, it had
its ancient and honorable birth
The Fathers of New England, when in the
cabin Of the May-aower, they signed paper