Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-10-25

BY special invitation, Gen Benjamin F
Butler, of Massachusetts. made speecl
before the assembly'st Montpelier, on Wed
nesday last week, at o'clock p. NJ. a
which hour there was an immense throng a
the State House, where he was receive,
with great enthusiasm. Gen. Butler en-
tered the hall attended by Col Geo. Strong
an officer Of his staff, and escorted by the
committee. He was introduced to the as
sembly by Lieut. Gov. Underwood. the pre-
siding officer and spoke about ihrty-five
minutes, amidst frequent bursts of applause.
His remarks we give verbatim below. a.
reported for Walton's Daily Journal, as fol-
lows -
1Nr, President and Gentlemen file Gen
eral dssemby Of The State Of Hermoa -
Deep, heartfelt thanks are due TO You for
tins too kind and generous courtesy of your
reception and tribute to services in the
course of duty to the country / accept
that tribute in behalf of my companions in
arms, who are now, as | ought to BE, in the
field in defence of your and our liberties
for our country--alI that we have to look
to in the future or to live for in tie past.
] have said, sir, that my companions in
arms are engaged in defensive war, and
II is so. Let us, for moment, If you please,
throw back the mind but single twelve
months, when we were the citizens of the
first country in the world in strength, hap
piness, peace, prosperity, tranquility, under
the happy constitution and wise government
of our fathers--so well formed, indeed, that
those who have tried their hand in the un-
holy work Of forming a better one, have
found it impossible, and have made no
change, save in the minor question Of office
holding. and perhaps i may say, a change
n making human slavery the corner stone
,t that constitution instead of freedom, /
which WIS the foundation work'o our faith I
'rs,--a change which we may be content to
cave to the Judgement of the civilized
world whether it is an improvement or not
Under that happy constitution, say, we
we're living in perfect peace and quiet--no
ortion of the country where the laws were
ot administered rightly aud justly under
he tribunals Of the United States-no por-
on of the country where instant redress in
curse of justice was not had least in ia
or of southern rights Iaughter.) And
hat, | say, has changed 1t TO this !? In the
mode, under form and under .
nose guarantees and safeguards which have
cen thrown around our elections since the '
of the government, the people !
the United States expressed peaeably at
Ic ballot box their viii upon the question Z
ho should rule over them for the consti,u- B
onal term of time, and that election fell a
BON one who, under that mode, was the &
ioiee of the people Of the United States.
That election was declared to be legal at o
e mouth of his principal competitor, who n
w is a fugitive from his native state, and ?
rebellion against her and the Union which al
swore to support, (Applause.) But
ih that change came what? Any change th
law? Any action on the part of the new th
Ter taking away any of the liberties of W
, country? No, sir But months before fe
took his seat we heard the mutterings s.
the storm which none of us could believe U
S breaking over the land. Threats we're he
de which none of US credited. We had or
lrd them before and so ofen that they W
upon careless ears. But at the moment W,
was inaugnrated the work was going on, fol
men who were not in contest for their fai
hts but in career Of mad ambition for ei.
iiical power, and when the present adj thl
iisiration was inauguraiea, some of the VIC
es which should have been a portion of wi
United States, undertook to do what
set up a government io~ themselves un- 20
constitution TO whi.h | have called er,
II attention as no improvement on the De,