Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-04-25
Che GsseS County BeralA.
IsLASD POND. A2sIl -, 1854.

As the time draws near for the
meeting of the Convention of the
great national party, public interest
in its results grow more and more
intense; and although we were in.
clined to discuss a variety of topics,
still this one great issue, under some
new phase, each week forces itself
upon us. The interest taken in this
subject in Vermont is intensified by
the novelty of her situation. 1t is
quite new to her to have so distinct
and positively a man Of national
reputation, and of such acknowledge
ed force and influence in the gov
ernment of the whole country, as
that men everywhere, outside of the
personal following of aspirants for
the Presidency, turn instinctiyely
10 him as being almost invincible.
And to meet this natural inclination
of the people, the followers Of no
other man state any objection to
the Vermont man. They only dis
cuss him as little as possible and
turn from him to hurry on other
currents. Il has always hitherto,
been thought thing impossible
that any man from Vermont should
be President, not because nature
had been so uukind to her that she
could not raise a man as capable as
any other state, nor that the morals
and education of her people were so
low that she could not furnish q
man as pure and patriotic as even
New York city; but simply because
that the great political influences
did not center in Vermont, and be.
cause her Representatives were
scarcely ever heard of in coAven.
ton. Now it would be a singular
and wonderfully grand specimen OF
the workings Of the great law OF
compensation if it should turn out
that the controlling power Of thai
convention, simply by reason of the
conflicting workings Of the politica
machines, should center in Senator
Edmunds, and that hitherto I'M
known results should follow, anC
come out Of the operation of politi
cal combinations, namely: tina
which would result in the nomina
ton of a man Of unquestioned abili
ty as lawyer and statesman, Of I'm
doubted honor, of unquestione,
purity Of character, trammelled b,
10 intrigue, personal antagonism
previous designs for promotion
speculation or gain in any ohicia
position, and untarnished by cor
ruption in any Of its forms. Yet
wonderful as this may seem, it doe
look little as was said 10y o leadin,
organizer of personal campaign a
though "the shadows murmnr, bu
the depths are dumb" and tina
what he termed the depths, may b
the murmurs, and that the grea
under current of honest public sen
timent may be moving in a dircc
ton he does not anticipate. To
wards whoever the great deep cul
rent Of public opinion in this coun
try may set, it will certainly not b
very averse to his being honest
capable, and so far above the reacI
of personal attack, as that if politi
cal opponents undertake to slim!
mud, they will only be able to thro,
empty hands into the air. And W
believe stranger things have hap
pened than that the sagacity of GU
party will successfully advise that
man be put in nomination who wi
not have to be put so far on tn
defensive as to give no opportunit
to advance on the enemy, but onl
time to take care Of internal dissen
sions.