Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-13

|
ing law and attending law lectures at Al
| bany, lectures given at the Famous law
! school over which the Hon. ira Harris,
afterwards United States senator, pre-
sided. | had been till then as was Abra-
ham Lincoln a whig, but more inclined
than he to be conservative. Inc New
York Herald made it very plain that re-
publicanism, when IL first began to take
that name, would certainly lead the peo-
| pie to ruin, and that journal was at the
time my daily food. MIR. Lincoln was In
| Illinois just rising above the political hori-
zon 1t was evident from the fragments oil
his debates with Douglas, that came to us
| through the New York press, that he was
! taking steps in advance even of William
ii. Seward. He was putting 1orth plat
| form which contained ''non-eXtension OF
slavery into the new territories He was
| formulating and defending that platform
which was bound to unite wings. demo-
Gratis and free-State men of different
complexion into one solid body.
HOW GEN. HOWARD BECAME A RE-
PUBLICAN.
My brother, an eloquent and ardent
young man, had already fully adopted the
new platform when he came from Maine
to New York to live for time with his
brother. lie warmly took the part of
Lincoln, Seward, Chase, and even of John
p Hale this he did in all home-talks in
a most unqualified style. He could not un-
derstand my scruples and had little patti
ence with my avowcd union conservatism.
/ And l confess, though l was too proud TO
own 1t then, that in my heart
/ did think that Abraham Lincoln was
right. Mr.. Stewards "irrepressible con-
nict" made me tremble with apprehension
for my country; but as l rose from care
full readings of his elegant speeches. my
conscience said. lie is right; he speaks the
truth
I In the fall of 1866 there was a general
call for a republican rally at large hall
not far from the arsenal. My brother
went, but ] staid away. 1t proved to be an
immense meeting and one full of en-
4 thusiasm. Wings and democrats then
broke away from old party ties and came
together and ceinented ihe new union
This multitude, like Abraham Lincoln
himself cried TO slavery: Thus far shalt
thou go but no furtherl" My army COM
panions then stationed at the arsenal were
all one way. Their cry was the opposite.
1t was bitter and unmeasured against this
new outrage upon Southern rights.
LINCOLN BECAME NATIONAL.
But, the name of Lincoln had gone far
beyond his State. His utterances of UNI
vanished truths, and his apt illustrations
had reached and permeated every reading
household. The line of cleavage during
this season, was effected. Seward Sum-
ner, Hale and others were powerful in thir
way. They could scatter the disease in
the the system but Lincoln instinctivcly
feeling the pulse Of the people knew best
how to apply the remedy. They could de-
tect the riffs, drive home the wedges of
separation. but Lincoln could, always, by
his quick instincts frd the fragments,
bring them together and constitute well
. agglutina ted whole. That original great
the Northern States was my first object
lesson of the Great Whole. l soon after
this espoused the cause and became a bona
fide republican, and have remained one In
principle and in heart for these forty sub
sequent years; and Abraham Lincoln has
all along been my exponent and my ideal
of republcanism
The balance of Gen. Towards speech
was devoted TO a discussion of the tarin
and the currency problem closing will
l the statement that the republican nationa
= convention would make no mistake If b
= nominated either Reed, Morton, McSinle,
= or Allison.
MIR. DALES SPEECH.
= Porter II. Dale of Island Pond SAID among
other things that it was beautiful thing
4 TO see among us the gray heads of the
e veterans of the party VINO had abored
. faithfully in the past for the upbuildinG
t and good of the party That it was the
G chief purpose of this organization to &c
f forth and fight for victory on the linei
r that Lincoln did and success was sure.
S C. C. Fits of Brattleboro followed and
d in part said: That the young men hat
h n great deal of responsibility on theii
hands that we must work to keep up the
. record that Vermont republicans have
= made in the past We are again to SOUND
n the drum for the rest of the country tC
T. march to.
f In introducing Representative Pau
: w. Orvis of Manchester, the toastmaste
r said he presented young man of faitl
). and works. Mr.. Orvis said that the great
e est honor was being Vermonter of to-da
+ and next being horn In Vermont Hi
= speech was bright and witty and con
: tanned many bright hits which were re
|. ceived with applause. He advocated pro
: lection and sound money for the war or
4 next fall.
= A FIRE EATER.
!. States Attorney Roger W. Hulburd wa
G introduced as a bona flde fire eating reput
f lican from Lamoille county. He said W
# were not here to scratch the back of an
|. political candidate that we would sen
: a wave of triumphal joy across tahe countr
i in the fall that would reverberate fror
= Maine to California. He predicted tina
|. our next governor would be elected b
|. 3O,U0 majority, that there was eVerythln
# in the old republican party to draw youn
|. men on to greater efforts and greater sue
cesses than has yet been achieved. Tina
y he was proud of the republican party tina
l. its motto had always been onward an
h upward for improvement and progres!
It His speech was one of the best of tn
# evening and was encored to the echo.
t. Joseph a. DeBoer of Montpelier, the las
O speaker, delivered a scholarly and masterl
t. Grafton on old glory which held the after
r, tion of the vast audience to the end. III
o asked that vote of thanks be tenderc
If to Gov. Woodbury., Congressman Russo
n and Toastmaster Greene, the executiv
committee, the local club, and it was S
d voted.
i Splendid music was furnished through
j. out the evening, the Montpelier Niitar
s. band playing throughout the banquet, an
l. acquitted themselves in a splendid name
l. Tho st. Adams Glee club was present
Y strong and added much to the evening
= entertainment by their several selection
r splendidly rendered. The Mozart qual
n tette of Montpelier sang several times dun
ing the evning and showed the result {
training and study in their well chose
and happily received selections. Mr.. A. ,
It Markham of Washington ID. c. sung
l. song touching on the political topics {
(. the day and the men prominent in nation
d al politics which was heartily encored.
h VERMONT FOR REED.
Il That Reed Is Vermonts choice was yer
l. evident throughout the meeting, ever
l. mention of his name eVoking tremendot
a. applause President George NJ. Power
10 announced the selections of the nomina
n ing committee for officers for the ensuin
al year as follows: