Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-03-28
TERMS: $3.50 PER ANNUM.

gentleman to yield TO me for O moment
TO have an extract from paper read.
Mr.. Woodbridge. / decline to yield
further.
Mr.. Chairman, thank the gentleman
nom Indiana lMr. WashburDl for caus-
ing to be read an article from the sweet
est of all our poets, John G.. Whittier, q
citizen OF Massachusetts, and an early
and earnest pioneec OF the antislavery
cause. 1t represents the true feelings of
that noble old Commonwealth, which is
a worthy representative OF the grand
old fathers who more than .wo centuries
ago upfurled the flag of freedom upon
the sacred rock Of Plymouth. From
that spot were disseminated those prin-
Ciples which were the key-notes of the
Declaration of Independence, and upon
which is raised our beautiful temple of
liberty. In the language of another
poet:
"Ay. call it holy ground,
The spot where first they trOd,
They left unstained what then they found
Freedom TO worship God"
1t also represents the feelings of the
people Of Vermont, a State born into the
Union amid commissions and difficulties
which would have intimidated and
awed men less brave and patriotic than
her fathers were, and preserving record
so pure that she is called the star which
never sets. Her people are already bur-
dened with taxation, but are ready to
endure more and suffer more when our
flag is assailed or our people cry for
bread. | have no fear for the little
Green Mountain State, and believe sir,
that every man and woman within her
borders would call their Representatives
recreant to duty should they oppose the
passage of this resolution.
The question simply is, shall we ex-
tend governmental aid to these starving
millions? Great God, has it come to
this, that the American Congress in this
century of the Christian era shall close
their ears to the cry of thousands of
their starving fellow-men for bread,
bread, when we have enough and to
spare When the people Of Ireland were
famishiDg Congress hastened to their aid
and appropriated money and provided
ships to carry food to the starving. Will
we allow it now to be said that we are
worse than infidels, and refuse to pro-
vide for our own2 | know there is
vacant chair at almost every table, and
broken hearts in almost every family at
the loss of father, son, lover or brother
in this dreadful war. The starving
soldier as he dragged his weary limbs
from the fetid prisons of the South the
MANNED soldier who goes upon crutches
through our streets; the hundred battle
fields, rich with the sacred blood of our
martyred heroes, cry out for vengeance,
but there comes voice from Heaven,
saying: vengeance is mine; l will re-
pay saith the Lord"
The tears, the groans, the blood Of our
heroes are bottled, and in Gods time
will be poured in inexorable wrath upon
the guilty heads who were the RESPONSE
ble iDstigaters of the terrible and cause
less rebellion. Already the incipient
curse is upon them. Their land, once
basking in the sunny smiles Of prosperi-
ty and peace, is now ruined by the rava-
ges of war. Their homes are desolate,
their fields are at waste, their industries
are destroyed, their wealth is scattered,
and gaunt famine stalks their streets.
When altars were reared to the un-
known God the conqueror dragged at
his chariot wheels thousands of the con-
quered to become his slaves; but now
that the true and living God has been
revealed, and "an eye for an eye and a
tooth for tooth" has yielded to the
sublime teachings Of forgiveness and
heavenly charity, let us, by the passage
of the resolution, show to the South and
to the world that with malice toward
none and with charity toward all, we
will pursue the right.
Believing that the proposition is just,
I shall vote for it, and hope it may re-
ceive the favorable consideration of the
House. And now, sir, having promised
gentlemen to do so, Imove that the
committee rise and report the bill.