The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-28
To Celebrate DishOnOr.


ridge, it is reported from Lexington,
KY, will give him "rousing recep-
ton " and banquet when he returns
to his home at the conclusion of the
trial at Washington, whatever the
Judgment of his peers may be. For
these festive demonstrations his friends
and neighbors are already making elab-
crate preparations. This man whom
the chivalry of Kentucky will meet to
honor-what is he? What has he done
to merit the homage it is proposed to
pay him? Is he warrior, victorious in
battle for human rights or defense of
country Is he tribune of the people,
winning in parliamentary warfare
their gratitude for defense of their
liberties? These are some of the deeds
which inspire such honors as, if the re-
ports are true, the people of part of
Kentucky are preparing to render a fa-
vorite son. But the Colonel Breckin-
ridge who will be cheered and feasted
at Lexington is a man who, on his own
admission, has for long period of years
been guilty of unspeakable offenses
against the laws of God and man. He
is confessedly unclean, hypocrite,
liar, deceiver, betrayer of sacred
trust, a groveler in the blacklist dis
honor. No testimony will be required to
show this in the trial now in progress at
the national capital. His counsel ad
mits deeds that justify all these accu-
sations. And yet his Kentucky friends
propose to unite to do him honor, and
to tender him denomination to con-
gress-to make him again lawmaker
who is admittedly stepped in moral tur-
pitude. No verdict the jury can render
can bleach the blackened character of
this Kentucky congressman. The trial
cannot regild the grimy fabric the tes-
timony has revealed. The jury has
to do with other things. 1t matters not
how degraded the plaintiff may be
shown to be. Every shade of darkness
added to her character only casts a
deeper shadow upon that of the de-
PENDANT. Miss Pollard may not be vic
torious, but Colonel Breckenridge can
never be triumphant. He is shown to
be guilty of long-continued offenses
against decency, of gross marital intidel-
ity, of a course of horrible wrong-doing
pursued under cover of respectable y
and assumed religious principle and con-
tinued religious observance. A more
beastly character has seldom been held
up to public Reproduction. His defense
against the specific claims and charges
of Miss Pollard is that of craven. He.
man of half century of years and
experience, charges his lapses from vir'
tue upon the Establishments of young
school girl. He would make her out 9
designing young woman of twenty OF
twenty-five years at the time of his first
acquaintance; but the case of the man
whose years, social standing, ability
and worldly experience had made hin
leader of men and advanced him Il
high political station is not improved
by this pitiful defense, If he succeeds
in establishing it. The gods hat
evidently made Colonel Breckinridg'
exceedingly mad, and led him headlonl
to his destruction. The only course
that was open to him to right thu
: wrongs Of nine years and to avert thu
disaster that had overtaken him b,
making his victim his wife, he threw
away and sought protection by involv
8 ing an unsuspecting woman in hi
. downfall. History can hardly presen
8 a moral wreck more deplorable in all it
4 incidents, and it is difficult to conceive
= of community in this land OF enlight
t eminent where the moral tone is 81
q hopelessly low as that in Kentucky
d which proposes to receive with musi
Q and festivity and honor the chief acto
i in this dark drama Of wickedness.