Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-21

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treated, no matter what is the color of you
] skin. - do believe they mean this-th
most OF them | believe they mean hereaI
2 ter to wear their Democracy something NOR
Q than skin-deep. At any rate, | shall urg
2 and encourage them to do so.
, FellOw-citi7ens. | would not make to
? much of this New Departure. do not un
ders stand these gentlemen even to prOfes
any pen;tence for their past warfare agans
the Eqnal Rights of Men. / don't under
stand them even to promise that they vii
never renew that warfare | only under
stand them as pledged to this extent Ine.
admit that the three Republican amendment
to the Federal Constitution are now par
| Of that Constitution, and while they ar
there, they must be obeyed That | under
stand to be the extent of the New Departure
and | deem it worth a good deal 50 Ions
as thev admit that these Amendments are in
| shall feel pretty sure that they are no
likely to get them out. shall rest conten
that the rights Of all men, being citizens o
| the United States. are safe under the guar
antees Of the Federal Constitution.
Twenty-Five years ago. / stood ut the polls
Of the Nineteenth ward Of this city all one
rainy, chill November day, peddling ballots
for Equal Suffrage. | got many Wings to
| ke them. but not one Democrat. Again
in IS6O-not eleven wears ago i again stood
at my polls all day, and handed out the same
kind Of vote and do not remember that a
single Democrat took one. Some Republi-
cans. even, would not take them, but no
/ Democrat would.
believe in Human Progress | believe
| that men are rather wiser and better to-day
than they were , years ago ; and here is
proof of it. It is not two years since our
| first Democratic State Legislature withdrew
the consent gwen by Is Republican prede-
/ cess0rs TO the NNth Amendment, and by a
party vote. 50 tar as Ncw-lork could do It,
they tried 10 defeat til tt AmcndmenJ. Now,
we have a New Departure. Was it not high
time | think 1t was
Fellow citizens. ] am weary, weary OF tins
sterile strife concerning the fundamental
principles Of Republican Institutions. | am
tired of trying t. teach the Democrats the
4. B. Cs Of Democracy. | rejJiee To know
that they have taken a New Departure, and
tell Won that when they have once taken
il, il viii be a great deal harder to get back
to the old ground than to q on. Some one
says. Z. Isn't it going To put the Republl-
cans out Of power | cannot tell. I'm
mcdiately, / think not Mr.. Burke well
says - Confidence Is a plant OF SOW
growth. anl | think it will take some
time for the people To realize that they mean
this-somc tune for their own folks To real
ize it-a great deal longer TO make any
Black man believe that they mean it.
don't anticipate any sudden change IN
the relative strength of parties, because OF
the New Departure. Ultimately, l think,
il will strengthen the Democrats. '' Then,
one says, " y5u viii % out OF power. Yes
we shall some time, no doubt. Ii 1t he my
fate to 20 ont this moment. and every year
of NV lie thereafter 20 be in the minority,
p0wercss and defeated should still thank
GOD, most humbly and heartily, that lie al
lowed me % live in an age, ana % be part
Of the generation, that witnessed the down
fail and destruction OF American Slavery.
Prolonged applause
Fellow citizens, trust the day IS not far
distant wherein, putting behind Us the
things that concern tho Past we shall re
member that grand old Injunction Of the Bi-
bic. So Speak To tine children of Israel that
Chev 20 forward | am weary OF Lhting
over issues that ought to pc dead, that log
ically i~cre deai years agp When slavery
died thought that We ought speedily 20
have ended all thai grew out OF % by AZ
vcrsal Amnesty and Impartial Suffrage.
Applause / think still and, ID the
Democratic party coa cJc Impartial Suffrage,
the Republican party viii cOucede niver-
sal Amnesty II not, 1t will have but rerY
short lease Of power 50, then, friends,
to prepare for the new issues and new strug-
glcs that ysiby open before us In the
tunes not far distant, we snail consider ques-
tions mainly of Industrial policy questions
Of national alvancement-4ucs involv-
ing the best means whereby our different
PARTIES may through CD Iper.ti'n, or through
rivalry. cndcav5r to promote the prosperity,
the happiness and the true glory Of the
American people. 10 That contest, invite
you FJr that contest, ! would prepare
vou Aud 81. trustin. that tie blood shed
IN the past will bc "A sufficient at1uement for
the sins of the past; and that we are enter
ing upon a New Departure, not for one par
ty but for the whole cJuntry-a departure
from strife - harmoay. from destruction To
from d.-,lation t. peace and
plenty, | bid you, friends and fellow citizens,
an afectionare good night. Prolonged
cheers and applause.