St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-06-11
A Hero Waiting for a Statue
BY OLIVER JOHNSON.

By OLIVER JOHNSON.
As son of Vermont, | am proud OF
her history and of the noble men whose
talents, virtues, and patriotism have
made that history illustrious. am, II
possible, prouder still when remem-
Der that her citizens generally, com
pared with those of other states, have
ever been distinguished for their plain
common sense and love of liberty, and
for the possession, in an eminent de-
| gree, of all the virtues that can ennoble
communities and states. No man, to
! whatever other state or country he
NAV have wandered, ever found occa-
sion to blush in remembering that he
was born in Vermont, where no slave
ever clanked his chain, and whence no
| fugitive from slavery was ever dragged
back to the fetter and the lash.
The state, as IL rule, has not been
slow to honor her heroes and give them
their true place in her annals. The
jewels that sparkle upon her brow are
neither few nor small, nor can their
genuineness be impeached. Their lus-
! ter, indeed, commands the admiration
of the world. But there is upon her
records one name, which, for reasons
greatly TO be deplOred, has not hitherto
been honOred as it deserves. Before
mentioning this name, let me present
IA "Reminiscences of the early anti-slav
cry days, with which it will forever be
associated in my recollection.
In February, 1886, | was present at
the second annual meeting of the Yer
mont Anti slavery Society. 1t WAS
held at Middlebury, in the Clown
Room" sO-called, in the building which
at an earlier day had served as Il court
house for the county of Addison. The
room, by no means il large one, was
crowded with abOlitiOnists from differ
ent parts of the state, all of whom were
filled with that sacred enthusiasm for Il
great cause which persecution never
fails to- inspire. Hardly II town repre-
scented on the occasion but had its
story of free speech frOwned upon 10y
public opinion and outraged by mObs.
1t was IL time when the courage of the
slaves friends was sOrely tried. let
ter from the founder of the anti-slav-
cry movement, William Lloyd GaIri-
son, was announced. No voice could
have been more potential than his in
such an assembly, and there were ST
lence and deep attention as the read
ing began. 1t was an eloquent letter
from first to last ; but one passage in
it awakened sensations which those
who experienced them could not forget
to their dying day.
81 read, some years ago." said Mr..
Garrison, can anecdOte, which is prob
ably familiar to many, but which |
quote as characteristic of the spirit
which animates the people of your pa
triOtic state. A Shareholder, in pur
suit of a runaway slave, finding him in
one of your villages, Immediately |
bounced upon him, and brought him
before the court, presenting, ut the
same time, what he considered induhi- |
table evidence that the victim was his !
lawful property. Still the Judge de |
INJURED. He wanted other proof At
last the providing Oppressor passion
ately desired to know what evidence |
would satisfy him that the slave be-
lOnged to the claimant a bill of
sale from the Almighty was the
memorable reply"
The audience at this point broke out
in Il cheer that fairly shook the walls .
of the old building in which they were
convened. When the reading of the /
letter had been finished, the honorable
DOrastus Wooster, Il venerable citizen
of Mlddlebury, rose and stated that the
decision cited by Mr.. Garrison was
made in his hearing, in the very room
where the society was then assembled :
The Judge referred to was the Hon.
TheOphilus Harrington of Clarendon,
IL Justice of the supreme court of the
state from 1903 to 1913. The date of
the transaction cannot now be ascer-
tanned but the story as told by Mr..
is believed to be inaccurate
in this particular-namely, that the
slave was not brought before the Judge,
but that the latter refused to issue
for his arrest. If the slave
had been brought before the judge aud
the case would have gone
upon record but no record of the
has been found. 1t is of no
however, which version
Of the story is correct, since the proof
is clear that the judge made the judi-
cial declaration ascIibed to him. Slav-
cry then existed in New York, and it
is probable that the slave whose cap
5ure was desired was from that state.
Not another man in the assembly be :
sides Mr.. Wooster appeared To have
mad any previous knowledge of the de
;isiOn. | certainly had never heard of
Il before but theDcefOrth for me the I
name Harrington was the brightest !
star in the whole galaxy of Vermont 5
heroes, and | would fain Uplift it now
Tor the admiration not of VermOnters :
alone, but of all Americans in all time
% come. 1t certainly ought to be com I
and perpetuated by the =
loblest devices of art, and to be cher I
shed forever as a household word |
among those who breathe the air of [
he Green Mountains. d
At first thought it seems strange that :
judicial decision of such high moral i
significance, and SO purely typical of /
he spirit in which the state of Vermont 4
lad it's birth, did not at once take its d
'lace in her annals as a beacon-light for +
he ages to come, and that the name of v
is author was not instantly and spon- b
enrolled among those of the o
heroes to be henceforth celebrated by k