Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-19
HON. ]. A. PAGE, FOR TREASURER.
SPEECH OF HON. GEO, F. EDMJNDS.

I
plete the roll of delegates would occasion
q delay in the organization of the Conven
ton, the Committee had invited Senate
Edmunds to address his fellow-citizens a
this time: and, in few words of well
chosen eulogy. he introduced Mr.. Ed
| munds.
SENATOR EDNUNDs' SPEECH.
Senator Edmuuds, after an opening sen
tence of thanks to the Chairman. proceeded
to express the pleasure with which he had
) returned to his home, though but for day
and his qualification at meeting here SC
many citizens of the State who had in for
mer years been his associates in public and
political duties at Montpelier and elsewhere
| can almost imagine, said he, as | look
around me. that we are standing once more
in the halls of the State House to consult
and legisate for the public welfare. Yet
cannot forget that We are met in the old
Town Hall IF Burlington, where, as | 50
well remember, took place the first gather
ing of the first company of Vermont Volun-
teCrs for the late war. whence thew marched
for the protection of liberty and Union and
to which. alas, 50 many failed to return. |
cannot forget that here. at the close of the
war. some of our regiments, with well-wOrn
clothes and tattered flags, and with thinned
ranks and men with bandaged or crippled
limbs, marched back, to lay down their
/ arms, and to resume once more the honOra-
bic place and duties of private citizenship.
A. here and now we assemble for such du-
ties and amid such memories. it is not I'M
fitting that we should briefly review what
! has been accomplished and wrat remains of
or great work.
The rebellion ended at cost to the peo-
/ pie of 700, 600 lives, of is youngest and most
enterprising blood at the cost of 500. 900
of the same muscle and int liigence, who
| brought home to the walks Of peace the suf-
ferlngs and the diseases which the war
brought to them, rs a continual mementO of
sacrifices and OF honor. IL cost YOU the toll
of assisting in the l9iSng of almost three
thousand millions o. dollars, spent in the
war, and left you "a 4 legacy a national
debt OF about three thousand millions more.
q Ut party having achieved a victory greater
than ever seen before; having quietly dis
banded the create Il army of modern times,
finds itself now Confronted with the ques-
ton Is it our duty 70 still carry on the
work, or shall 1t be turned over to
some other party or combination,
whose purposes, as set forth in the
last national Democratic platform, are at
best evaslve, and whose sympathies as a
party. as formally expressed by them in "a
and rs and -, were given to the princi-
pies II has cost Us 50 much 10 overthrow.
The question i, shall we pledge ourselves
10 pay the debt. and keep sacred these
memories, or shall We turn the government
over TO the other party, in the expectation
thai they will redeem the national honor.
and hold sacred the heroism and sacrifices
that achieved our triumph. This i a
question. Il which. a. il seems to me, the
answer of every patriot by whatever party
name he calls himself, should he, Never,
never, ncrer. Applause.
1t l. for u t. remember, that the good of
the citizen Is part Of the good of society.
good government must kept sacred its
obligations, even d every honest man meets
the obligations Bi~ private station i'm
poses on him. Therefore | say that every
man who asks himself conscientiously
and fairly ms duty. waving all party
names, must say: the government must be
committed To those who will preserve the |
results OF the war. viii encourage every in |
dustrv. will bear taxation to meet the pub-
lie obligations. and Will 81 administer the
laws that the civil rights Of the lowest citi-
zen shall be a living reality, throughout
the land. Applause.
In order II secure these results. the Re- /
publican party adopted three great meas |
ures. 1t enacted by constitutional proyi- |
SionS. ,trSf, that slavery shall exist no more, |
S'coad. that every citizen shall have the |
protection Of the flag, and shall enlov lib |
erty and equality before the law and t6lrd.
that no man shall be deprived of the priv
lIege OF voting on account OF race. color
OF previous condition OF >eryitude These I
amendments, and especially the last. have
received the persistent assaults Ofthe Demo-
cratic party, in order to secure a return of
their ascendency. Think of it-a &" demo-
Cro''c' party declaring that there nav be
determinations among our citizens in their
right TO choose their rulers and to govern
themselves What would be said here in
' ermUnt. If We undertook to declare that
no man of German or Irish descent should
vote, though a citizen? Yet You find the
Democratic party ever by solid votes resist
ing that amendment. The Democracy.
North and South. hold that all the amend
mentS were not eonstitutionally adopted and
are OF no binding power. do not say that ,
they say so, now they dodge the ques-
ton a 10 some Of the amendments By say
ing that 1t i perhaps too late to disturb q
them. But II you put that party into
power, you must do 80 under fair notice
that every law in aid of these amendments
TO the constitution (knOwn as the civil !
lights and voting aets) will be repealed at
he first !moment the necessary majority 7
an be obtained. They will stand. If re-
urned to power, where the election of Mr.. n
Lincoln left them. They will be under the D
control OF the same landed aristocraey and
vii carry the country back for century.
Lhis i as well understood Al Washington. n
N both sides, as ANYTHING car be. :.
The Democratic party has gone further
a n
he Southern States, the past winter. of c.
ssociations OF planters. calling themselves :,
'atrons of llusbandry but with objects very :.
ierent from the Northern organizations u
1 that name, composed of men who were Il
etlve rebels, and who are banded to con. t
'ol labor and to reduce the cOlored men .
M the poor whites substantially TO their e
ID condition. by laws about labor contracts. Il
here Is, You know, large class at the D,
outh, who are not landowners, and no :.
etter educated than the negroes. The effect ~ :.
putting on the laboring man badge of -
v nership TO another, is to put a badge of hi
lshonor on labor. 1t was 50 before the ye
ar, and 1t Is so since. white man in
nat section Is contented if he has two or
free dogs and gun. which like to have
yself, though he may not be able to read y,
write. 1t may be little blame TO him =,
lat be cannot read. But he is clear that it NJ
improper for him to hoe his own corn. he
nd IN recent trip of thousands of miles
rough the South, in the time of active a.
ring work IN the fields. | did not see any,
here single white man doing any work ce'
It'll his hands. | was amazed TO find this
The negroes were everywhere at work: in,
ten white man was watching them. but ~,
white man at work. There Is still a pre- vi
dice against labor on their part, which eie
lst paralyze the prosperity of the South. |
not out OF place in mentioning this. tbs
cause 1t has TO do with what ou- country /.
list do, to enable the white man of the NC
nth to outgrow this prejudice. der
There Is something more. 1t is distinct |
understood IN some quarters that as soon
the Democrats can get power. all the po>
iyate property in the Southern state de. the
Dyed in the war, shall be paid for. But 4
three yetoes of the President, the prin- .ho
lie of the duty of the government to pay ''o
the property OF loyal men DESTROYED by gat
United States armies, would have been
ended to the property OF the late rebels. and
Is now boldly maintained that not only
st we pay for private property taken for
use OF our armies, but for every ounce the
rebel cotton and every rail DESTROYED in ner,
war. The question Tor you is whether -
desire TO 60 to work to help pay these "a"
ms. 1t not, then 60 to work to keep up eaci
r Republican majorities. A
hat Is not all 1t is coolly asserted that Lob
cotton tax, by which We raised about C ~
eco 900 during the war, and which was Gar
only tax laid on the Southern States. Dist
unconstitutional; and that the U. S. from
sury wall be called on to pay back that W
lty millions. To vote the Democratic w.,
ct Is to vote to pay that back. Tnere Ii
Washington an institution incorpo- NOV
d for the care of the orphans of United five
rs sailors and soldiers. The other day, 49,
n the usual appropriation of SIS, 900 '"e
TINS institution was up, member of
gress from Georgia, and one who fairly q.
esents Democratic sentiment. said that 1'
distinction In favor of the orphans of D.
On soldiers, and against the orphans of "
tederate soldiers, was, in effect. a bill of W