Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-08-15


si.ion held BY that lamented gentleman, in
opposition to the Hon. Justin S. Morrill, of
the House.
The canvass was excited and bitter, There
was very great danger, a. many people cup
posed, that it would lead 70 some permanent
division in the party, and was appealed to
to saw whether would not in order to save
further disagreeAble results, accept the posi-
ton now occupied by the Hon. Justin S. Nor
rill, and thus withdraw from the senatorial
canvass altogether, and have finally said to
some gentlemen that if it was the desire of
this District that the matter shoud be Lar-
nonised in that way, and that the worthy
Representative should take the place in the
Senate which have lately occupied. l should
hardly feel at liberty to withhold my sane
ton.
may be allowed to say, gentlemen, that l
had supposed that belonged 70 q class from
which Vermont has been wont to select her
Senators, and had hoped, in some humble
degree, to attain to the distinction gained by
my predecessors in the Senate, and to emulate
the examples of Judges Phelps, Prentice, and
Colamer. l did not desire to set up my owD
personal ambition against the wishes or choice
OF the people. If they desire me to serve
them in another and different capacity, it was
business of theirs-pot a business of mine.
l have another word to say, g entlemen.
Those of you who have been in the habit OF
reading the public prints OF late, must have
noticed that in certain ones there was la
bored and studied attempt to defame my pub
lie character. Gentlemen, | was born in Yer
mont. l have lived in Vermont every day of
my life when not casually away. claim to
have inherited all that spirit of liberty that
swelss in the heart of every true VermOnter.
1 believe that liberty should prevail through
out this country, and it's blessings be extended
alike to the high or low, the rich or poor, the
white or black-and l believe 1t as much as
any man in this State of Vermont loud
cheers.)
My political history is known to most per-
sons here. l was raised in LanoIlle County,
and was for a long time a member of the
Democratic party, though was always known
as anti-slavery man. was called an Alb
olitionist, and never could get the nomin alton
for States Attorney just because | WAS an Alb
olitionist (Laughter.)
When General Cass came out with his
Nicholson letter | refused to support him. L
was the candidate of the Free-sOil party in
lo4S for Lieutenant Governor of this State,
and from that day to this have never EAST a
single vote with the Democratic party From
that time forward l have identified myself
with and have steadily adhered TO the princ-
pc Vi WIG AsOpOOhCou potey- WIN nv o.
tive part in politics on the bench, but on e
tering Congress at the commencement of the
late session | was called upon to act political
ly. You have all watched, with some degree
of care, the course of all your Representatives
In Congress. l am not ashamed to have any
one point, or any single act, or vote, or speech
of mine during the late Congress inquired
into. assisted actively 10 the preparation
OF the Freedmen's Bureau and Civil Rights
bills. The bills were, IN u considerable part,
the production OF my own hand. l voted tor
them both in the Senate upon their passage
and voted for them both subsequent to the
vetoes of the President, and In every instance
have acted willingly and wholly With The
Republican party IN the Senate. How 1t
comes about that any distrust of me or my
course exists Is more than l know, and get
certain individuals have endeavored to talsIfy
my opinions IN the Senatorial Canvass.
day or two ago gentleman told me that
a prominent man IN Orleans County had been
In constant communication with W ashlngton
and learned that ! had been closeted with
President johnson every day during the entire
winter The fact Is that have spoken to
President johnson four times since | went to
Washing ton and the whole time | have con-
versed with him would not sum up more than
twenty minutes. The first time | him
to him-lhen | saw the President. When
Mr.. Bancroft came to Washington to deliver
has eulogy upon President Lincoln, Senator
Foot, who was Chairman OF that Committee,
wac Ill and unable to 60 and complete the ar
rangements. | went for him, and | then saw
the President. General Roberts, who went
out from this State, wanted to be breveted i
went with him and saw the President. |
went to ask the President to appoint your
one armed General Stannard TO the Collector
ship-and tnen saw the President, and that
was the last time | saw him. l never had
any manner of political conversation with the
President.
In reference to the President and his course,
| think when President Johnson adopted his
- policy " that he thought he was getting up
good one. The difficulty is, it has proved
an utter aud miser bile failure, aud stead OF
honestly owning the tact, he Is 30 wlllful and
obstinate that he will not abandon 1t. have
never entertained the slightest doubt upon the
question of reconstruction of the southern
states. They went out, and were declared IN
state of instruction. They divided and
severed the Union. Can anybody ask who IL
belongs to to reunite them? Ii Is to the peo-
pie through their Representanves-not to the
President. lie is not the man TO make the
! reunion. Upon that question | have never
had any doubt. l have ayowedly declared
the doctrine from the first to the last thai
without the slightest doubt the power of re-
construction belonged to Congress, and II
alone.
do not apprehend that feel any sympa
thy for President johnson. his course, or hi'
policy" and [ don's believe there IS any
man who has any Information that l have
| been closeted with the President. IS q
sheer LIE and the men ,Cho haze eUer SAID d
kne,o 1t to be so, But have already detained
you longer than intended to when assembled
| this platform. You must already know tn,
political sentiments l entertain. | have no
| been a stranger to the people of Vermont dur
ing the past twenty years, nor have | enter
| tanned the slightest doubt but that you knew
what my political standing was
VOICE -.'Didn't you vote with the Dem
ocratic party when you voted to admit Mr.
Stockton into the Senate?
OTHER VoICEs-(addressed to the person
putting the above question: d mt make
tool of yourself now - Shaw-that'
nonsense -" Drop that kind of talk, -
etc. ETC., etc.
Mr.. POLAND Very much obliged to yo'
for asking me that question. Mr.. Stockton
was elected-or claimed to be-from New Jer
sey. In the Senate we have no Committee Oh
Elections, but we have Judiciary COMMITTEE
which is composed of seven members, five Re
publicans and two Democrats. That Commit
tee after examining the case thoroughly wer
unanimous that he was legally elected. II
was elected this way. The Constitution
says q. S. Senators shall be elected by tn
Senates of the States. The law of the Stat
: of New Jersey was that Senators should
elected in Joint Meeting-answering to GU
Joint Assembly. Nothing is said in the law
/ A. II n