St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-03

hands cordially with all. He was
then conducted to the governors
room, where he received the members
of the Legislature. Finally he made
his way from the interior to the
front of the capitol. Gov. Page in
PRODUCED him in brief speech. The
President spoke as follows:-
Gov. Page and fellow citizens:
This sunshine is as warm as a Yer
mont welcome. (Applause,) 1t is
of the higher quality. 1t has life in
it. But too much of it is prostrat-
ing. (Laughter.) 1 have felt, in en-
deavoring to respond to these calls,
that 1 was possibly overtaxing my
own strength and perhaps over
crowding the press association.
(Laughter.) l am not naturally a
gossip. 1 think I had some reputa-
ton as a taciturn man, but it is
gone Qaughter). have not given it
up willingly. l have struggled to
retain it, but it has been forcibly
taken from me by kindness of my
fellow-citizens whom / have met so
frequently within the last year. Per-
haps, however, may perceive other
virtues 1 can let this go Qaughter).
1t is great thing to be a citizen of
the United States. l would not have
you abate at all the love and loyalty
you have for Vermont. But l am
glad to know that always in your
have felt that the higher honor, the
~ I4
citizen of the United States of Ameri-
ca. (Applause.) This association of
states is a geographical necessity.
We can never consent that hostile
boundaries shall be introduced with
all that such divisions imply. We
must be one from Maine to Cali
fornia, one from the lakes to the
Cuff (applause), and everywhere in
all that domain we must insist that
the behests of the federal constitu-
ton and of the laws written in the
federal statute book shall be Loyalty
observed, (Applause.) A statesman
of one of the southern states said to
me, with teaIs in his eyes, shortly
after my Inauguration: "Mr. Presi-
dent, hope you intend to give the
l said in reply: "a chance to do
what? If you mean, sir, that they
shall have a chance to nullify any
law and that [ shall wink at the
notification you ask that which you
ought not to ask and that which l
cannot consider. (Applause.) If you
mean that obeying every public law
and giving to every other man his
full rights under the law, and the
constitution, they shall abide in my
respect and in the prosperity and
peace of our institutions, then they
shall have SO far as in my power
lies an equal chance with all our
people" (Applause.) We may not
choose what laws we will obey; the
choice is made for us. When a
majority have by lawful methods
placed law upon the statute book,
we may endeavor to repeal it, we
may challenge its wisdom, but while
it is the law it challenges our obedi-
ence. (Applause.) I thank you for
the kindliness of this greeting in this
capital of Vermont. l wish for you
and your gallant state and for all
your people in all these good God
fearing homes continuance Of that
personal liberty, that material pros
perity, that love Of the truth which
has always characterized them. ZAP
plause.)
Leaving Montpelier at 1 80 o. clock,
the party was joined by Senator F.
A. Dwinnell, Brig-Gen. F. E. Alfred,
Quartermaster-General w. H. Gil
more, V. R. Sartwell president, w.
A. Stowell, superintendent, and J.
w. Morse, general passenger agent
of the Montpelier and Wells River
railroad, H. E. Folsom, superinten-
dent of the Passumpsic division of
the Boston and Maine railroad, L.
D. Hazen, and A. H Mcleod, of the
St. Johnsbury reception committee,
E. w. Smith and John Bailey of
Newbury, Fletcher D. Proctor, son
of Secretary Proctor, and Frank c.
Partridge, solicitor of the state de-
partment at Washington. At Plain
field the president was introduced by
Senator Dwinnell and spoke as fol-
lows
My fellow-citizens and comrades,
for l see here. as everywhere else,
some of those who wore the blue
and carried the flag in the great civil
war gathered to greet me, 1t gives
me pleasure to stop for a moment
and to thank you for the friendliness
which has brought you from your
homes to make this journey bright
with your presence and cordial well
come. have been talking so much
to-day that 1 will not attempt to
make a speech. l have already said
a great deal about Vermont, have
expressed my esteem for it and for
its people, and all that 1 have said
has been very sincere, for think that