Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-08-01

It's Origin, and NermOnt's Part in 1t.
From the St Adams Messenger

From the st. Adams Messenger
few days ago. Il Boston paper publish
ed despatch from Pennington. Maine in
which it was stated that lit is matter of
history that the Republican party was first
organized and chrstened at strong. Me-.
August I, 1854 - and the Republicans of
the place have made arrangements for
suitable celebration of the party's birth
day on the coming August = On reading
the above statement concerning the ma
tivity of the Republican party, we were
reminded of an article written by Hon f..
p. Walton of Montpelier. and published in
1859, in which the claim that the Rcpubli-
can party mad its first organization in Yer
mont was apparently well subStantiated
With no other end in view than to set his
tory right in this matter, we wrote To Mr.
W alton requesting Il statement of the
facts in regard to the origin of the Rcpub-
llCan party in this state, and received he
following interesting reply:
MONTPELIER, July -, 1884.
Dear SIR In answer To YOURS of vestpr-
day have to say. that the last Whig State
convention in Vermont was holden ut Rut-
land ON the 9TH of June. 1851 At this CON
vcntion Il platform was adopted, which
dissolved all connection with the prOpa-
gandistS of slavery. and prepared the way
Tor inc union OF all honest, independent
and patriotic men in what may most ttly
ne styled the League of Freedom. | 50
described the platform rditOrallv June ..
1871, and had the right So IL do. for |
drew II up and reported il to the conVcn-
tlon. having first received the approval of
Lawrence Braincrd and RNlaud Fletcher
well known leaders ofthrnld liberal party
Al that convention II State ticket wac,
formed. consisting of stephen Royce for
governor. Oscar J.. Shaftcr for lieutenant
governor and Henry NJ Bates tor treas
llrcr.
ON June Ii, 1851, an anonymous call was
published in the lI'UtchInuH for convcn-
ton of all persons who are in favor of le.
slStlng by all constitutional means tn
UNlrpatlonN of the prOpagandiStS of slave
rN, called. "Without distinction of party, ="
to meet at Montpelier on July I. 1854.
rms call was circulated in the expectation
that the wing convention would adjourn
without naming Il ticket, and ultimately
received large number OF signatures
The day Of meeting was changed. however.
toIuly IL, the anniversary of the Ordinance
of Freedom of l1Ni. ON that day the con
Nentton met and adopted resolutions in
harmony with the Rutland resolu-
tons, differing IN two material points
only, to wit: the one adopting the name
RcpubIicuH, and the other approving the
prohibitory law of 1852. At this convcn-
tiOn the following ticket of State officers
was named l.. p. Walton my father
for governor, Ryland Fletcher for lieu
tenant governor, and Henry Nj Bates for
treasurer. subsequently Gen. Walton ON
the Republican ticket and Mr.. Shattcr ON
the Whig ticket declined. and the State
committee of the two conventions substi-
tuted for them Stephen Royce and Ryland
Fletcher, who with Henry VI. Bates were
the first Republican, State officers
Now let me say if YOU choose to fix the
birthday of the Republican party of Yer
mont on the 9TH of June ls54, at Rutland,
you will be substantially correct if the eX-
cellence of a party consists IN its principles
or, if you choose to fix its birth at Mont
pcler on the 18th of July, 1854. You will be
literally correct. if the excellence of a pnr-
ty consists in lis name
Truly yours,
r.. T. WALTON