Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-09-01
Extracts from Mr.. Bristows Speech at
Burlington

the character of presidential candidates.
Every citizen entitled TO the elective fran
ohise must take choice between the candi-
dates presented by party nomination or
abandon altogether his duty and privilege
as an elector While a free government
docs not impose pains or penalties on any
citizen for refusing to exercise this right,
proper regard for the duties and obligations
of citizenship require that none shall neglect
it. The higher his position in intelligence
and personal independence of the emouments
and forms of government, the more impor-
tant point is that he should exercise all
proper influence and control in the choice Of
chief magistrate Of the nation.
The republican party claims the support
Of the people on the ground that il is still
true to the principles which brought it into
being and which it has steadlastly maintained.
At the same time it processes to be at all
times ready to progress in the science of
government and to deal fairly and courage
ously with new issues as they arise. On the
other hand, the democratic party claims pop
ular confidence and support not on the
ground of adherence to its own record and |
teachings, but because it claims to have cast |
off its ancient traditions and to have been |
regenerated and completely metamorphosed |
The history Of the democratic party is in.
separable from the defence Of human slavery,
and the most prominent of its traditions has
been its readiness to obey the behests of the
slave power, which dominated American pol
itics so long as that party maintained its
ascendancy. As party organization it
should have died when slavery persisted.
Entrusted for many years with the control
Of the national government, it used without
stint the power OF every department, legis.
lative, executive aud judicial, for the pro-
lection and extension Of slavery Claiming
always that the general government was
mere confederation Of States, possessing only
federal power, and not entitled to be called
a nation or to legisate for protection Of
civil rights Or personal liberty, it did not
hesitate to enact aud enforce the most strin,
gent and arbitrary statutes for returning to
slavery the few colored people who, inspired
by the natural longing for freedom, fled from
bondage to the free States Of the North.
While it exerted the civil and military
power of the general government in the
streets of Boston for the capture and return
of single fugitive from bondage, cargoes Of
imported slaves were permitted to land on
our southern coasts and be sold as chattels
throughout the South. Under the dictation
of the slave power it adopted a rule Of con-
structlon of the national Constitution which
led directly and logically to the right of the
slave states to secede from the Union at
. their pleasure. In the course Of events this
D tree, planted and watered by the democratic
IL I
dsunion.
When the political leaders of the South
had sufficiently inaamed the passions and
S prejudices of the people Of that unhappy
section of the country, and led them into
open hostility to the Union, the democratic
c administration, then in power, stood misera.
. bly, weak and imbecile 10 the presence of
the national danger 1t announced the mon
= strous doctrine that the same government
a which had but little while ago exerted its
b civil and military power for the capture and
| return to slavery OF a single man had no
constitutional right or power to prevent COM
plete ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of the Union by violence
aud arms. Thus the democratic party held
g that there was ample power to defend and
:. perpetuate slavery, but none to preserve the
~ |
struction. The rebellion, which cost both
sections Of the country so enormously in
6 blood aud treasure, was the direct and i'm.
IS mediate result Of the teachings aud practices
IS Of the democratic party.
J., After reviewing the record Of the demo.
cratic party as the defender of slavery, and
: abiding TO its attitude towards the freedmen
Q Of the South, Mr. Brstow said that nothing
IS can be clearer than that the freedmen Of the
1 South are entitled to protection in the full
extent Of every right secured TO them by the
amendments to the Constitution. 1t i,
u equally clear that the democratic party j,
: not qualified by its traditions or the teach.
;. ings Of its leaders to give such protection
g While republicans may not all agree as 70
. the particular mode in which this protection
shall be extended, there is no disagreement
IS as to the fact that it is due in some form
). and that it must and shall be given.
C The profession Of loyalty to the new order
!. Of things by the democratic party, and of its
acquiescence in the amendments to the Con.
- stitution is TOO recent and too strongly in.
!. consistent with its record aud the teachings
K of its ablest leaders to be accepted without
&c challenge. Judged by its own professions il
& has made some progress. Under the disci-
pine OF repeated defeat it has at last deemed
10 it polite to admit that the Constitution has
e been amended, that slavery has been abol.
? shed, and that the black man is entitled to
q some rights which even the democrat is
bound to respect. If the party could be
" brought to utterance on the subject it might
d now admit that the war was not absolutely
d failure. Such concessions by that party
}. only serve to show that the republican party
has achieved great success, and that its in
fuence for good has been acknowledged even
- by its adversary.
IS il permanent paci6cation Of the South can
!. only be secured by giving to all citizens full
h and equal protection in the enjoyment aud
exercise Of all civil, political aud public
rights. To enforce and secure these the re.
p publican party is distinctly pledged, and its
n ablest standard-bearers have announced
IF their views and purposes in this regard in
- language which cannot be misunderstood.
Mr. Bristow then considered the financial
y question, saying that there can be no per-
= manent relief from the present prostration
and depression Of business without restora-
4 ton Of confidence, aud that must rest on n
, sound and stable currency. After long dis.
cussion the republican party has pledged
+ itself to remedy tho evil at a fixed time in
q the near future, and has passed a law for
Il that purpose. But here, too, we find the
i democratic party INDUCING in reactionary
u. practices. While protesting to favor re-
. turn to specie payments, it deliberately
u exerts all its power to repeal the only act
II of Congress which names time for re-
h sumption, and provides means of prepare,
ton for it. 1t dominates for the presidency
, citizen of New York, who, by his letter
= Of acceptance, announces himself strongly
i in favor Of early resumption, aud in tho