Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-01

one of the best presidents this country ever
had She is still represented i'll the House
Of Representatives by that veteran whose
painstaking industry in the interest OF his
State has become proverbal; and there is
associated with him another gentleman
whose great ability. whose long Judicial
training and whose fearless courage have
already placed him, although n new
member. in the first rank of
wise and sagacious legislators. And
in the midst of this peace and prosper
itv and contentment, we are not unmindtu
of our obligation to the veterans. In this
year of grace we expect II elect as governor
of our State a veteran whose empty sleeve
the first sleeve of n Vermont soldier made
empty in the civil war; is constant re-
minder of the misfortune of the first
battle of Bull Run. And this
we shall do notwithstanding the
fact that we of the new generation, who
have grown up since the war, have seen the
example set by your State o: Massachusetts
in bringing young mon to the front. and
notwithstanding the further fact that we
have within our ranks every whit as good
material for that purpose as have you. We
have in the southern part of the state
young man, the son of Il distinguished gov
eInor of the State: and in the northerly part
we have another young man. the son of a
distinguished war governor, both of whom
are ON the right side OF the State and
either of whom would discharge the duties
of that high office with not less signal abl-
ity and credit than was evinced by his dis
tinguished father. But this new generation,
when other things are equal, see i'll this sup
port of Il veteran duty and
privilege "A duty, for by so do
ing we may impress upon the
generation that is fast pressing up behind
us the necessity for its handing down un-
dimmcd the torch of patriotism which it in
due time will receive from the father:
| privilege, for art and story and song and
| eloquenCe have been so taxed to express the
nation gratitude to its defenders, that this
is one of the last opportunities vouchsatod
| to us to testify to our appreciation of the
work done for US 10y you and your com
radeS.
| As you We're needed in '6l to fight the
battles of the Union so you are needed to
day, as an inspiration to better citizenship
| We are so secure in the enjoyment of our
| rights and liberties. and those rights and
| liberties are so ample, proflloe, and the
requirements of government from us as in
| diVidualS are So slight that not even the
| vision of our income taX-"OllcCtOr aWakcnS
| within us a realizing sense of the vital re
| lationehip which exists between the citizen
and the State That tie is strong one un-
| der any form of goVernment-how much
stronger under q government like ours.
| Our very motto is suggestive of that re
| latonshp. 'E plurbus Unum Out of
many One. SiXty-five millions of people,
but one nation. Si,,ty-five millions of peo-
pie indissolubly bound together. each one of
those millions a vital and essential part of
| the republic And yet as | said before,
| our obligations to our country rest so light
| ~ upon us. that ii is only when we 20 bacl,
with you to 81. and hear again Lincoln !,
call for men to defend the Union, ard see
| you in response to that call sever
| the dearest and most sacred ties
of earth and shoulder your muskets and
march forth. well knowing that toll and
suffering and death of agony may be the
goal of any one of you, must be the goal of
| many that we comprehend the full meaning
of our relation to the State.
And so we of the new generation extend
our greeting to YOU to- night, and say to you,
as did Gen. Thomas at "a critical hour q
generation ago, vermont is watching you.
Although you have transferred your allie
glance to a sister State, You are still bound
to her by ties that can never be dissolved.
In future times when the statesman. the
scholar or the patriot turn, back the pages
of history to learn the wisdom of the ages,
and ponders upon the story of that wonder
full little commonwealth, he may eXcaim
! Ethan Allen with his Green Mountain boys,
Stannard with his Nermonters, how they
fought, the one to establish, the other tC
perpetuatc, the grandest nation the sun ever
shone upon