Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-08-25

tween Kentucky AID Vermont. They have eon
mon birthday. 1874. as states OF the United e'ses-
Ne remember how faithfully Vermont bound her-
self 10 the political principles anu ioitunes :,
kentu ky's great Statesman. henry Gay. Ahu ~
was but lateiy that at Cincinnati tue vernon uei-
ep.ton in convention for SIX successive balotin-s,
cast their nearly unanimous vote 10 piace oe.oie
the nation as candidate Tor the Presidency WIS
kcntucsy gentleman whom vermont receives -
her guest aud whom l now introduce-hon. ben-
jamin ii. bTistoW.
On taking the stand, Gen. Bristow
was received with tho most enthusi-
astic and prolonged applause. He spoke
substantially as follows
GEN. nRIsTOws SPEECH.
Citizens Of Vermont
You have received me here. in manner
which can never forget, and ior winch
feel deeply grateful. | should be happy ana
nroud indeed. il | might claim that had
| illustrated the devotion to good government
and to Reform, of which you have hearu;
| Ot course | do not know the individual
| oninions of the members of this audience,
| but do know that as community YER
mont has ALWAYS illustrated and stood up
for good government. Let me say TO you
| that YOUR State election OF two weeks from
tomorrow will be an event OF lar reaching
| influence 1t will tell strongly on the great
national contest in November. Not that
! there is any doubt that you Will elect your
| Republican State ticket but the question
| Is by what majority will you elect II! Inc
! Democrats are making an active canvass
| here. ss am tod. Why? IL is not be-
cause they expect to elect a man on their
ticket or member of Congress; but they
| have promised TO reduce the Republican
majority. in order that they may point TO 1t
a. 1roaf that the attachment OF the Yer
monters to Republican principles Is waning
/ and that Democratic ideas are coming to the
/ front even here. Shall this hope OF theirs De
realized Viii such triumph be permitted
BY the men of Eermont-always true and
| truest in the time of greatest danger In
the national election OF next November are
involved great interests. Its result Will
affect DO Seriully the future welfare and
olory of a great nation. For effect on
that election IL Is most important that you
should not only elect your Republican State
ticket. bu, elect II BY full. an oyerT helm
ing majority. To secure such majority all
YOU need. they tell me. IS TO induce all your
voters to 20 to the polls. Let me then add
NV earnest entreaty 10 every hepubllcsn
within reach Of my voice, to DO his utmost
to bring out the toll Republican vote oil
Vermont If you could only realize now
the Republicans in the doubtful States
how We in the West look to Vermont Tor
her verdict. | an sure you would roll up
majority in your election, such as mas not
been seen since the war.
Free government is established for the
benefit Of the people, and It's only rightlul
authority L. derived from them. This idea
was happily expressed By Mr.. Lincoln when
he declared that the tremendous struggle IN
which the country was then engaged was
Tor the preservation of government "ot the
people. by the people and tor the people
In pursuance Of this underlying principle
the fundamental law of our national Union
make. provision for the choice OF public
servants bv popular election at stated pc
riots The most important Of these Is that
at which the people s,ect President VINO,
besides being clothed g.tL the highest clyn
functions a. chief magistrate. y also by
virtue OF his ofice eommander-ln-chiet oil
the army and navy Of the United States and
of the militia Of the several states when
called into tho national servlcs He 10 ek-
nresslv charged by the constitution 70 take
care tnat the laws be faithfully executed
This duty be Is - perform Under the sane
ton Of bis oath TO preserve. protect ana de-
fend the constitution Of the nlted states
The election Of an officer clothed with such
vast powers, and charged with duties and
RESPONSIBILITIES so directly affecting the gen.
eral welfare, is an event IN government, the
importance of which cannot be oFe. e3tl-
mated The great good that may be done
by a wise and patriotic Executive dnri1g
term of four years. or the incslculable mis-
chief that may be Inflicted on the people By
- -, n untpr the lUtllnnce
of false pSlit cal ideas, actusted By unworthy
motives and desires should cause every cleo
tor to give the most thoughtful considera-
ton TO the character Of the candidates pre-
seuted for his choice, a. well as TO the dec
iara;ion of principles made By the csndl-
dates themselves and by the parties which
they respectively represent. In making thls
choice the people act through party organ
nations. Every citizen entitled TO the cleo
tiTe franchise must make choice between
the candidates presented by party nomina-
tons or abandon altogether his duty and
nririlege as an elas:or. While free gov
eminent does not Impos5 pains or penalties
on any citizen for refusing 20 exercise this
right. proper regard for the duties and OBJ
legations Of citizenship require that none
shall neglect it. The higher bis position 10
intelligence and personal independence OF
the emoluments and forms OF government
the more important Is II that he should ex-
ercise all proper influence and control IN
the choice of a chief magistrate OF the ma
ton.
THE PARTIES c0NTRAsrED.
At tle beginning of the second century OF
our national existence two great political
parties present their respective candidates
for the Offices of President and Vice Presl-
dent Each has made declaration oil prln-
cipes, and upon these and the charaete. OF
their nominees they invoke the judgment OF
the people. These party organizations are
not now for the first time in the field Ii is
proper that the principles which they now
profess should be examined in the light of
the past professions and conduct OF each.
The Republican party claims the support
of the people on the ground that II is still
true 10 the principles which brought II into !
being. and which 1t has steadisstly main !
tanned At the same time it processes to be |
AZ all times ready to progress IN the science
Of government and TO deal fairly and cour
ageously With new issues as they arise. On |
the other haGd the Democratic party claims |
popular confidence and support, not on the |
ground of adherence 10 is own record and |
teachings, but because 1t elaima &c have cast |
OF its ancient traditions and % hass Eecn |
regeaerated and completely ,metamorp hosed. |
1t is important to inquire whether these |
Professions are sincere, and even If -
whether 10 view 5t .he past, party which |
has undergone So gre2t L change Can be |
safely trusted to protect. aaia1d and pre-
serve the new order of things WHICH has |
been established against its will and an (,
spite OF its fercest opposition. The history
of the Democratic party is inseparsble from /
the defence OF human slavery and the most
pror inent Of its traditions has been its
readiness to obey the behests OF the slave
power which dominated in American poll
tics so long as that party maintained Its
ascendency Judged by Its record and po-
Iiticsl teachings the entef end OF the Demo-
cratic party while it held p2yer was not
only TO preserve and perpetuato slavery
where it existed, but TO give it opportuni.
for expansion following the extension OF our
national domain. As psrty organization,
il should have died when siase-y persisted.
Entrusted for many years with the control
of the national Government,lt used without
stint the powers Of every department, legis-
lative. executive. and Judicial, for the pro-
lection and extension OF slavery. Claiming
always that the general Government was q
mere Confederation of States protesting only
Federal power. and not entitled to be called
0 DktiOu OF u ltSlsitlo iOT tuo piOttCtiOp VI
civil rights or personal liberty. it did not
hesitate to enact and enforce the most strin-
gent and arbitrary statutes Tor returning TO
slasery the few colorea people who INSPIRED
BY the natural longing for freedom, fled
rom bondage TO the tee States y: the
North. Ii compelled every man to be c
slave catcher or violate the law Of the land
It denied to men with African blood in
heir veins all the rights and privileges OF
citizenship. even though they had been
awtully emsncipated from statutory slave
v. While il exerted the civil and milit-
Try power of the general government in the
rreets of Boston ter the capture and return ,
# single fugitive from bondage, cargoes
# imported slaTes wers permitted to land ,
N our Southern cosss md be sold ss
hsttels throughout the South. pnde,
he dictation OF the slave power. it
dopted rule of construction OF The ma :
ional constitution which led directly and ,
ogically to the right Of the slave states to ,
ecede from the Union at their pleasure