Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-11
First Organization OF the Repub-
Iican Party.

It is claimed in Massachusetts, that "The
first organization or convention which gave
birth and name to the Republican party
was held on the common at Worcester,
(Mass.) July 10TH 1854" Great credit is
due to Massachusetts,, and specially to the
late Senator and Vice President, Henry Will
son, for this early and efficient organization
of Republican party in the old Bay State :
but the fact is that the Republican party of
Vermont is precisely six days older than
that of Massachusetts,. On the 18th of July,
1854, state convention of citizens called
irrespective of former party aflinities-who
were opposed to the then free-slavery adj
ministration, to the fugitive slave act, to
the violation of the Missouri compromise, to
the extension of slavery, and for its abolition
wherever it could be reached by Congress
met at the State House in Montpelier
and organized a party styled REPUBLICAN,
adopted platform, and nominated ticket
for state officers, consisting Of the late Gen
eral Ezekiel p. Walton for Governor, Ryland
Fletcher for Lieutenant Governor, and Henry
M. Bates for Treasurer. Five delegates were
appointed to National Convention-of
course for the organization of a national Re-
publican party-conssting of Daniel p.
Thompson, Z. p. Walton, Jr., the present
Hon. Z. p. Walton o. II. Plat, William
M. Pingrey and f. d. Barber.
This will suffice TO correct the error as to
priority in Massachusetts, but it will be
the Republican party were laid by the last
Wing State Convention of Vermont, at Rut-
land, on the 9TH of June, 1854, in series of
resolutions drawn by the Hon. f. p. Walton,
and designed to bring about harmony and
united action of all the citizens of Vermont
who were opposed to the pro-slavery policy
which then ruled in the national govern
ment. Two leading men of the then Free
soil party were present, though not acting in
the convention, to wit the late Lawrence
Brainerd of st. Adams, and the present ex-
Governor Fletcher of Cavendish. Mr.. Wal
ton submitted the resolutions to these gen.
tlemen, who approved them, as being as
strongly anti-slavery as a Wing Convention
would be disposed to adopt. The resolu-
tions were then reported to the Convention,
adopted by unanimous vote, and honored
with three rousing cheers. Stephen Royce
was nominated for Governor, Oscar L. Shat
ter for Lieutenant Governor, and Henry
M. Bates for Treasurer. When the mass
Convention met at Montpelier, on the 18th
of the succeeding July, the members of the
Wing State Central Committee were in at
tendance, hopefully watching for good fruits
from the platform presented by the wings at
Rutland. Their hopes were met The Re-
publican platform proved to be, in every
important particular, identical with that
adopted at Rutland in the preceding June.
The way was therefore fairly open for a
union upon common principles. General
Walton, an old and earnest Wing, as soon
as he was nominated by the Republican
Convention, placed himself in the hands Of
the Wing State Committee. This body,
conformity with the Republican State Com
mittee, subsequently formed new state
ticket out of the gentlemen named by the
two conventions, to wit Stephen Royce for
Governor, Ryand Fletcher for Lieutenant
Governor, and Henry NJ. Bates for Treas
urer. This was the first Republican state
ticket in Vermont. 1t was elected on the
first Tuesday of the succeeding September
by majority of eleven thousand one hun
bred and eighty-three votes-this being, we
are confident, the first Republican state rictorJ
in The country. At the preceding election OF
state officers in Vermont there had been no
choice by the people, and long and not
very creditable contest ensued in the legis-
lature, ending disastrously for both the
Wings and Freesoilers, the democrats win
ming the victory. That result undoubtedly
tended strongly to bring the Wings, Free
soilers and anti-slavery democrats to work
together in the Republican party in 1854,
and from that day to this.