The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1880-11-26
words of a Noble Statesman.

On Monday evening last the N. d.
Hubbard Escort" of young freemen pre-
sented Ex-Governor Hubbard at their
Hartford c., headquarters with the banner
carried NY them during the recent cam
paign and which bears a finely executed
portrait of himself. Commander Joslyn
made the presentation and Governor
Hubbard responded in these eloquent
words -
congratulate myself chat your organi-
zation IS pledged to the support of that
political faith in which have lived from
my youth up, and which | still cherish in
my mature years as the best hope in the
long run of the liberties of the people,
the greatness and glory of the republic,
and above all the stability of the Union,
the Union of the fathers, Union not
on military politics and brute force, but
ON the great fraternities and CAPABILITIES
OF citizenship and brotherhood. If there
are any who are willing, for personal or
party gain, to prolong the discords of the
war ana send Its hatreds down through
the blood OF unborn generations, we are
not OF them, and we come not into their
secrets nor into their assemblies. No,
nothing OF this, nothing of this. Rather
than this, we 60 out to meet our brethren.
estranged though they may have been
for time from their loyalty, and we
welcome them back into the brotherly
inequalities of the common household
with music and dance and with gratitude
to God for their return to obedience
Sectionalism in arms has been once
put down by the defenders of the Union
in arms. Sectionalism in politics has got
to be put down by the defenders of the
Union in politics, or the war will prove
empty OF useful results, and Antietam,
Gettysburg and Appomattox will stand
in history for impious fields of carnage
and fratricide.
In conclusion, thank you for this
banner under which you have rallied in
the campaign, and which now at its close
you kindly commit to my keeping. |
know full well-you had no need to tell
me-that it has suffered no dishonor at
your hands, that it has represented no
venal, lying or gutter politics, but homes.
ty and intelligence of political convic-
tons, steadfastness and honor in their
maintenance, and course and persever-
ance which are in no wise shaken or
slackened by the temporary defeat which
has overtaken us, whether that defeat be
owing to ourselves or to our adversaries.
| acknowledge with you that the nations
ballot-box has spoken. Whether its
voice is not little to ventrilouuial and
metallic to be altogether an honest voice,
whether the augurs have not somewhat
bewildered the omens and are now
laughing in their sleeves at the success
nf md fYIrnS NIJh Inh
and now | do not care to put or answer.
1t sufiices for you and me that the great
umpire of nations differences has pro-
nounced its award. We give heed. and
bow our heads and furl our flags in ODE
dience to its authority. the victors, we
take pleasure in remembering, are not |
our enemies, but our friends, neighbors |
and fellow-citizens, divided from us only |
by differences of opinion, sometimes a
little thin and mixed, but always more |
or less destructive and radical. Apart |
from party bummers, camp-foliowers and |
spoilsmen, we have all a common inter-
est in a common heritage. Wetherefore |
begrudge our opponents nothing of their |
success save its opportunities for needed
reforms in laws. politics and administra-
tions, nothing of their rejoicings and IL
Nominations, and above all nothing of |
their divisions of the pay and the feed
ing of the animals.
But let me say-if l may throw from
our fast a single bttel herb into their
feast-a battle lost is not war ended |
for no question is fast settled until it is
settled right. The democratic party has |
a history and long career of achieve
1t is as old, well-nigh as the re-
public. 1t has witnessed the extinction
of | know not how many rival parties. |
1t will. live as long as the republic. 1t
has sometimes been defeated, but never |
1t has gone down into cap
tiyity, overborne sometimes by numbers,
sometimes by fraud but it has regather-
ed its strength and reformed its legions |
and come up again out of its captivity |
like lion from the swellings of Jordan. |
1t will do SO again; do not for moment
doubt it.
The old guard dies, but never surren-
ders. The democratic party neither dies
nor surrenders. |