Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-03

according to their convictions, as honorable
men always will, whether the party whips
like it or not, one OF the whippers-in ex-
claimed of a patriotsm-ihe struggle of
obedience to which cost one Senator at
least his life ar there is anything worse
than the treachery, it is the cant which pre-
tends it is the result Of conscientious con-
Victio n; the pretense of conscience Is
quite unbearable." This WAS the very ac-
ridty Of bigotry, which in other times and
countries raised the cruel tribunal of the
Inquisition, and burned opponents for the
glory of God. The party madness that die
tated these words, and the sympathy that
approved them, was treason not only TO the
country, but TO well-ordered human socie-
ty. Murder may destroy great statesmen,
but corruption makes great states impossi-
BILE; and this was an attempt at the most
insdious corruption. The man who attempts
to coerce Senator of the United States TO
cast dishonest vote by stigmatzing him
as a hypocrte and devoting him to party
hatred is only more plausible rascal than
his opponent who gives Pat OFlanagan
false naturalization paper or bnys his vote
with dollar or a glass Of whiskey. What
ever the offences of the President may
have been, they were as nothing when COM
pared with th party spirit which declared
that it was tired of the intolerable cant Of
honesty. So the sneering cavalier was
tired of the cant of the Puritan conscience;
but the conscience Of which plumed linus
tice and coroneted Privilege where tired
has been for three centuries the invincible
body guard OF civil and religious liberty.
The remedy for the constant excess of
party spirit lies, and lies alone, in the cour-
ageous independence of the individual cit
izen. The only way, for instance, to pro-
cure the party nomination of good men is
for every self-respecting voter to refuse to
vote for bad men. In the medieval theol-
ogy the devils feared nothing so much as
the drop of holy water and the sign of the
cross by which they were exercised. The
evil spirit of party fear nothing so much as
boiling and scratching. II, hoe SiJno Uinces.
If farmer would reap good crop, he
scratches the weeds out OF his field. IL we
would have good men upon the ticket we
must scratch bad men off. II the scratch
ing breaks down the party, let it break, fol
the success of the party by such means
would break down the country. The evil
spirits must be taught by means that they
can understand. "Them fellows" said the
captain of a canal boat of his men, "ihem
fellows never think you mean a thing until
you kick 'em. They feel that and under
| stand"
Gentlemen, leaving this college to take
your part in the discharge of the duties of
American citizenship, every sign encour
ages and inspires. The year that is now
ending, the year that opens the second
century of our history, has furnished
the supreme proof that in a country of
rigorous party division the purest patriot
| ism exists. That, and that only, is the
pledge of prosperous future. No mere
party fervor, or party fidelity, or party dis
cipline, could fully restore country torn
and distracted by the fierce debate of a
century and the commissions OF civil war /;
nothing less Than a patriotism all-embrac-
ing as the summer air could heal a wound
so wide. l know-no man better-how
hard it is for earnest men TO separate their
country from their party, or their religion
from their sect. But, nevertheless, the
welfare of the country is dearer than the
mere victory of party, as truth is more pre-
cious than the interest of any sect. You
will hear this patriotism scorned as an inn
practicable theory, as dream of cloister,
as a within of a fool. But such was the fol-
ly of the Spartan Leonidas, staying with
his three hundred the Persian horde, and
teaching Greece the self-reliance that saved
her. Such was the folly of the Swiss Arm
old Won Winkelreid, gathering into his
own breast the host of Austrian spears,
making his dead body the bridge of victo-
ry for his countrymen. Such was the folly
of the American Nathan Hale, gladly risk
ing the seeming disgrace of his name, and
grieving that he had but one life 10 give
for his country. Such are the beacon lights
of pure patriotism that burn forever in
mems memories, and answer each other
through the illuminate d ages.
A public spirit so lofty is not confined 10
other ages and distant lands. You are con-
scious of its Strings in your souls. II
calls you to courageous service, and | am
here TO bid you obey the call. Such pairi-
otism may be ours. Let it be your parting
vow that it shall he yours. BO!ingbrukt
described patriot king in England; ! cal
imagine patriot President in America.
can sec him indeed the choice of a party
and called to administer the government
when sectional jealousy is tiercest and par
ty passion most inflamed. / can imagine
him seeing clearly what Justice and hu
mainly, the national law and the nationa
welfare require him TO do, and resolved tC
do it, l can imagine him patiently endur
ing not only the mad cry of party hate, thu
taunt of "recreanr' and str aitor," of "ren
eGade" and coward" but, what is harder
TO bear, the amazement, the doubt, thu
grief, the denuciatiou, of those as Sincerel
devoted to The common welfare. / can i'm
agine him pushing firmly on, trusting TN
heart, the intelligence, the conscience q
his countrymen, healing angry wounds
correcting misundei standings, planting
justice on surRr foundations, and whether
} this party rise or fall, lining his country
beavenward to more perfect union, pros
perity and pea ce. This is the spirit of
patriotism that girds the com nonwealtl
, with the resistless splendor of the mora
law-the invulerable panoply of states, tn,
celestial secret of n great nation and hap
} by people.
IT GAVE GENERAL SATIsFACTIoN.-Hj
, was asingularly grave man, even for a sex
| tom For nearly a half century he haf