Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-07-28
Hancock Gathering at Mortified.


NoRrHFrErD, Vt, July &c. 1880.
Mr.. Editor For the last ten days, more or
less, II had been paraded before the eyes Of the
people Of Mortified and vicinity that big rati-
fication meeting and Hancock and English flag
raising was to come off Saturday evening, July
2ith. The bills hourished military titles quite
freely as IL was announced on them that General
franklin OF Connecticut, Colonel Wadde Of
North Carolina and Captain Start Of Burlington
would take part. OF these illustrious mouth
pieces Of the ever invincible Democracy the cap
tain only put in an appearance, the "colonel"
having caught the influenza" or something Of
that sort and couldn't come, and the genera"
was not even heard from, as we could learn. The
meeting tso the bills said) was to be AN outdoor
one provided the weather was favorable; other
wise to be held in Concert Hall The evening
was lovely one, but the "captain" was OBJ
stinate and wouldn't "spin thread " Of his dis
course out doors, so into the hall the " faithful"
were summoned and the somewhat pompous cere-
mony of introduction gone through with The
speaker disclaimed any intention OF "throwing
mud, and then proceeded forthwith to sling anv
amount Of the foulest kind Of II at General Gar
field. He hoped to make some Of 1t stick " by
getting Cakes Ames to assist, az II a man who
unblushingly dealt his brides to congressman was
more worthy Of credence than James A. Garfield
himself, man kept in congress by the same con-
stituents for eighteen years, and how much longer
he would have been kept there is among things
unknown, had not an approaching country sought
him out to Ego up higher" One claim of the
speakers might be thought by some to border
closely upon the absurd. It was this that II was
the Democrats OF the north that put down the re-
bellion and saved the Union Shades Of Ellis
worth and Winthrop While 1t is true-and the ad
mission is made with peasure-that many of that
party went brayey forth at their countrys call 10
meet treason in arms, 1t is equally true that they
left the bulk OF their party at home, with feelings
towards the cause for which they had gone to risk
their lives scarcely less venomous and bitter than
we're the feelings Of those they were to contend
with. This party, as late as 1854 resolved in
convention that the war was a failure" and
when they said this, we charge that the wish
was father to the thought" when Captain Start
came to speak of Winfield Scott Hancock -
and he rung upon the name until 1t grew mo-
notonous-ddn't he just pile on the praises and
the encomiums, thought OF course he did II
what he said of the candidate Of the "solid south "
is true, we must not hope soon to look upon his
like, for 1t Is not reasonable to expect that one
century can give our country more than one such
man. Apropos, one Of our leading Democrats was
recently asked why the south was solid. The
answer he gave may seem pertinent and sensi-
BILE one to some, but to me it seems quite the re-
verse. Heaven is solid" That was the reply
As II anything speaking in general sense-had
taken place there for the last twenty years at all
suggestive Of the angelic abode named Rather
are the doings there suggestive of pandemonium,
and we respectfully remind the gentleman that
he called the wrong place. DrA.