Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-09-01
Address
TO THE REPUBLICAN VOTERS OF THE SEC
oNp CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

TO THE REPUBLICAN VOTERS OF THE SEC
oND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
The citizen of this country occupies po-
sitiou which no citizen or subject Of any
other government on tue face of the earth
occupies-it is for him 10 say what shall be
the character of the laws under which he
lives, and who shall administer and exc
cute those laws. He therefore lives under
a government of his own choice-under
laws he makes himself He is guaranteed
the privilege of altering those laws, and
changing those officers whose business ii Is
10 faithfully administer and execute those
laws. And it is The duty of those in author
ity 10 hold the shield of peace and protec-
ton over each and every citizen while he
discusses the propriety OF altering or chang
ing those laws, or OF the propriety, even, Of
dispensing with the further services of
those officers who hold that shield over
them. All these questions are TO be deter
mined at the ballot-box, and by the ballots
of the bad as well as by the ballots of the
good. Therefore, it is not enough that the
good citizen should quietly deposit his bal
lot in the ballot-box for in order TO in
SDcN
ficers and wholesome laws, it is his duty to
see TO it that his neighbor fully under
stands, and does his duty, so that the bal
lots of the good shall count in the ballot
box more than the ballots of the bad. The
Republican voter believes and has just rea-
sons for believing, that the Stale and Ma
ton will be more prosperous and its laws
better and more honestly administered in
the interest oft greatest number, and for
the greatest good, under officers represent
ing the principles OF the Union Republican
Party Of the State and Nation. The voter
looks back with shame and humiliation at
tie more than vacillating weakness of the
last Democratic administration, which suf-
fered a confederacy 10 be built up almost
under the very caves of the capitol, and the
flag of our common country TO be insulted
and torn down by traitors, and not a hand
raised TO prevent it. And the voter cannot
but remember, how in consequence there
OF, the country became burdened with a
great national debt, how the best blood of
the nation was sacrificed and the land filled
with widows aud orphans. Tho voter can
not forget, that had there been no Republic
can party that dared to risk the odium of
the green back, the tax, the dram laws, and
many other of the instrumentalities of the
war which they created, victory never
would have come. II there had been no
Republican party, there would be no free
press or free-speech to day, from the Potomac
to the RioG rande and four millions OF color
ed men, who are now freemen and citizen
voters, would still be in chains OF slavery.
Indeed, had there been no Republican party,
we would have had no nation to-day, reach
ing out from the Lakes to the Gulf and
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific Ocean-lhe
greatest and grandest the world ever saw.
The voter can also testify that whatever
of good name, whatever of prosperity,
whatever of character our country has
maintained for the last sixteen years al
most, whatever OF influence at home or
indebted for it 10 the Republican party.
These last six teen years have not been in
different ones. Greater and grander events
have TRANSFERRED in those sixteen years,
than have transpired in an hundred years
elsewhere; greater advances in human lib
erty, in the rights of mankind, in the estab-
lishment of constitutional liberty, in the
growth and development Of material pros
perity, in the administration of the power
of a republican government itself, and in
everything that pertains to free govern
! ment. The Republican party has. during