Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-08-20
SATURDAY, EVENINGS RAELY.

A large audience of ladies and gentlemen
greeted the speakers at last Saturday even
ings Republican meeting. Hon. j. L. Mar
tin spoke for upwards of an hour in his terse
and vigorous style. His address was chiefly
devoted to our State affairs, and his remarks
on this topic are fully reported elsewhere.
lie closed with brief discussion of State and
national politics, illustrated by one or two
exceptionally apt anecdotes, which called
forth the prolonged applause of the audience
At tho close of Mr.. Martins address Mr..
+. W. Stoddard was introduced rs one of the
modest lawyers" of Brattleboro. Mr.. Stod-
dard's appearance was greeted with applause.
lie said that he would briefly answer some
of the claims recently made in Brattle-
boro by Gen. Martin of the Confederate ser
vice. He condemned the rebel generals at
tack upon Gen Woodford as unjust, and in
sisted that the record of the Democratic par
ty as presented by Gen. Woodford was cor
rect, and that intelligent men in seeking to
ascertain the present purposes of party
ought to be influenced by its history. The
claim that the negroes had always been loyal
to the South and were now generally voting
the Democratic ticket was not true. He sadthe
South did not dare during the war to arm its
negroes or put into the field n single black
regiment; that not an instance could be
cited where the black man had betrayed or
failed to aid Union soldier in time of need
that the pledge of solid South was a pledge
TO diminish the black mans vote that free
dom of elections in Gen. Martins own State
had long ceased, and that Republican could
not be n candidate there with safety to life
Attention was called to the fact that the Dem
ocratic party had been for four years in con-
troll OF the legislative branch of the govern
ment, and instead OF instituting any meas
ures OF reform or usefulness, the party had
OnaHp 6pcrarota Of ,Y,te ff, bo
uonal election laws and to cripple the gen
eral powers OF the nation. An earnest ap-
peal was made to Democrats to abandon their
party with its dark record and present pur-
poses.
Col. Haskins was then called for, where
upon he stepped forward amid much ap-
plause, and commenced by saying, that in all
lands and under all forms of government the
crime OF treason was considered the most
ouious OF any that tho penalty for treason
as prescribed by the laws OF the United
states was death: And yet our Democratic
orethren nave, withln the past few weeks, eX-
hiDited from that platform two Acknowledged
traitors 10 tnelr country-the one MIR. Wad-
uell vi North Caroiiha, an eX-colonel, ana the
other MT Martih OF Misslsslppi, an eN-
MAJ Neherai III the late confederate army
TWO men VINO mad shot at the American flag,
nau torn IL from It's stan and had trampled 1t
IN the dust as thing dishonored; who for
TOUR years had done all they could by fire and
sword to destroy the very life of the nation
which we fought to save. Had they lived un-
der any other government than this instead
OF standing here and instructing you, loyal
men OF Vermont, who fought and suffered
that the honor OF the nation and the flag
might be preserved through all time, they
would have suffered the inhiction of the full
penalty OF their crimes, and would long since
nave mouldered IN their silent and dishonor-
ed graves. They stand here and plead with
you for peace and reconciliation between the
Inherent sections OF the country. Peace and
reconciliation is what we all want, and it was
the Republcan party of the nation that pro-
claimed that gospel throughout the land.
Ana now has II been met by the Democratic
party nj the south We torgave them their
sins, we condoned their crimes, we pardoned
them for their offences, We gave them bread,
ana III return they have given us back
stone Col. Haskns then took up the asser
ton OF Gen. Martin, made the night before,
that the people of the South recognized that
three things at least, had been settled by the
war, VIZ LIST, the abolition of slavery; I'd,
that secession was unJustlhable I'd, that the
rebel uebt could never be paid, nor the rebel
soldiers pensoned. This had all been settled
by the constitutional amendments. Col Has
klns went on TO show that this was the doc
trine OF the Republican party, but not OF the
Democratic party and when Democratic
speakers or candidates declare That they &C
cept the constitutional amendments as set
uemeht OF these questions they state that
Whch they 90 not DeneVe themselves Inc
Democratic party resolved Mt their CINCINNATI
convention, that we pledge ourselves anew
10 the constitutional doctrines ana TRADITIONS
OF tne Democratic party as Illustrated ny the
teachlhg ana example OF long line OF Dem
ocratlc statesmen. lie then went on to show
that the ratlncatlon OF the constitutional
amendments by the States III rebellion, was
made condition precedent to their right OF
representation III congress, under and by VIZ
Tue OF the Reconstruction ActS OF lob'-o
that the Democratic party had ever believed
ana stu believe that those reconstruction acts
were "usurpauons, unconstltutlonal, revolu-
tionary and VOID, anu That thelr Leading
statesmen had Always contendeu mat the
amendments 10 the constitution had never
been properly ratlhed, and were, therefore,
invalid. Conceding all this to be So and the
Democrats should obtain full control OF the
government should increase the supreme
Court to u Judges, as the bill OF Mr. Man
nlng OF mississippi, now pending IN Con-
gress, contemplates, wouldn't We have a
Democratic court, composed OF men who
have ever believed, and still believe the re-
construction acts to be unconstitutional.
Then let a case be brought before that Court
involving the constltutlonallty OF these acts,
and how long would they be in declaring
them unconstitutional and void And when
a., ,o,o,,ot,,,ot;,,, - iii, 49,, a. -,
.H' 'oii"'i "N''Ni 40 "HiN'i "tN 'tO ''tJ
foii ~ thn ,ro,,'J tio ,,1st foii
with them Then what would nrevent the