Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-07-07

| send them peacefully away. That man the
leader Of the opposition TO Chittendcn and the
Aliens. He was young and able lawyer who had
recently into the STATE. who suspected but was
not in the secret Of the negotiations with the ort
You might suppose they hestated lest ne might
expose their plans and advance his own party py
| their ruin. rot for one moment. They sent for
him. laid open the whole matter and asked his AID.
Ana he was true rs steel-swept aside every other
consideration. and applied himself TO the WORK IN
hand as earnestly II he had been responsible Tor
all the dealings with the enemy. St. Legers note,
the dispatches from Enos and his COlOneis, were
placed in his hands and he retired. The next morn
ing these papers were read to the Legislature ana
the people. There not word in them relatl =
| TO the armistce or the negotiations with Haldi-
mand- not word upon which suspicion could DC
founded. The excitement ceased. Legislature anu
| people went about their ordinary business The
fall OF CORVALLIS soon followed ST. Leger and ms
army went back TO the place whence they came,
and once more the infant State was free from dan
ger. 1t isdue to history that should say that the
| young lawyer to whom refer was Nathaniei0hip
man.
10 my mind there is a nobility in this HI Oh conf
dence between opposing party leaders IN the lnte
fty OF each other which taxes them OUT u the am
OF party and raises them into the purer atmosphere
OF patriotism.
| II l had the time would refer you u several
| other incidents. One would show you how pr mpt
they were to forgive honest error OF Judgment N
one Of their leaders. How. instead OF conoeinhhS
him TO political disgrace for, it as we do now they
only took him more closely to their hearts, sure
| that he would not make that mistake again.
| would also refer to some Of the principles de-
clared in this first constitution-ts declaration 81
years in advance of the nation that government is
| for the people, without Partially or prejudice
against any particular sect, class or denomination
| OF men whatever"-that "all men are born equally
iree-that no person shall be held as a slave-thai
no mans religious opinions can be controlled by
law-that aifirms the right to bear arms-the right
to trial by jury-the right to hold papers and prop
erty sacred from the grasp OF the bah or the ferret
eyes of the detectve-that ii is the duty OF every
man to have some profession, trade or isrin-that
public service deserves compensation, put where
the profits of an office lead many TO apply ior II
| they ought to be lessened by the Legislature
principles for which we have substituted the per
nicious doctrines that public Office is official spoil
and thai there is personal ght TOO sacred 10 pe
Invaded to overthrow political enemy.
| Bur must not weary your patience, ana my case
does not require further proof. have established
fairly ! think, that thorough freedom OF thought
and independence of judgment, perfect unity Oh
action in public affairs prOmptness amt CELEBRITY o.
action, justice and Kindness in dealing with honest
errors vi a public servant, were qualities ior which
our ancestors were nguished anu by the use oi
which they attained success.
| And they possessed another quality o. which |
ought TO give you some illustrations. You may
call it judicious selection. the skil which alsay
selects the light for a place, the choice vi the
httest-or by whatever name you please.
This power ofselecton IS Of the hi CHEST which
men can exercise-the test Of human ability-iOr no
man from the Great Alexander 10 our own great
soldier. who did not possess it. was ever success
| We have school in physics which declares that
the economy Of creation IS based upon this princ
pie Of selection, and 1t has many able advocates.
| nave not time to cite cases. l Will refer you to
history for them.
| Twin sum up the argument on this point in a
| single proposition. Whenever they had pubic
duty to perform. they always selected their best
man Tor that place, and when they had placed him
there instead OF engaging in petty warfare upon
| HIM. they sustained HIN by their counsel and ad-
vice-yes. by their fort unes and their blood This
support OF their leaders IS one Of the nObest TRAITS
in their characters. Not more firmly and pat emily
until the gOLg down Of the sun old Aaron and
Ilur stay up the hands Of Moses when they were
I
always, and especially in the dark AID Respondent
hours, when they were most ready to sink under
| the we ght o. their burdens.
have thus given you an Imperfect sketch o. the
leading characteristics OF the men Who founded
Vermont. and whose memories We del isht 70 honor
to-day. Imperfect as II ls, 1t VIII st the ques
ton 10 you Who are the men in our time who have
shown themselves To he true heirs OBJ. these anccs-
tral slories Who that lives to-day to be honor
ed at our next Centennial as We honor these men
Has human nature de-eneratelt i the race o.
sreatmen desd No. | answer a thousand times
no
The fault is with ourselves. w have departed
from the ways % our fathers. We no longer act
upon the principles through when they achieved
success.
No one will deny that as nation reh,ye de-
parted from the faith and prac ice %. the founders
Of Vermont Not Verne n.ers alone perhaps they
have offended less in this respect than othets-bGt
ALT people OF all the States. The ex sting greed
for ofiice-that corruptins theory which defines
Office 10 be the spoil Of the defeated and tho prop
erty Of the successful politician. the vludlctive
spirit Of party which discovers virtue IN pollt
zeal opponent, and which strikes by tout means a.
read " as hy fsir-wuich seems to have driven out
o. our political lie all the Characteristic traits
of the statesman and the gentleman and 20 have
substituted IN their places She Vocabulary o. the
fish market and the morals % the gambling house
which fills the party press with abusive attacks
upon private character, and causes newspate rs 10
reek with scandals foul that we fear To introduce
them into our dwel!u gs-these are practices OF re-
cent invention Tor which shall search m vain
the history @. the olceu times That they are hurt
Jul. that n t1ese days the greatest DANCER 10 our
Republic and is perpetuiiy We know right Well
II can say one VOID IN this respect f1r re-Jrma-
tion, u can make one Nerm0nter 1opt and prac-
tee heneeiorth the arcent and the better way.
my me will not be wholly LOST
Now all thoughtful men ". admit the -rlKth o.
personal abuse, the frequency Di these assaults
upon private character. There are few who W u
place the blame where it ri-htiuly belongs. You
say it's the press-tne press alone which 10 fault
The press Is the universal scarc-it, tie press j.
alone responsible, the press Is notau- not sensa-
tional
The press must bear IS own sins and they are
many. 1t would indeed be a reformation % the
ideas Of one hundred Yeas ago now controlled our
Editors, these personal attacks ia the newspapers
were almost unknown. Newspaper cQmmun Ca
tons were then OF a ferent character. Imagine
time when the newspapers united and secured
such contributors As Hamilton, Madison and jay,
such communications a those known as the FEEDER
anst, and compare them With the average Of news
paper communications now In those Gays an Eli
Tor was RECON zed leader and educator % the
public mind. Il he went astray he vs. denounced
as readily as any ialse teacher IL the scleu 1r N
morality.
But the press once the mishtiest engine u move
public opinion among reading people like our
own, has now become power Tor EVIL Or for good
precisely as i reflects public up Mon. Make the
public sentiment what il should be and the press
viii speedl y mend Is ways In other words The
press will furnish Just that material Tor wlch there
q the greatest publlc demand. Il sensation - most
greedily devOured the press viii be sensational
Tne object OF the Editor Is to sell MS newspapers
and he Will PRINT that newspaper winch You The
Z II v z
equal Editors would prefer 10 enlist. IN tler corps
the scholar, the statesman and the gentleman.
You the people prefer the productions OF tie street
reporter the interviewer and the detective.
that one Of the necessary results o. this diseased
pubic opinion i % drive rom pu'uc ID -rctt
number Of our best men who INT 10 ae there. You
well know. 1t IS sacrifice at best for Uzea 70
office. but Il when lie leaves he is % be sub
Ject to inquisltOn his patriotism must be d cher
tnan the average i i VIII induce hi % enter
public life at al. Many led "a c0aseq uence 10
despair VI the Republic, ior that i indeed uony
Condition o. public Affairs when bad secs aud
good men viii not accept puDllc employ ncLt. We /
should neither snun these enterta these
ante. pations. do not believe shat the public I
%. either party have suddenly become o. and
unpr.ucpled. A. = not true shat we have entered
upon new era oi lunhery, se4fshness and -rau1, !
which is 70 be corrected by the spas odc virtue %,
any sect or condition %, men. | speak plainly. |
denuuLNe without pronunciation or apology tAe /
slogan q corruption population and q Huesty I
which screams OUT o. every morning issue 90 many
Of our newspapers. Il 5 A wron- 90 The name !
Goodwin smitl remind Us tnat our character ami !
institutions have Just been submitted 70 tie TIE I
mendous strain OF civil war, and that Va al |
ways IS followed 10y great disturbances N morals I
and business In our case. without preparation. /
We went from coud ton q, peace iatl the very /
y hirl q rebellion. We suppressed Il alter years /
O. fighting, and then absorbed -Atv I
armies again INTO the pursuits OF peaHc- We nave /
done this with less OF change, with less OF dan GER
to popular integrity than any other nation ever
experienced. In proof OF this statement allow me
to refer l. one OF Two periods and events IN the his
tory OF the An-l0-S3XOu race. viii take first that
period o. English history wb.c en- followed the death
Of Queen Anne and the accession Of tnat very tine
and exemplary King, the first Geor-e, curing
winch happened those memorable events. the ey-
pulsIon OF James II. and toe exclusion o.: he IS
from the success On In THIS period occurred those
awful massacres, proscli Yt.cas and executions ia
England and Ireland which brou sht tle country
into the very horrors OF revolution. The animosl-
ty Of spirit which then characterized the two
great parties was never equalled before or since.
Wing and Tory became personal as well As po.itl- !
cal enemies. Each made the ether odious oy at
tacks which touched the lowest depths Of scurrli-
~. Tory paper was quite moderate WI .ch said
- 10 desire the wings 10 iOrbear lying would be
unreasonable 1t Is their nature and they could
not subsist without it," The Mhiss replied with !
e. ual courtesy. The most abusive pamphlets. r- Z
bald and disgusting, yes the foulCst csrcatures
wee openly s0ld in the public streets ~ The AIT
VI d i44lu-s4ate ana - k0nberits OF Jdcuhte
NJ nstry' were popular publications. P4ralysisuf
bus ness, universal distrust the Mug House riots
ID sh church mohs, stock Jobhu- frauds, the sis
nent Of art and literature were followed hy the |
impeachment o. sn entire ministry at the head Of
which were BOlingbroke and OrmOnd. The excuses
D the common people against tbs dssenters lei
Ihem 10 cut on the ears and tail Of an OK, to TIC
quhs ana crackers in their places anu haviue .hi-
"a these they drove the tortured ANNA into a dis
'entiug church and Congregation
All these exceSses brou mt IN tie lei IN Oh! libel
rh9 OF attasss on personal character sinlar To that
" daliy read for England had then travelled .or
long distance the road upon when have luss
'nsered. There were thea as ttus- there are now
lew men o. both parties who were told enough 10
iehounoe the extremists and 10 charge them with
nuch OF the responsibility Tor the existing corrup-
lOn Among them was addison. Listen q his ut
FRANCES on this subject IN En- land in the year
Up;
would government set an everlasting mark Of
heir dispeasuTe upon one Of those Inia.Ou writers
sho makes his court to them by .elrins 70 pieces
he reputation of a ca-,pesitog. We should quickly
ee an end Pa. to tAis race o. veTmin, that are :
candal 70 t.1Terhment and reproach ~ AateaR
latu;e. such proceeding would IaaNe IaiBisfe-
nine IN history, aod would 81 Ill IaaRkips'
ust adherence Of pegsl1 who sh,,-'- with
lnworthily, and eapioJ aga' u treat him
which 10 scoFnel To- -. nun those arms
Inies, lat use OF against MS en-