The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-06-10

courage, no less Ot urHueSS anu OF tnc
qualities tnat make good soldiers. The
fight we now have to wage is with thu giant
evils Of vcnalty and corruption. Under
q free Republican government where,
theoretically, at least, all citizens are
sovereigus, purity Of the ballot, fidelity
to public trusts, answering honesty in
the administration Of affairs by those we
elevate to offices Of responsibility and
honor, is now the great need Of the hour.
Sometimes it requires but little cour.
age to expose and oppose corruption.
But again it appears in high places and
surrounded by circumstances which give
it power to defy public opinion and bull
ly its way through to final triumph. Here,
comrades, is our duty. When politicians,
lawyers, merchants, mechanics, clergymen
and those who ought to feel themselves
the appointed guardians of right and just.
ice, shrink from attacking evils which
threaten the value and permanency of
our governmental institutions lest they
lose votes, or clients, or customers, or
impair their influence with their charges,
then let us step into the breach, ready to
be sacrificed, if need be, forlorn hope,
prepared to suffer political or social os.
tracism and welcoming even impugnment
of motives, if the cause demands it. As
in the service Of our country when she
was threatened with dissolution at the
hands Of traitors, we forgot SELF so now
let us be equally self.forgetful in this
great IN oral conflict which endangers the
permanency Of our institutions through
the rottenness of official administration.
We should now set our faces as steel
against all improper candidates for posi-.
tions of public trust. The conflict is still
FOR our country's welfare. 1t is ouly
transferred to another field. We must
not stop to wraDgle or strive for the spols
Of Office. We have nobler mission. 1t
is our privilege to fight for the right aud
suffer for the right. And great shall be
our reward in the development to which
we may attain, if We have the energy, the
courage, and the endurance, to fulfil our
mission. The sacrifice of possible honor
and emolument which we shall make, will
then entitle us to a place in the records
along side Of our dead comrades, whose
sacrifice Of their life's blood placed them
in the highest niche, if not of the worlds
HftlmnGpiffc iffcebhr "@hldh1 God Fl makes of the
deeds and characters Of men.
And this glorious service Of God aud
humanity, this noble conflict for right
and justice, belongs not alone to US who
fought for the maintenance Of the Union
when threatened by traitorous hands
Some OF you could not enter the lists as
soldiers. The prohibition of outward cir.
cumstances. or insufficient health, or more
urgent demands, was upon you. But in
the fight now before us, none are cxclud
ed and none are excused. We may all
alike labor and strive to bring into disrc
pute, and hold up to contempt and igno
miny that terrible disease, corruption
whose loathsome presencs is so prevalent
tanting the iairest aud the best, permeat
ing the whole system of our body polite
debauching the courts and cheating Just
ice, polutiug the church and pervertipl
its influence. corupting legislators an(
degrading legislation, extending even tt
the perversion of tiduciary trusts, unit
the government iu ali its departments
society in all its multiform phases, benev
oent institutions, and even the churcl
itself, seems to be one reeking mass O
rottenress and pollution.
| now call you to enlist for the pro
, lection of our beloved flag from thes
: worst of all enemies. Our duty is here an
: our opportunity now. Our active life
but span, at longest. How rapidly tn
, generations come up to push US from tn
> places we now fill. We are all on
t grand army, marshaled in serred hos
, and Fastening from the cradle to th
S grave. We may only pause in ou
G hurried march, to shed a tear owe
. the grave Of some comrade and irieu
n who has reached his destination beior
r us. AS the generations shall come,
@ their long succession, our survivir
4 comrades will pause by the side Of o,
e open graves, and perhaps, year by yea
S place the grateful flower over them whe
y closed upon us forever. Then they tc
shall pass away. Our names and dee
It will soon be forgotten, or only preserve
IT among the dusty records OF by gone day
lr while the busy throng Of active life, up,
d the earth, occupied with their own jo
d and sorrows, their own cares and anxi
10 ties, their own homes and aspirations, sh'
Of fit their brief season, and, 10 turn,
le succeeded and forgotten by those tn
a come after them.
lc Then, friends and comrades, let US n
7e waste the little precious time we havs
to seeking the empty baubles of earth
Of good that have only the heeting inter-
c, of one brief moment, while the Alta
Y, ment is possible Of the higher good
be selfdevelopment aud the priceless pr
r. ilege of couierrng lasting beucits W
de our race.
an Thanking you, Ladies aud G"nticm
ur for the courteous attention you have &
er en- me, | now yield for ceremonies M
,le appropriate aud interesting.
"A George Washington is accused Of OF
% be mating the scheme for a grand canal
:, - tween tho head waters Of the Chesapei
- -. and the Ohio. We remember that
10 w. wandered about in the woods z,
in deal when he was young man, and
I'D might as well have been dreaming of C
ws ais as anything else. But We do
~ think he should be charged with the (
oro pd scheme now trumpeted by persons
Of large views Of internal improvement
W. % make permanent investment of Fl
a,o thirty to one hundred millions of dol
70 in ditcbing the Allegheny mountains.
or we thought he was responsible for sue
~ project, we would insist Immediately
olu James Parton should write his lif,
49,, Cincinnati Commercial.
ngs The "salary steal" might have