Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-18

the nfet gushing tear le urieos VIC 6Eo C0lieo
in the providence of God, TO fresher grief 70
at the death of Judge COllamer, whom non
knew but to honor and love.
At that time Mr.. Foot was apparently il
perfect health. Els constitution was unim
paired by any exposure or excess, and hi
splendid and almost unrivaled physical devel
opment gave promise of many years of vigor
Gus and active life, for he possessed
"A combination and a form, indeed
Where every god did his SEAL
To give the world assurance Of 9 man.
In speaking of the life and character of Mr.
Foot, l shall simply attempt to do justice
Unqualified praise of the dead is never either
in good taste or truthful. Human character
is never perfect at best it is only good in
parts.
Mr.. Foot WAS born ia Corn wall, in the State
of Vermont, in 1902 He graduated at Mid
dlebury College with distinguished honor in
1876, and the same year became principal OF
the seminary at Castleton. He was tutor Ii
the University of Vermont in 1927 and again
from 1898 to 1881, principal of CastletOn Sem
mary, and by his earnest efforts and marked
executive ability gave such an impulse and
character 10 the institution that 1t ranked for
many years among the first of the classicsl
schools of Vermont. In the midst of his faith
full and arduous lsboTs as a teacher he devoted
the time usually given to recreation and the
refined pleasures of social life to the study OF
the law. and in 1881 WAS admitted to the ba r
IN Rutland, and imned lately commenced the
practice Of bis profession. For five years he
was member OF the Legislature of Vermont,
and tor three years Speaker of the House of
Representatives. From 1886 to 1912 he was
prosecuting attorney for the county of Rut-
land. He was member of the constitutional
convention which established the Senate as a
coordinate branch of the Legislature of Yer
mont, In which body ne actively co-operated
with his late colleague, Judge Collamer. From
lS43 to lS47 he was a member of this body
and declined third election. In 1850 he was
elected Senator of the United States, and &C.
cupied the position until the day of his death
Such is a brief recital of the pu bile and Off
ciai positions occupied by Senator Foot, en-
bracing period of nearly third of q century.
Born OF highly respectable but comparatively
poor parents, he Was by force Of circumstances
thrown upon his own resources, and early IN
life acquired independent habits of thought
and action. Without any of the adventurous
surroundings of wealth station or patron
age, without any of that extreme briliancy
OF genius which now and then startles and
dazzles the world, he looked upon life as a
great reality and upon success the reward
of labor He was rather solid than snowy
He lacked genius, but posse talent and
judgment. his qualities did not shine forth
like the greater lights in the heavens, but
there was IN them proportion and harmony
which gave moral grandeur to the man.
Hence Senator Foot was what We call a self
made man. l do not attribute to him any
particular credit for that. The term a. self
made man is much abused one There ls
no royal road to greatness. Every man who
comes to be power reaches it through per-
sonaI effort. The scholar is self made, and
becomes scholar through patient and ex-
haustIng labor and reflection The profess
slonal man is selt-made, and 80 lie the merchant
and the artisan. That Senator Foot succeeded
where weak will would have failed is doubt
less true, and hence the greater honor to the
man. As a lawyer, MIR. Foot was not learned.
As statesman, Re never seized upon new the
cries or ventured upon untried paths. As
political economist, he never originated new
ideas or developed old ones with extraordinary
power and yef, without question, he was one
OF the safest statesmen ana most judicious leg
islators OF the ago
He did not resemble the mountain, towering
to tie skies, barren and useless from It's height,
but rather the lesser eminence, whose summit
Is covered with the forest, and whose slopes
waive with the yellow grain. He did not re-
semble the terrific shower which destroys BY
it's violence, so much the gentle rain which
the earth drinks and then dresses herself in
new life and beauty.
God granted MIR. Foot one of the greatest
OF earthly blessings, a loving, praying, pious
mother, who early lnstilled into ms mind prin-
ciples of reverence toward God, obedience to
authority, and love of truth and through
long public life the great leading characters
TIC OF his mind, and perhaps the highest power
OF is character, was his de otion 10 truth
that high ethical truth which Is grounded In
the moral being and the fitness of things, ly-
ing back of and deeper than refnements Or
popuiarItles, reaching down to the inner ma
ture and elevating the moral forces.
: His word was as good as his bond No
social OF political combination or influence no
sycophantic hatterer; no dastardly and cum
ming Insnuator; no expectation of reward or
place or power, ever shook the truthfulness of
Solomon Foot.
az Amo ng innumersble f. Ise unmoyed
mistaken, unseduced unterrined,
His loyalty be kept, his love, his xesl
Nor number example with him wrought
10 swefve from truth or change bis constant mind,
Though single
Senator Foot was q patriotic man.
He loved his lana because il was his own
And scorned to give sught other reason Why
He cherished the principles of the DECLARE
ton of Independence. He believed that all
men were created free and equal and yet sub
or3Inate1 his acts and theories to the Consti-
tuition OF the land. Constitutional liberty was
his watchwOrI. and When by force of law all
men became absolutely free he was the ear
nest and fearless advocate OF those measures
designed to protect the freedman In all his
civil rights.
But, sir, when The first gun was fired at Fort
Sumter. and the cry To arms, " echoed
g. A.
tive State, hen the nobleness the patriotism,
the generosity of Solomon Foot shone forth
like star. Calmly and serenely he met the
issue, and everywhere infused into the people
his own heroic and enthusiastic nature. And
when at times during the progress of the re-
bellion the clouds seemed to lower about US,
bis faith In God and liberty never faltered
He trusted in the righ'. He met and per-
formed every obligation Of duty without fear
and without reprOach. The highest and
proudest encomlum which pu bile man can
ever receive is justly his. Popular Ut home
beyond description elevated by the people
to almost every Office within their gift be-
loved, honored, and trusted, he always and
everywhere proved himself an honest man
the noblest work of God.
He loved his native State To him there
was no air so pure as that which swept about
her mountains; water so sweet as that
which dubbed from her crystal springs no
grass 30 green as that which clothed her val
legs; and he now lies beneath che shadow of
her hills, where the wind sings his requiem
and the solemn old pines stand sentinels
over his dust.
Daring the long and bloody rebellion, when
su ffering and death entered almost every house
bold, no wounded soldier, no weeping sister, |
no heart-broken wife or mother ever called |
his wants Their suffering was his suffering. |
In sunshine and In rain In sickness and in