Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-08-30
Professor Seclrc in the Canvass.

Professor Seelye, the newly-elected Presi-
dent Of Amherst College, though elected to
Congress as an independent, has declared
emphatcally for Hayes and Wheeler, as will
be seen by the following thrilling speech he
recently made at a nagraising in Amherst
This flag is the flag of our free and liberty-loy-
ing Union, Union which, If the democratic party
had had its way, would no longer exist The war
against this flag which cost MS countless millions
of money aud unnumbered hosts Of brave men,
had It's birth in the spirit which the democratic
party constantly sustained. During the progress
Of the war, we all remember that the southern
rebels were not more dreaded than were their
Northern democratic sympathizers and friends,
and no repuse which the Union army suffered at
the South was so disastrous or cost MS anything
like such losses in money aud men, As did the
formal proclamation put forth, in 1864, by the
democratic convention at Chicago Of whose com
mittee on resolutions Samuel j. Tilden was
member, and which declared that the war Tor the
restoration of the Union was a failure. The con-
stitntional amendments guaranteeing that the
privileges purchased at such price should be per
petual met, from first to last, the persistent OPP
position Of the democratic party; and the grandest
of them all, the glorions thirteenth amendment
which declares that neither slavery nor nvolun-
tary seryitude, except for crime, shall ever exist
in any state or territory Of this broad land
Thomas A Hendricks, then in the United States
Senate, voted against Now, when it is said that
the democratic party is the party of reform, and
we are asked TO ignore its past performances and
think only of its present promises, am reminded
Of the old lion in the fable, who, having lost the
power to roam through the forest az its king, and
to seek his prey as he would, sought to gain, by
a stratagem, what he was no longer able to secure
by his strength. SO he sat at the mouth of his
cave, protesting that he was penitent and fasting
for all his mlsdeeds, and proclaiming that what
soever beast passed that way might enter without
fear Bat l perceive, said a fox who CHANGED
along, that of all the footmarIs entering your
habitation there are none which return
Now, am not going to defend everything
which the Republican party has done 1t has
done much which cannot be defended, and for
which it ought to be ashamed 1t has suffered
the penalty which every great progressive move
ment has su1ered-selfsh men have sought TO
ride to power on its progress-but it is a great
progressive movement still instinct, to-day, as it
always has been, with love of liberty and obedi-
ence to law, and worthy STILL it has been, TO be
trusted by true-hearted men. would not thrust
it aside because evil men have thrust themselves
into it to fatten on its spoils--the same will al
ways be true Of any party-but | would make
a broad distinction between a party which at
tracts evil men because its offices are desirable,
and party which attracts them because its prin-
ciples are congenial. The Republican party is
like a ship which has made goodly voyages to
whose keel the barnacles cling; scrape off the
barnacles, but neither scuttle nor forsslke the
queenly vessel, whose course they have only inn
peded, but whose strength they have not impaired
Fear not each sudden sound and shock;
'Tis of the wave aud not the rock;
lis but the tapping Of the SAIL
And not rent made by the gale.
We know what master laid It's keel
What workmen wrought ia ribs Of steel,
Who made each mast and sail and rope,
What anvls rang, what banners beat
In what force and what a heat
Were shaped the anchors Of It's hope.
believe in the principles OF the Republican
party-priuciples which it has never falsifed, an(
which, notwithstanding what is said about dea(
issues, are AS important to-day as they ever havl
been And accept the candidates, whose name
are floating on this flag, because | believe then
to be wise and brave and true men, to whom W,
may commit the administration of the govern
ment confident that the republic will suffer n,
detriment at their hands. do not hesitate to ~,
that William A. Wheeler, since have known hin
well, has been my first choice for the Presidency
Upright and fearless wise and resolute, truste,
by men of every party, and worthy of their trust
there is no man in the nation better fitted 10 b.
President than he This may be said without dis
paragement to the quiet, thoughtful unpretend
ing yet undinching man, to whom the great con
vention at Cincinnati assigned the first place Of
the tlcket-a man against whose character not
breath of suspicion was ever cast, whom those VIII
know him best declare TO be as resolute as Jack
son, and as honest as Lincoln, and as courageou
as General Grant, and who has filled the hig
places he has already occupied with such success
that we may expect him to fill the still higher on
to which he is now nominated, with the CONNER
dation of the nation.
commend to you, fellow-citzens, the Repnl
lean party, and these its nominees believing tina
they are as worthy to uphold this proud flag
peace as they were wise and strong to defend
In war.