The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-15
Brave and True Words.


The following earnest, eloquent, and nati'tic
speech was made by lien. Thaddeus stevens
at the convention which put nim in nomination
for Congress IL nomination which is cqniva lent
to an election
FELLOW ClrlzaNs have come tor the Pur
,.ose of thanking you and accepting your nolnI-
ration. 1t j. always gratifying to IA public man
to be assured OF the continued Confidence Of
those whose servant he is. but especially so IN
times like these when the wiseot men differ on
questions of policy. | had prepared to speak on
those questions, and to criticlse, not IN IL full
some manner but aS | thought it deserved, the
conduct OF the war and The present police OF the
Administration but in the last hour | have
hesiCated whether TO speak as bad intended
whether Ii were proper to crltlcisc now, III THIS
hour OF deepest gloom, NneD We know not
where our armies are, but know that they are
nowhere successful. But, whether we advise
the Government, or find fault with It, we must
all do everything to strengthen the hands Of
our nation. Let us not despair lie IS NOS all
sunshlue-lt has doom with JOY, adversely with
prOspcrlty-nor is the victory always to the just
human energy aud earnestness Will often "rest
from fate what would seen To belong to justice
alone. Possibly We have not yet suffered
enough but LEI no man latter IN his loyalty TO
his Government, no matter how he may criticI6e
It's policy for he who ialters now IS ii traitor,
not only to his country, but to humanity and
to his God
have not determined whether to speak as
had intended perhaps when We know the
result of these lew days may meet you and
speak to you. | have protested against the
present policy, not only to the people, but to
,,f, II md Nh
on he floor Of Congress: as those know who
did me the onor to read my speeches told
them that they were exciting too much lcnlty
at the request Of to-der statesmen--not one Of
whom, in my Judgment, has loyalty in his
heart. have accused tie prime minister to
his face for having gone back from the faith he
taught US, ard !rstead of arming every man,
black or whit, who would fight Tor This Union,
Withholding well-meanlug President from do
ing so until, Us we advance into their country
and our armies dwindle away from masma
and disease, they spring up behind us, and re-
lake what we had gained They still hold the
Mississippi. and threaten US even on the banks
OF the OHIO all because the slaves at home
are giving them no troubt-btcaues toe
are, at the point of the hayonet. keeping
them loyal 10 their masters instead of the Union
| have told these thlngssto the President and
Cabinet. and they replied it may come to
this Come 10 this ~ when 200 900 men
have melted away, and $4,000, 900, 900 spent
Come TO this n' when another half million
lives snail have been lost ,and blionsot dollars
more LAID upon you in taxation. | cannot and
WW not Stdnd miS-ond Il you elect me- shall
vote that every mar be armed black and white,
who can aid III crushing the Rebellion {; that ev
~ inch OF Rebel soil he taken and sold to paw
tbe debt OF dis war.
wit not 60 with the President in paying for
al the shtves-l Im not vote for his resolutl on
- 'cW ne! vote 10 pay for ANY slave Ut 4 ReGcl1
But Will uphold the Administration as far as
pOsslble-saying at the same time that it is all
IN vain unless they change their policy Would
1T moi be better that Is, 600 armed slaves should
lie UNMARRIED around the battle fields near Manas
sas than that your friends and mine should thus
be shere? The Rebels light have slain them :;
they would have saved us, and our own men
would have gone fresh into action and to victory
Yet ut this sympathzers with treason at the
North cry " AboRhOn ~ Abolition-yes |
abolish everything on the face Of the earth but
this Union free every slave-s every traitor
burn every Rebel mansion, if these things be
necessary TO preserve this temple OF freedom to
the world and to our posterty. Unless we do
tiIls, we cannot conquer item have spoken
thus in Congressman N the last week, after
few remarks Of mine, the vote was 81 To 70
81 agreeing with me, where year ago not fifty
could have been found &; aud it go back there
again, II We have any one left to fight by that
time, The tChols nation will be with me Either
we must pursue that policy, or the war will be
dlsgraccfully abandoned at last AMI our country
dlvlded-anl he is traitor who talks of d sep
aralion on any terms Again thank you
| have said more than inteldel when began,
less than expected last night ; but have
told you these things that, even if my principles
he ,crong they shall uerer be hidden.