Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-08-23
SPEECH OF VICE-PRESIDENT
WHEELER.

We all know that V1ce-President
Wheeler is an able and eloquent man,
but few suspect, what is really the fact,
that he is humorist At his speech in
st. Adams, after keeping his auditors in
laughter by his witticisms, he touched
upon national issues thus:
Republicans of Vermont, this is the old
conflict between the old parties, with this
one variation-the Democratic party has
dressed up in blue clothes, borrowed for
the occasion. Gen. Hancock, who hurled
shot and shell at the Democratic party
when it sought the life of the Nation on
the fiery heights of Gettysburg, now leads
that party in its assault upon the ballot
box, through which it proposes to control
the Government it could not destroy. And
this party which in National convention
at Chicago, month after the turn of the
tide at Gettysburg, denounced the war as
which, during the war, made no conceal
ment of its joy at every disaster to the
Union arms, now rends the air with its
shouts for the man who aided in putting
down their rebellion. Oh! could these
shouts have followed the victory at Get
tysbur9, how grateful would they have
been in the ears of our brave, scar-worn,
weary armies. They would, as many a
southern man has told me, have ended
that war nearly year sooner. My friends,
there is a great mistake somewhere; and
you, Yankees, who are in the habit of
looking close, will find no difficulty in dis
covering the old Democratic cat under
all this pretentious meal.
God forbid that say aught in unjust
derogation of the gallant soldier, now the
nominee of the Democratic party, who,
when the foundations of the Government
were rocking in the wild tempest of the
rebellion, when war ploughed its channels
deep in our lives, our homes and our
hearts, and hung its black banner over
our hearth-stones, soiled with the slaugh-
OCI VI Jul lONCo OuCS, OOu L Gc-
peat, that say aught in unjust derogation
of the gallant soldier who followed the
starry banner through that long, weary
struggle for the Nations life and sealed
his devotion to the Union of our fathers
with the impress Of his own blood. But
| as the stream cannot rise higher than it's
| fountain, so no President ever did or ever
can rise above his party. And the man
who seeks it's suffrages and accepts its
| positions of trust is bound by every con-
sideration to carry out its views and
principles. The fountain Of power in the
| Democratic party is in the 1873 votes is to
AZ, so is the controlling power in the
Democratic party, as between the North
and South. In all your corporations,
manufacturing and financial, a majority
of the stock control That, in the event
of success, the South will control the
Democratic party absolutely, results as
we'll mechanically as from its conduct
before the war, when it dominated the
| Government in every department, as Mr..
Stephens proved conclusively in his
speech at Milledgevilles as reason why
Georgia had nothing to gain by secession.
No, Republicans of Vermont, the issue
has not changed. The question which
confrOnts US is, What shall be the make
up, character, political and moral, and
real purposes Of the party which shall
control the Government of this country
for the coming four years? Shall it be
the Democratic party, whose citadel OF
power is manned by those who barely
fifteen years ago were clutching at the
Nations life, saying ''One of us must
die" the party ever hostile to free popu-
lar Government; bred in hatred Of New
England and the Union; which defended
to the last the barbarism Of slavery and
which, down to this hour, protests against
every act of the National Government in
the South except the distribution of its
largesses.
Will you permit this unregeneratt
Southern Democratic party yet tainted
with the aristocratic caste of slavery
State rights and shameless reputation
yet smarting under the bitterness, hatreds
and revenges growing out of their fruit
less attempt to overthrow the Govern
ment, will you permit this party t.
assume power in this country?
Or do you still cling to the Republican
Marty which now &c eyar amhIazonc n,
its banner, GAN men up in the state o