USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Barre > Memorial of the one hundredth anniversary of the Incorporation of the town of Barre, June 17, 1874 ... > Part 13
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In years agone, 'tis said that Uncle Jack Was steering home with something in a sack, When some skilled marksman, before Jack knew it, Poised his rifle and put a bullet through it : What, on the instant, streaming to the ground, Sent its fresh odors steaming all around ? What terror first, in sudden pallor spread O'er Jack's quaint visage, then, in trembling tread, His onward footsteps stayed, until, at length, His wonder o'er, his passion gave him strength ; His treasure gone, so swiftly run away, What could he do, or e'en what could he say ? With boiling rage, 'twas then that Uncle Jack Turned on his heel and took the backward track ; On laughing crowds a furious tempest burst, And all around most terribly was cursed ! For Jack was mad, and madder yet he grew, Until most surely all his lights burned blue ; But one poor mortal, whatever may be said, That night, though sorrowing, sober went to bed ! Oh ! where's that keen-eyed marksman, tell me, say, Come from distant fields, is he here to-day ?
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Or, gone with Jack, now only to be found In purer realms on other hunting-ground ? If here to-day, ask him. 'tis a trifle, If he thought to bring with him that rifle ? If so, tell him, if any game be found, With certain aim to bring it to the ground !
Oh! memory, memory, what art thou ? From what secret chamber, coming now, Dost bring the polished tablets where are traced The lovely forms that ne'er will be effaced ? By what ethereal fingers bring to view Each object, feeling, thought, we ever knew ? In thy charmed galleries ever seem to stand The cherished forms we've loved on every hand ! All the wondrous alcoves radiant glow With pictures painted in the long ago ; The colors laid in life's earliest prime But slightly softened by the touch of time : We yield our hearts to thy delightsome sway ; Wave o'er our thoughts thy magic wand to-day ! All the sweet pictures of the past unveil, With clustering rapture all our hearts assail ; Oh! for an hour that to the charmed sight We could turn the pictures memory brings to light Of early life so jocund and so free, So full of present joy and that to be ! But power imperious gives the stern command ; We must obey, and stay the willing hand. Yet where'er you turn, wander where you will, The heart is moved by some delightful thrill ; Or mellowing sorrow, to the heart as dear, Chastens the spirit, yields the past a tear.
The ancient church, its very precinct brings The sweet aroma of most sacred things ; The old school-house, and yonder village inn, Swarm with bright images of what have been ; If they could speak, such stories might be told As for one day would save us growing old.
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Go ramble in the valley By the river's rushing din, Perchance you'd find the very spot Where once you tumbled in : Go stroll along the brookside, In the shadow of the glen, And watch the sprightly waters play, And think of now and then : Then, when in youth's bright morning, Free from all guile and sin, You often wandered by the stream, A-fishing with a pin ; And as in youthful patience You sat there on the stone, Waiting for the fish to bite, In the shadows all alone, To your youthful fancy Each rustling leaf and spray Seemed but the answering voices Of fairies in their play ; Perchance the fairy whispered To the naiad of the stream, And a voice within the waters Replied to the fairy dream !
The waters dash as gaily To-day from side to side ; The bubbles ride as daintily On the brimming tide ; The lights now flash as brightly As in the days of yore ; The stone rests there upon the bank With mosses covered o'er ; But the sitter has departed, Not quite the same is he, He comes though, joyous-hearted, With waking memory.
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At twilight's pensive hour, with rev'rent tread We'd wend our way where rest our treasured dead, From whose vast labors we see here arise From out a wild, almost a paradise ; Or who, in life's most bright and happy hours, Entwined love's tendrils round these hearts of ours.
To still another spot our steps will turn, For which, through all the life, the heart will yearn ; Where'er we wander, and whate'er our lot, The early homestead cannot be forgot. Home ! Home ! most sacred spot of all the earth, Where holy love, unselfish, had its birth. The trees, the rocks, the streams, the bending skies, The mansion old, and every thing that lies Around the place. to memory ever dear. Why to the eye so fresh do they appear? Why to the thought do they so quickly start? 'Tis love alone embalmed them in the heart. When near the spot with moistened eyelids trace The dear old record of the happy place. As from these fair scenes you soon shall sever, All sweet thoughts and memories you can gather Bear away to bless you all for ever.
Of all the memories which this day can bring To all our thoughts, most gladly would we sing, But flowing sands. how quickly do they run ! And now the singer's fitful song is done. Where'er you go, wherever you may stray, We hope you'll bear kind memories of to-day. With hearty thanks for kind attention, I Now say Goodby, Goodby, Goodby, Goodby !
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REMARKS OF MR. EDWIN WOODS.
A piece of music having been rendered by the Band, -
The PRESIDENT. - We now introduce the regular senti- ments, and propose -
I. The Day we Celebrate : As it is the horizon line of two centuries, may it be the initial point of increased morality, intelligence, and enter- prise to all who come after us.
REMARKS OF MR. EDWIN WOODS.
The swiftly-flying moments, - crowded with memories, aspira- tions, reminiscences, - the varied expectations of this assembly to listen to words from those who have to-day returned here to honor their birthplace on its one hundredth birthday, and to renew the friendships and acquaintance of younger days, as they grasp the hands and look into the faces of the few that remain, and recall to mind the many who, commencing life here with them, and passing away to distant and scattered lands, with fortune's smile or fortune's frown, have passed to the land of the unknown, - of the great hereafter, - as well as the proprieties of the position assigned me, demand that brevity be my watchword as it is to be the key-note of this occasion.
Brevity, you know, is the soul of wit, and the wit for this occa- sion ought to be
" Sparkling and bright In its liquid light, Like the water in our glasses."
But how can this be? Who can tell the story of an hundred years in five minutes? Who can recall in that brief space the conspicuous men of those generations, and enumerate the deeds they have wrought and the impressions they have made on the tablet of history? What traditions of interest mingle with the well ascertained facts that have transpired, and go to throw an atmosphere of brilliant romance around our contemplation of the reality ?
The day we celebrate marked an era for others as well as for us. It was the dividing line between the future and the past in the State as well as the commencement of a career for the town.
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It was a step forward in the progress of civilization and free- dom and development for this community and for the State and the country. And yet neither town nor State had been without a past, full of interest and of romance, of heroic enterprise, and of patient, persistent toil.
The nation had not then been born. The influences which were to produce a country to take a place in the front rank of the nations of the world were silently working in these little town organizations, which were making practical the theories first roughly written out on board the " Mayflower," and telling the world that the true rule of government was self-government, and that the rights of men were not dependent upon charters, nor the gifts of kings, but were God-given, - inalienable and dependent upon the virtue and the valor of those who enjoyed them.
And so it is a noteworthy coincidence of the day we celebrate, that the Act giving us an existence was practically one of the last acts of the government of the Crown in this State, and so, as I have said, connecting us both with the past and with the future. And fitting, too, was it that, thus connected, we should take a name at first that was connected with the past by the laurels won by its owner, as historian, legislator, judge, and governor in the service of that government which our country had outgrown, and bear the name of Hutchinson.
And right worthily did our fathers illustrate the spirit of the blood of the Puritans of the " Mayflower," which flowed through the veins of some of them, when they repudiated that name of Hutchinson, as intended to perpetuate the memory of one whose act merited oblivion, and, with the name of the gallant defender of the rights of American colonies, take their place with the party of the people against the party of the crown, - with liberty and independence against that of slavery and servility, - teaching anew the lesson that loyalty to truth, to duty, and to man is sure to be appreciated sooner or later, while treachery, however gilded, ever merits and is sure to receive contempt.
Nor is it alone on account of the incidents of our starting upon a municipal career that this day an hundred years ago deserves commemoration.
A generation of men and women lived here then whose char- acters and deeds deserve to be recalled to the knowledge of the
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REMARKS OF MR. EDWIN WOODS.
men and women of to-day. And it is fitting that, as a century has run its round, their sons and daughters should recall the memo- ries of them that they possess, and make permanent the record of their life-work, so that their memories shall not perish from among men. And so, for the history and the biography of an hundred years completed, is it convenient and proper that we celebrate this day.
The connection that one generation has with its successors in determining its course of conduct and the influence it shall exert is a subject well worthy attention ; and so it is well to know in whose veins runs the blood, so as to see if the children inherit the virtues of the fathers, and therefore, in connection with the gene- alogy of the town, would we celebrate its Centennial. Traditions and anecdotes exhibit character and tendencies, while the prog- ress made in wealth and the means of wealth, the course of busi- ness and the results thereof, the development of agriculture, manufactures, and the mechanic arts, our social, educational, and religious influences, all fitly pass in review at least at the close of a century, and make this day worthy to be celebrated.
And, to crown the whole, as these friends of ours, who share with us the honor of our good old town, who have here been born, and whose parents' dust lie quiet in our peaceful cemeteries, or who have for a time resided here and engaged in the toil of our fields, or the activities of our business pursuits, and the sons and daugh- ters of the early settlers and former residents, recall to mind this anniversary, and come home to mingle the congratulations of the occasion and the tribute of honor and praise to those who have so well deserved it, - the claims and compensations of kindred and friends unite to render fitting the commemoration of this day.
And so, with the thanks of the Committee of Arrangements, mingled with the welcome already spoken, I make way for the next sentiment on your programme.
II. The United States : Our country ! Last among the great nations to assume an independent position ! Among the first in rank, power, and influence to-day. Its history is the triumph of republican principles, and justifies the pride with which we anticipate the celebration of its centen- nial year.
The PRESIDENT. - I introduce to you a descendant of a
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son of Barre, whose deeds on other fields have entitled him to the position and right to speak to-day in behalf of the country he has so gloriously defended, - General A. B. UNDERWOOD, of Boston.
REMARKS OF GENERAL UNDERWOOD.
I remember, Mr. President, that I am rather undersized for the average Barre man, which is, I believe, six feet, therefore I am not very anxious to come to the front, although I have been in the front I believe sometimes with some of your good citizens of Barre.
Mr. President, and ladies and gentlemen, when, a few moments ago, I had the sorrow to be disturbed in the enjoyment of the day by learning that I was to be called upon to speak, and was in- formed that it was to be to " The United States," it seemed to me, under the spell of the eloquence of the distinguished Orator of the day, - and I desire for one to express my very great gratitude to him for the eloquent and tender tribute which he has paid to the achievement of its citizens, - it seemed to me that the sentiment to which I was to respond should have been worded in this way : " The United States, settled largely by emigrants from Barre." Everybody I have met with to-day or heard of to-day, -and it seems that about everybody I ever knew, - I find hails from Barre. Not only that, but I find everybody proud to say so, and that is a tribute to Barre. And I feel a little like blushing, sir, in standing here to-day, that I cannot say that I was born in Barre ; but then, sir, the next best thing is, to say that my father and my grandfather were born in Barre, and that my great- grandfather was one of the early settlers. And therefore, sir, I believe that I have some claim to be here. To-day I find that there is a marvellous recognition of brothers coming together, old residents of Barre. I think my father has discovered about seventy-five of his schoolmates, all taught in that same little district school, about nine feet square ; and considering the diffi- culties which they underwent in getting their education, I don't wonder at what they have disseminated among the other parts of the earth. But, Mr. President, Barre has not only done her share
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REMARKS OF GENERAL UNDERWOOD.
in peopling the United States, - and I assure you she has done her share in our neighborhood, -but Barre has done her share in build- ing the government of which we are proud to-day. And, sir, how can we appreciate the greatness of our country without recalling, as our Orator has done to-day, the sacrifices which were made by our fathers and by the sons of the fathers? Think of this little town of Barre, the anniversary of which occurs to-day, then not a year old, sending its minute-men to fight for the struggling nation at the battle of Bunker Hill ; and then, sir, when, a year or two afterwards, in the darkness of the war, - and, remembering what I do ofour own war, I wonder, - when a few men were found in Barre, as elsewhere, who classed themselves as accommodation- men, - remember, sir, this little town of Barre, then in its infancy, hardly knowing where the next man shall come from, or the next dollar, still again pledging to defend the little germ of a republic by its lives and sacred honor. That, sir, settled the certainty of this republic ; that tells us where this nation, the United States of America, of which we are proud to be citizens to-day, had its origin. But then, sir, how can we appreciate the nation further, without remembering the sacrifices of this generation, when, sir, the liberties of the country were attacked, although the country had grown to an unprecedented degree ; think, sir, that a million of men started up at once and left their business industries all over the land, and rushed to the front to defend this same country and flag of our fathers, and for four long years were never willing to give it up - not even listening for a moment to the accommo- dation-men - till the Union was saved, and our flag floated proudly and victoriously as it does to-day. Oh, fellow-citizens ! if you would appreciate the sacrifices of this generation, go and read the names on that beautiful shaft which the people of Barre have erected to the memory of her heroic sons. See the battles, - Port Hudson, Newbern, Gettysburg, and then look over the names and see many others. Why, sir, it all brings back to us memories, and we recall - you recall, fellow-citizens- these sons and fathers and brothers, and the sacrifices of this generation. And to-day, sir, standing here a grandson of Barre, I feel proud to recall what you have done, and your sons have done, for the defence of the Union. And I feel at home here, for I remember that these same
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sons, whose names, some of them, I know, were my comrades in the battle-field. I remember the regiments in which they fought side by side with my own, - the 21st, 31st, 25th, 36th, 53d, and others, and I feel that they were my comrades, and that here, in presence of that monument erected to them, it is my home as it is your home. I not only remember them, but also that there were others who served near me, sons of Barre, grandsons of Barre, and so, sir, I could find many ways in which I feel myself related to those Barre sons who fought in the late war if it was the place and time. In closing, let me simply say, my fellow-citizens of Barre, as we are all drawn together to-day in these memories, let us, while we recall these sacrifices of our fathers, and the sacrifices of the sons, let us pledge ourselves in the memory of all that we will try to make the Union, these United States, which I have the honor to respond to at this moment, sir, worthy of those great sacrifices, and worthy of all the dead that have fallen in its defence.
III. Massachusetts : Home of the pilgrims ! Cradle of liberty ! Her first constitution in its preamble wiped out slavery from among her insti- tutions, and as justice has been associated with liberty and law in her legislation, so has civilization and prosperity been stamped on her progress. May her influence in the councils of the nation, and her exam- ple among the fraternity of States, be ever on the right side, and ever increasing.
Acting Governor TALBOT had been invited to be present, but previous engagements prevented.
IV. The County of Worcester : Heart of the Commonwealth ! Her extensive territory, of easy access to the centre by railroad facilities, her influence according to her extent. Let there be no division of the heart ; but let head, heart, and limb work in harmony for increased development and prosperity.
Hon. W. W. RICE, late District Attorney, was expected to speak for the County, out of his abundance; but his voice was not heard.
V. Bench and Bar: While the Barre lawyers have presented to the courts the conflicting views and claims of their clients with ability and fidelity, and so secured respect and gratitude as well as the pecuniary
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REMARKS OF MR. GEORGE F. BABBITT.
reward of services rendered, the bench has not suffered when occupied by a lawyer hailing originally from Barre, and carrying into his profession, as advocate, counsellor, and judge, those qualities of mind and heart that Barre ever delights to find animating public men.
This sentiment was announced out of its appropriate place, as some of the speakers were obliged to leave in the cars ; and so the response from a former resident of Barre, who now adorns the Bench of the Superior Court, and had been obliged to retire, was lost.
VI. Col. Isaac Barré : A poor emigrant's son ; a gallant soldier ; a leader of fashion ; an eloquent statesman ; and a glorious defender of popular rights. May the town prove worthy of the name it bears.
The PRESIDENT said, - When I came to Barre, some twenty-five years ago, among my early patients was a white-haired, pale-faced boy, whose chances for life seemed to be not of the most promising, but who early evinced a faculty of mind that would compensate for feebleness of body. I have watched his progress since during his school-days and through his college career, and rejoice to know that now, by his ready and incisive pen, in his chosen profession, the promise of his youth is redeemed in his manhood, and am happy to present to you Mr. GEORGE F. BABBITT, of the Boston " Post."
REMARKS OF MR. GEORGE F. BABBITT.
Mr. President, Sons and Daughters of Barre,- After lis- tening to all that has been so eloquently said and sung in honor of Barre and of the many virtues of her sons and daughters, I feel all the more deeply the importance of the sentiment to which, Mr. President, you have honored me with the request to respond. Looking around me upon this joyful company, assembled from far and from near to participate in the festivities attending the one hundredth birthday of our native town, the thought occurs to me that if the tree is to be known by its fruit a grand and beau- tiful tree it must have been. Of the personal, or even of the public, history of Col. Isaac Barré, but short and imperfect notices
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have been written. He boasted none of the titles of nobility, but was one of nature's noblemen, living in an era and country in which the symbols of high birth too often went for far more than personal merit or achievement. He was born in Dublin in the latter part of the year 1726, the exact date of his birth, I am sorry to say, not being recorded. His parents were refugees from France, and we are told that his father, Peter Barré, was settled by the Bishop of Clogher in a small shop in Dublin, his wife hav- ing earned the bishop's favor by nursing one of his children. Isaac's youthful ambition was evidently a high one, despite his humble birth, for the records of Trinity College, Dublin, show him to have entered that institution as a student at the early age of fourteen. Intending him for the law, his father, who appears to have been getting on in the world, sent him to London, where he entered his name in one of the Inns of Court. Barre, how- ever, seems to have disliked his profession ; for when he was only twenty years of age he obtained a commission as ensign in the army, and went with his regiment to the Continent. He was subsequently ordered to Canada, where he remained until the surrender of Montreal.
It was during the long war against the French in Canada that the personal career of Barre became more clearly defined. The first step to his rise in his profession was the patronage he received from the immortal General Wolfe, who appears to have admired our young officer, and to have honored him with frequent promotion. He became a lieutenant, a major of bri- gade, and finally, during the siege of Quebec, his rank was that of an adjutant-general. And here occurs a notable incident in the career of young Barre. Upon the fatal Plains of Abraham Wolfe received his death wound, and Barré was severely wounded in the face, so as to destroy the use of his left eye, and ultimately induce total blindness. He carried the bullet in his head to the day of his death, and on more than one occasion in his subse- quent career he proudly alluded to it as a tangible evidence of his early patriotism. In West's celebrated picture of the "Death of Wolfe," Barré is prominently represented among the group of officers around the dying general ; and in placing him in that position the artist was no doubt influenced by a desire to com-
.
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REMARKS OF MR. GEORGE F. BABBITT.
memorate the friendship subsisting between Barré and his illus- trious commander. The death of Wolfe was disastrous to Barré's subsequent success in the army. The bullet that had slain the brave general likewise shattered the young soldier's fortunes, and he was left to look out for himself. Gen. Townshend assumed command of the army, and the shabby manner in which he treated Barré was the subject of a scathing letter addressed by the slighted soldier to Mr. Pitt. Subsequently, however, the army of Townshend was merged into that of General Amherst, and Barré's new patron soon rendered him important service. The surrender of Montreal, in 1760, completed the subjugation of Canada, and Amherst appointed Barré bearer of despatches, announcing the event to the home government. He arrived in London in the month of October of that year, and immediately thereafter he entered upon a new career in life. Hitherto he had served his country as a soldier only. Now he assumes a place in the foremost rank of statesmen and patriots. It appears to have been owing to Lord Shelburne's influence that Col. Barré, in the year 1761, was nominated to a seat in Parliament, where he at once distinguished himself as one of the ablest and most intrepid speakers on the opposition side of the House of Com- mons. He boldly and repeatedly encountered the foremost men of the times with fervid eloquence and animation, mingled with a degree of sarcasm and humor which, even in the scanty reports of his speeches, stamp him as a highly successful and accom- plished orator and debater.
" Would you know a little of Parliament?" wrote Sir Andrew Mitchell to a friend, at this time. " I must tell you that Col. Barré, a soldier of fortune, a young man born in Dublin, of parents of a mean condition, his father and mother from France and established in a little grocer shop, - this young man, found out, pushed and brought into Parliament by Lord Shelburne, had not sat two days in the House before he attacked Pitt !" This circumstance alone is regarded as of sufficient significance to mark him as a leader in debate. Pitt was already great and powerful in office, and it required great courage to break through the difficulties which would have paralyzed ordinary opponents. It was not this remarkable courage alone, how-
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