Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-10-27
RI TLAND HERALD.
MONDAY OCTOBER "a, 1854.
e.o,s, rnompson a, the Capital.
MONTPELIER THURSDAY EVENING, }
Oct. 20, 1854.

Oct. 20, 1864. !
Although the night was dark and
rainy, the spacious hall of the House OF
Representatives was at an early hour
nlled to its utmost capacity. SOFAS,
chairs, benches, and boxes were brought
in as long. as there remainded square
foot OF available room. At fifteen min
utes past seven o'clock George Thomp- |
son, Nj. p, attended by the President OF !
the Senate and Speaker OF the House, en-
, tered and took seats at the Speakers
e desk. ....r ...
Mr. Dillingham; arose and said A
few days ago the Legislature of Yer
mont by Joint resolution authorized the
presiding officers of the two houses to
invite Mr.. Thompson to visit the capi-
tai and address the members of the Leg
stature and the citizens on such sub
iscts as might be agreeable to himself.
In accordance with that invitation he is
here tonight, and it gives me great
Measure to introduce to you Mr.. George
Thompson of England, [Applause,l
We give the following abstract OF
Mr.. THoMRsoN's ADDRESS.
M,rs. President Of the Senate and SpsaSe''
If he House of Representatives, Citizens o.
Eostpelier, Ladies and Gentle"'e"
As the friend of freedom, as the care
MI and unwearied student of your his
tory as an admirer of your institutions,
asa dweller twice among you, who had
- .-.ar#iged to live amongst and learn
NOT from books your inner life, as one
who for the last four years has yindlca-
tod vour cause in England, / am happy
To address you on the present occasion,
and deem it a high honor to be thus
permitted. ~
have never before been permitted to
view the beautiful scenery of your hills
and valleys. and yet knew something
Of your history.-your heroic effort 10
oheolve Yourselves from the parent land
-vour conflicts with sister state your
champion who is commemorated by the
statue at the door who summoned the
British garrison TO surrender IN the
name of Jehovah and the Continental
Congress. fApplause.l / had heard ol
a Vermont judge who refused to surren-
der a fugitive slave unless the claimant
could show a bill Of sale from the AL
mighty. Applause l knew some
thing of your natural history-that you
had great variety Of snakes here, olach
snakes, green snakes, striped snakes
ringed snakes, but that you had no COP
prRHEAD snakes. [ereat applause ant
laughter. But you had something al
most or fully equivalent, a Right Rev
erend Bishop who defended slavery IRON
the bible. know also with what aiac
rity YOUR sons have volunteered to main
tain the cause of freedom and good gov
srnment-that you have promptly me
every call, and at this moment you hav
more than 1000 men over and above
ALI this | know, and have reason t
know, to my own discomfort your III
bounded hospitality, for l have learn
eHdt u uidn Has W Juch"SSN'S "
through the State. 4EH "af IT,
Sirs, I remember / am in Americ:
When the genius of Columbus discover
ed this new world he opened to one POI
tion of the race bright visions of wealt
and glory, and to another those OF Ill
utterable woe. The natives who
first had received the new comers
celestial beings melted away before the
rapacious and murderous invader
When the Caribs had all been destroye
by the hardships to which they ha
been subjected, recourse was had I
Africa. In that diabolical traffic N
own country was for three centuries e
gagged, and planted that deadly Upas tr'
which has rooted itself so deeply in tn
country. o see to it that in this giga
tic conflict, you cease not till you ha
utterly destroyed this tree root al
branch (Applause.) All history ow
mighty debt to Africa-but you ha
your adversary at home and you wou
do well to agree with him quickl
o~h oe"etcy HAS sOluCelAluS US,aiusO "
Make haste to be reconciled to yo
brother, and then you may hope to of
acceptable gifts.
Need / remind you what took pla
two and half centuries ago!
The Pilgrim Fathers came here in {
Mayhower, and planted the seeds
freedom and equal rights upon N,
England shores. Not far from the sal
time another vessel-a Dutch vessel
ascended the James River. It was
slave vessel-and you are now witne
Ing the conflict between the contents
those two vessels.
Can any man that has faith in q
doubt the result Of this conflict. l ,
not doubt it thirty years ago, when
abolitionists who put the ball in mot
might have all been gathered arou
that reporters table, and still have TO
to spare. And now when all the clas