790 



VERMONT. 



major in 1826, lieutenant-colonel in 1830, after 

 a brilliant campaign in Algeria, where he 

 mined and exploded a fort, and had a leg 

 broken; colonel in 1833, after the siege of 

 Anvers, and honored with the cross of an 

 officer of the Order of Leopold. In 1834 he 

 was sent to Algeria in command of the corps 

 of engineers, and covered the country with 

 blockhouses and fortified ramparts. In 1838 

 he returned to France as brigadier-general of 

 engineers; in 1839 was made superintendent 

 of the Polytechnic School, and, in 1840, as- 

 signed to the direction of the fortifications on 

 the right bank of the Seine, in Paris. In 1845 

 he was promoted to the lieutenant-generalship, 

 and presided over the chief committee on for- 

 tifications. In 1849 he was made second in 

 command in the army sent to Italy. For his 

 services there he was made a marshal of France, 

 by Louis Napoleon, in 1851, just after the coup 

 d'etat, and received, among other favors from 

 the new regime, the appointment of grand- 

 marshal of the palace. As marshal of France, 

 he was a senator by right, as well as by impe- 

 rial favor. When St. Arnaud was placed at 

 the head of the Army of the East, Marshal 

 Vaillant was made Minister of War, and dis- 

 played considerable zeal and scientific knowl- 

 edge of military movements. He retained this 

 portfolio until 1859, when, in the Italian cam- 

 paign, he exchanged it with Marshal Eandon 

 for the command of the Army of the Alps. 

 After the campaign, he commanded the corps 

 of occupation at Milan till May, 1860. On his 

 return, he was made Minister of the Emperor's 

 Household and of Fine Arts, and member of 

 the Privy Council. He ranked so high as a 

 man of science as to be elected, in 1853, a free 

 member of the Academy of Sciences. He re 

 organized the School of Fine Arts, procured a 

 decree of liberty from censorship for the thea- 

 tres, and the power to distribute duplicates of 

 objects of art and museum collections for the 

 benefit of departmental establishments of arts. 

 He was a member, and several times presi- 

 dent, of the Bureau of Longitudes. His only 

 original published work, not on military mat- 

 ters, was a "Report upon the Situation of 

 Algeria" (1855). His administration of the 

 military affairs of France is cited as the most 

 perfect of his time, and his writings on mili- 

 tary matters are regarded as standard works. 

 He had been decorated with almost all the or- 

 ders existing in France. 



VERMONT. The political campaign in this 

 State began with the assembling of the Re- 

 publican State Convention, which was con- 

 vened at Bellows Falls, May 1st, for the choice 

 of delegates to the National Republican Con- 

 vention. The following resolutions were 

 adopted : 



Resolved^ That we cordially approve and indorse 

 the present national Administration, and commend 

 it aa distinguished among the best of our history, for 

 ability, integrity, economy, and fidelity to principle. 



Resolved^ That the first preference of the State is for 

 the rcnouimation of Grant and Colfax, and we wish 



our delegates to regard that preference so far as, upon 

 consultation with the delegates from other States, 

 they shall find that preference consistent with thu 

 harmony of the Kepuolican organization, the welfare 

 of the common cause, and the successful and perma- 

 nent establishment of Eepublican principles. To 

 these considerations all others should yield. 



Resolved, That we deeply regret the defection of Ke- 

 publicans from the regular organization. We believe 

 the objects of reform professed to be sought by the 

 Liberal-Kepublican movement are mainly such as 

 can be secured only in the Eepublican party, while 

 the only practical result of the movement will be to 

 strengthen the Democracy. 



Resolved, That we deprecate the restoration of the 

 Democratic party to power, as endangering the equal 

 laws which, against the opposition of that party, have 

 recently been engrafted upon our system, as prevent- 

 ing any further progress in the same direction, and as 

 likely to lead to the preferment and allowance of 

 unjust and excessive Southern war claims against 

 the Government, which, would heavily increase tax- 

 ation and seriously impair the national credit. 



Resolved, That we pledge ourselves anew, in this 

 our first State Convention for two years, to the great 

 leading aims of the ^Republican party, namely, : the 

 most complete liberty and the most exact equality 

 of rights, under ihe law, for all men throughout the 

 republic : the promotion of education, intelligence, 

 and thrift of every class, and especially of the labor- 

 ing-class, of our population : the most strict observ- 

 ance of the public faith, both toward our creditors, 

 by the payment of the national debt, and toward our 

 soldiers and sailors by a prompt and generous pro- 

 vision for them, their widows, and orphans ; the 

 preservation of peace, so far as consistent with na- 

 tional honor and security ; the cultivation of rela- 

 tions of confidence and good-will with all, from the 

 old nations of the East to the savage tribes of the 

 West ; faithfulness and economy in the administra- 

 tion of the laws, and promptitude and thoroughness 

 in the correction and reform of all abuses in any de- 

 partment of the public service. 



On the 12th of June, the Democratic State 

 Convention assembled in Montpelier, and was 

 attended by 188 delegates. The following res- 

 olutions were adopted: 



Resolved, That the Democracy of Vermont, assem- 

 bled in convention, to select delegates to the Na- 

 tional Convention at Baltimore, recognizing the re- 

 cent changes in the nature and constitution of the 

 Governmentj are ready to cooperate with all those 

 who favor limited and localized governments, and 

 who seek to restrain the exercise by Congress of 

 absolute powers, to prevent private legislation, to 

 restrain the growth of vast corporations, and to 

 work a permanent civil-service retorm. 



Resolved, That the platform of principles adopted 

 by the recent Cincinnati Convention indicates prog- 

 ress of public opinion toward sound views of gov- 

 ernment ; that all patriotic citizens may and should 

 unite upon that platform, BO well calculated to re- 

 store an honest Administration and enforce the obli- 

 gations of the Constitution, and our delegates are 

 instructed to secure, if possible, the triumph of those 

 principles, and to support any candidates, represent- 

 ing them, who shall meet the approval of the Democ- 

 oracy in National Convention assembled. 



The Republican State Convention for the 

 nomination of candidates for State offices, and 

 two presidential electors at large, assembled 

 in Montpelier, on the 26th of June. After a 

 close contest, Julius Converse, of Woodstock, 

 was nominated for Governor; Russell S. Taft, 

 of Burlington, for Lieutenant-Governor ; and 

 John A. Page, of Montpelier, for State Treas- 



