Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-06-03
cHENEYs FAMOUS SPEECH
When He Spoke for BarnOrd as a
Site for the State Capitol.

It was during the long debate in
the House in 1857, on the location of
the state capitol, that the late Moses
Cheney delivered his famous speech
on the beauties of Barnard as a site,
and the health and longevity of its
people. 1t had great weight; he was
a forcible speaker, and undoubtedly
had much to do with the retention
of the capitol in Montpelier as against
the claims of Burlington.
The following extracts from his
speech are taken from the official
journal of the proceedings of the
House at the special session in 1857:
Mr.. Chairman, there are a hundred
towns in the state of Vermont that
might claim the state house on as
good grounds as Castleton, or Bur-
lington, or Rutland, for beauty,
health, etc. The gentleman from
Brattleboro Mr.. Bradley,l acknowl-
edges that Brattleboro could accom-
modate the state, but he sets forth
no claim, does not ask for the state
house. But the gentleman from
Brattleboro knows that Vermont can
put her house into any town she may
choose to, whether the town asks for
it or not; and as the question of re-
moval is up, it may be the duty of
such towns as are easily accessible
by the state, to set forth the natural
claims of their towns for the state
house. Yes, sir, let us have a gen
eral disclosure, so that the state,
should she conclude to remove her
capitol, might make the best selec-
ton possible. And, now, sir, will
say that | have heard no reasons for
removal to Burlington, or Castleton,
or Rutland, which l consider supe-
rior to reasons which may be adj
duced for removal to the town which
| have the honor to represent. Talk
of pure air, good water, green grass,
fine prospects, healthy location! Is
Barnard whit behind any Of these
respects? Why, as to health, the
people of Barnard seldom think of
dying, and the children don't believe
there is any such thing as death,
and when the subject is mentioned
they say, they will never die. Some
old men have lived until they were
tired all out with life, and have died
on purpose; having told their old
yarns over until the taste was all
out of them, they said they had lived
ever so far beyond all the prom
ises," and they summed up by de-
claring they would not live always"
and got up continuance for quit
ting the world, and got off somehow.
But there is one man in Pomfret,
who, to crafty the minds of the
curious, has consented to live; they
saved him out, and told him he had
got to stand it for curiosity. Well,
he is now hundred and thirty or
forty years old, and would have been
older had he been born sooner, Che
has to wait for the years to roll
round,) and he lives where the
breezes of Barnard blow directly
upon him. Laughter.
In the course of the debate the
gentleman from Westford referred to
Mr.. Cheney's blooming" counte-
nance and in a second speech Mr..
Cheney said:
Doesn't the temperance gentleman
from Westford know the difference
between rum face and that health
full glow which necessarily attaches
to every Barnard countenance? These
ruddy looks are but the effect of the
invigorating Barnard air, which we
copiously breathe, and of the Bar
nard waters, which we quaff and
freely battle in.
Why, there would be no sense in
a Barnard mans using stimulants to
cheer his spirits. Barnard people
are, from natural sources, always so
happy that they can hardly contain
themselves:
"How jocund do they drive their teams
afeld,"
and how,
I'm early morn,
They brush with hasty steps the dews
away"
Sir have by no means yet fully
set forth the claims of Barnard for
the capitol. On the subject of healthy
location, longevity, etc, would as
sure the committee that we have yet
revolutionary pensioners who are SO
vigorous that they sit in their Chin
ney corners and twirl their thumbs
and chew tobacco and spit with as
good gusto as men of forty or fifty
years. The distant views are very
delicious. And sir, our astronom-
ical scenery is especially delightful. |
We are up so high, and our air is SO |
cerulean, that / have no doubt we
can see myriads of stars with the
naked eye which are seldom seen in
Burlington with a telescope. l
would inform the friends of Burling-
ton also that we have Barnard |
Pond" It'll not so large as Lake
Champlain, but it is regular water,
and there is more of it than the Leg
islature can ever use, and as much
as they would ever need to look at.
Sir, Barnard does not wish to
have the state house removed from
Montpelier, but should the state CON
clude to make a change, / think,
from all the showings that have been
presented, either with or without
nnnnaal that the removal must be To