The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-11
" Woodman, spare that tree .
Touch not single boush
In youth it sheltered me,
And I'll protect now"
He STATES HIS POSITION.

found 1t perhaps more difficult than any in.
dlvdual In the United States, if not in the
word, SO tar as personal convenience or con
sloeiatlons were concerned, and personal and
political friendships, and domestic relations,
and kindred associations could influence, to take
ground against this rebellion. Many years in
the Senate OF the United States FRIENDSHIPS
ilao grown up, and the course Of public affairs
had clustered around me Southern sympathies
which gave me Il position in the Southern States
that no other man in the North or South held.
For myself therefore, found it more difficult
tor these reasons to sever these ties than any
other one could have done; but, in a patriotic
sense, did not find it difficult at all. [Checrs |
W 18th the very first booming of the gun that
hired upon Sumter, declared in moment that
was in the field against the rebellion. [Cheers. i
The first news told me there would be meet
ing in New York. flew there as on the wings
OF the wind, to declare my principles, that |
might summon my friends to initiate nv exam
pie. Amen.] l believed then that had the
Kissing, devllish, disunion serpent by the neck,
and now know have. Laug liter and cheers. !
When see such an assembloge as this, it tells
me more, 1t speaks to the heart more eloquent
~ than all the tongues of preachers and speak
erS than all the lessons the press can gve-it
tells me that the popular heart is sound to the
core Cheers. lsee before meand all around
me trembling old age leaning upon his staff
stalWart manhood, with strong muscles in his
arm-youth, ready to bare his bosom to battle
woman, with her gentle and anxious face.
pleading Tor her country-maidene, trembling,
,earlng that some great calamity awaits their
happy tamlly-and little children with their
cunning, inqairing eyes, wishing to know why
ri IL
Whte hairs talks so earnestly on a subject in
which they intui,ively feel danger, but do not
comprehend. All my fair haired bow, it is
that this Government NAV le saved TO Won that
Its blessings of liberty may not be wrested from
you, but that your little eyebails may not be
blasted, nor scared, nor your hearts wruno with
this accused destroyer, disunion that no evil
snail come to blast these fair end fertile fields
nave the monster disunion, as the infant Her.
cules hao the serpent, by the throat Let it
mss on-iet 1t struggle, with its convouted
1olds have it. Let it writhe in deathlike
contortlons, if it can, from my grasp. | grasp
III IN the name OF the peopie-ln the name of
liberty and hope and LAWN the name of hu
manlty and will strangle it forever. before |
release 1t. Great cheering. What are all
the miserable party tics of the day worth, COM
pared TO such Government? Parties shoot nm
from the Government, Government does not
shoot up from them. Party platforms, party
ties, and all that relates to parties, are as thu
IDLE wind, unless you have Government for
them to stand upon. And when your Govern-
ment stands fairly and firmly, then it is that
parties may take their rise, and make their ,s-
sues And they are useful-useful to watch
each other in a free Government-useful to nu-
ri!fy the political atmosphere which they some
times polute-useful as part of the machine
ry OF Government founded on an indenendent
Constitution | fee strong in the pride of nv