Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-11-05
The Officers Reunion.

Last wednesday the tenth annual reunion
of Vermont officers was held at Brattleboro,
seventy-6ve veterans being pres mt. The
business meeting was held at the Town Hall
in the afternoon, Col. Proctor presiding, and
the following officers elected for the coming
year:
President-GEN. WILLIAM W. HENRY
Burlington.
Vlce-P Presidents Gen Thomas o. Seayer,
Woodstock, Capt. John w. Newton, St. Al
bans.
Secretary-Gen. James s. Peck, Montpe-
| lier.
Treasurer-Gen. Porley P Pitkin, Mont
peller.
Executive Committee-Capt. Fred E
Smith, Montpelier, Surgeon George Nichols,
Mortified, Capt. E. j. Ormsbee, Brandon.
| Montpelier was fixed on as the next place
of meeting, the reunion to be held during
the session of Legislature.
The society adjourned to meet at the
Brooks House at 6 As NJ.
Ia the evening the society under the
marshalship of Gen. VIM. Wells marched to
the Town Hall from the Brooks House, pre-
ceded by the Brattleboro band. About one
| Thousand persons were present. President
Proctor presided, assisted by Vice P. esident
Henry. Hon. L.. p. Poland, Hon. c. W.
Willard and Ex-Gov. Hobrook, the War
Governor of Vermont from 1861 to 1868, &C.
cupied seats on the stage The annual ad :
dress by Major j. 9. Tyler, which will be
found ou our first page, was then delivered,
after which the society proceeded to the
Brooks House for supper which was an ele-
CANT affair.
POSTMASTER Haskins read the sentiments
of the evening. The first I" Our Tenth An
nual Reunion WAS feelingy responded to
by Col Proctor. The second g Our Country
AMI it's Flag" Hon. @. W. Willard was call
ed on to respond to, as one of the staunchest
defenders of the good name Of our country,
in the halls OF Congress. Mr.. Willard re-
turned thanks gracefully for the honor OF an
invitation to this reunion. Not a soldier
himself, he was still proud to be their guest
Our country now needs no apologists. If
there was ever grain of truth in the motto
which called the constitution " a covenant
| with Death and agreement with He'll, that
covenant and agreement have now gone
| The constitution is now written all over with
| liberty. This the work of our soldiers made
possible and necessary. The spe .ker was
not quite ready to say "our country, right
or VIZ ing" The integrity OF our country
must be proserved but the patriot will also
give his devotion to that which makes it
worth preserving. The possibilities OF the
future, in the growth and developement of
our country, are amazing. We are, to-day
one people from the Lakes to the Gulf, with
one flag and one destiny, and we should
stand toge her in defence of the hag, with
| ull remembrance of what the new United
States is, and with no desire to return to the
Old.
! Hon l.. 2. Poland was called up to an
swer for - The President and Congress Of
| the United Sta tes." He sp Ike eloquently Of
our chef ma trate and said further As
! 20 Congress- | may be excused for feeling 1t
a delicate SUBJECT for me to discuss. Yet
will SAY that the two houses of Congress are
/ but the mOuth-piece ami represt NATIVE oil
the people. a great resp Dnslrihty rests on
them and il has been on the whole, faithfully
sustained But all our represen tatves have
t. lie selected from poor humanity, and 50
lar as my observation goes, very few are alb
:, lately perfect. When, at the close of the
war, We found ourselves with a Presi lent
who would have reconstruct he South on
I the very theory which caused the rebellion,
w: that we are Il mere confederation OF IN
DEF eudent 5 ate s1vercigntles, Congress
stood 10 the z ip, and IusIstet on guarantees
OF loyalty. rne last was an exceedingly
~
legislation was concerned, there has never
teen a Congress that performed its work
more faithfully than the Forty second. They
wound up it is true, y dong very foolish
thing. winch | trust they VIII take the f st
opportunity to undo. For that they have
been abused a mob AMI as swInd ELS. The
press has been responsible tor quantities o.
such abuse | see here present one, 10
whose paper read the other ny what pur-
ported to be statement OF he stationery ac-
count OF member OF last Congress. IL was
chiefly ma ic up OF sugar, lemons and soap,
sugar by the barrel, etc. 1t was al set torth
with circumstance This went tue rounds
Of the press, and no one cOntraiicttd 1t.
Doubtless many good people now suppose 1t
10 have been correct g atement. Fne truth
is that each member Is allowed SI25 We Y
tor postage and stationery Every item sup
Piled TO hun is duly charged, and at thA,
2 limit he must stop. | have often been in
the stationery room Of the house, and have
never seen there any lemons, or soap or SUI
gar. Is it well that our representatives
should be described as Il set OF pIiIaging
r thieves? Is 1t well to have C,ngress brought
t INTO dIstredit? The great mass OF our rep
resen atIves are upright and faithful men
not all, but most OF them. Is 1t well that
unmerited abuse should be poured on al
alike? 1t a law maker Is d serving of cen
2 sure, | care not how much he is whipped by
the lash OF justice. have done s)metbin;
at the head ot a committee of investigation
10 expose whatever was corrupt, whether ii
my own OF any other party.
Judge Poland closed by saying that h
found himself saying more than he ha
= thought to when he rose; but having en-
t tered on the subj ct, he had thought it bu
. right to vindic4te the body to which hi
e belonged.
S Col. Veazey answered for - The Gran
: Army o. the Republic:"
= The single condition of admission TO mem
;. beIshlP was that the applicant should bav
IN honorable discharge ami be an HONORABLE
man. Inc OrdnQ Army ara DOT ask cor
l. corning Il soldiers color or nationality, bu
n simply did he possess loyal heart? tn
only religion they knew was that OF patro
ism. They knew no rank, the drummer DO
and he who wore the double stars wer
al equally welcome. The very foundation W
X On which the order stands prevents it havlu
any political or caste tendency. If theI
was any object in preserving the stories
D. the camp fire, in keeping up soidlerly ir;
to ternity, and in bestowng charity in sue
n practical firm as protecting from the blast
of cold and neglecttul world the widow
l. and orphans of those who have sacrifice
lie themselves on the altar of their countr,
1t then this organization was a proper an
:, noble one, and for these reasons it appea