Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-09

At the reception at Rochdalc, oi lho'i'''
Baylcy Potter, on the, occasion oil ms Run II
from America, John Bright delivered Il
speech notable as showing his attachment 10
this country and his intelligent appreciation
of her present and future. One pass"se III
it is as follows:
Mr.. Potter saws he only saw four drunken
men in the United States, but he uiu ho' .e'
the emperor laughter and cheers vi .
press, or king, or queen, OF lliiPci VI IT,
princes and p.incesses. Cheers. hese
high diguitarics. 10 whom we pay such great
and often wel-deserved respect cneers
were not TO he found in that country lchecisl
and have no doubt that where men arc III
tclligent enough and moral enough 10 s'is-
tain government like that they have III inc
United States, though there may be IN some
particulars great p:ri!s, yet on inc "noic
the government is one that IS ch'itieu ~ .
their entire confidence. "liear, near
think some one said that they hau no siI"'
army Cheers. There are persons VINO
come to this country from Gerinahy' france
and Russia who are surprised anu perhaps
delighted to find how few soldiers are 10 DC
seen in England compared with some OF the
Z
banded their great army of 900, 900 men
they now have a fo rec OF about %, 600 men.
1t is not maintained for the purpose oil war
abroad cheers nor is it maintained Tor
The purpose of suppressing liberty at home.
Cheers And vet there is no country IN
The world which is more universally rtspcc-
ted throughout the globe than the United
States, and there is no country where, on
the whole, the laws arc better o0cycd ana
public order more constantly maintained.
They |thc United States have no bishops
in their senate Laughter. l nave no
doubt there are people in this country who
commiseratc their position in that respect,
but don't. Laughter and cheers. They
fave not constructed machine, mostly
political and partly religious, in which the
State holsters up religion on the condition
that religion will bolster up the State. They
have got no favored government church or
organization which lends TO the crimes OF
monarchs and statesmen, sanctioned by
the simulated voice OF God, an APP
proval, and Try which the voice of
Christianity is dcmoralized and degraded.
Cheers / have SAID also that they have no
land monopoly and no system of law which
is intended 10 maintain great families in the
possession of vast estates. We have con-
ferrcd upon these families great political
powers. which may be used in opposition to
the true rights and interests and freedom of
the people [Checis. They have not pre-
ferrcd-as we have preferred in this country
to maintain thousand houses and great
properties when we might have had hun
dreds of thousands of comfortable and happy
homcsteads to adorn the land.
The curse of standing armies Mr. Bright
refers to in this brief but comprehensive
manner:
| wonder whether it occurs ever TO the
crowned heads of Europe TO think what will
become of the policy they are now pursuing.
Everywhere government armies cat up the
comforts of the people, and everywhere mill
tary exactiOns are becoming more and more
acknowledgements mcnaces, acts OF
warfare, extravaganza and growing debt.
These things create discomfort, invite disorder
and make instruction almost certain-lf 1t
he not absolutely necessary and lay the
foundation of fundamental changes in States,
such as We have witnessed in France and
America.
Perhaps the most interesting portion OF
the speech, 10 Americans, is the conclusion,
which he devoted To answering the question
What has the United States done? In
answer he advcrted 10 the war, the abolition
of slavery, the magical creation of vast
army, The colossal war debt and the ade-
quatc provision made for its comparatively
speedy payment, to our uncyamplcd national
prosperity as illustrated in building OF So
900 miles of railroad, in fiftyyears-in short
10 most of the familiar points upon which
our home orators ard statesmen predicate
manifest destiny"