USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Lebanon > July fourth, 1761: an historical discourse in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the charter of Lebanon, N.H., delivered July fourth, 1861 > Part 6
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When the cry of treason and the call for help, sweep- ing along the margin of the Atlantic, flying through the valley of the Mississippi, and leaping the Alleghanies, fell upon the startled yeomanry of the North and West, invoking the blessing of heaven upon mother, wife, and child, they flew with the swiftness of eagles and the strength of lions to the defence of the Capital. As of old, the plane was left upon the bench, the plough in the furrow, the goods upon the counter, and the brief in court, and to-day the men of all professions mingle in the camp and share together the hardships and dangers of a border warfare ; and, when the hour of deadly conflict shall come, they will stand side by side and fall together, teaching their children the great les- son of liberty which the accidents of trade and the for- tunes of peace have will nigh obliterated, that the rich and poor stand as peers in the law of nature.
In the great centres of trade, a small party may pos- sibly be found who hesitate and draw back from a hearty support of the war from prudential considera- tions. But we would ask, is civil liberty and all gran- deur of national character to be sacrificed ? Is the cause of civilization and humanity to be abandoned,
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lest business should be disorganized and capital divert- ed from the natural channels of trade ? If the pros- perity of the nation must perish, we will acknowl- edge no responsibility in its destruction. The govern- ment waited the return of reason and the triumph of patriotism till the spirit of rebellion had rifled the treasury and well nigh emptied the armories of the country ; till it had trampled upon the Constitution and inaugurated the reign of treason.
The war has been forced upon us wickedly and without cause, and there is no alternative but to pros- ecute it without compromise or wavering till the trai- tors lay down their arms and acknowledge the rightful authority of the government.
The South may make rules to regulate its slaveocracy, and we will not interfere ; but it shall never dictate laws and principles of action to twenty millions of free- men. If the manufactures, the commerce, and the ag- riculture of the land are annihilated in the struggle, we shall leave to our posterity the means of future wealth, the legacy of a noble ancestry, and a free government. By the help of God they shall not be the children of slaves. If the flower of this generation must fall upon the field of strife and lie down to rest in a bloody shroud, the ashes of their sires will bid them welcome to their honored graves and their great inheritance of fame. They will link their names with those who fell at Concord and at Yorktown, and their memory will be as imperishable as the eternal hills that gird our gran- ite home.
You and I have read, with throbbing hearts and tearful eyes, of the thrilling events of other days, and
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have regretted that the lines had not fallen to us in those great epochs of history. Do we realize that our half-breathed prayer has been answered in a way we anticipated not? Do we realize that each day of the passing year, on the very soil we tread, is making his- tory more grand and significant than was ever recorded by the hand of Thucidydes or Prescott ?
Our incredulity has been so strengthened by the false cry of danger from the party press in each politi- cal canvass which has swept the country, that we are slow to recognize the magnitude of the crisis which at last has fallen upon us. Two hundred and fifty thou- sand of our brothers have gone forth from their com- fortable homes, and are to-day marching and counter- marching beneath a burning sun. The hazards and hardships of war weigh heavily upon them ; and while they stand on the slippery edge of battle their hearts are far away with the loved ones on the northern hills and western plains. They need our sympathy and our cordial support. Let us not question our convenience, but our ability in furnishing every comfort which can alleviate the horrors of war to those brave youth and noble men, who are fighting for the maintenance of good government and national freedom ; fighting to perpetuate the glory and the protection which our fathers fought to establish.
The novelty of danger has passed by, and there is a momentary lull in the enthusiasm which for a time lifted the whole people above the prejudices of party and the lust of gain, and presented to the world the sublime and inspiring spectacle of a great nation pausing in its career of power and prosperity to reassert an abstract
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principle lying at the foundation of modern States. Here and there in this temporary lull, a miscreant soul, covering its inherent meanness with the shallow pre- text of moderation, cries peace, and with traitorous intent seeks to weaken the arm upon which Providence has devolved the duty of defending our homes and our liberties. They complain of the violation of the Constitution and the usurpation of power by the gov- ernment, forgetting that, if the accusation were true,
" Salus populi est lex suprema."
Prudence may dictate that these home-bred sympathizers with treason should be endured for a time.
" Durum ! sed levius fit patientia, Quidquid corrigere est nefas."
What do these gentlemen wish ? Would they have the descendants of the Puritans sell their birthright for a mess of pottage ? Would they have our institutions and principles exposed for sale at the brokers' board, and quoted on exchange ? Do they desire us to stand with our arms folded till the call of the slave-roll is heard on Bunker Hill, and our children are seen to crawl, poverty-stricken and hopeless, on the battle-fields where sleep the ashes of our sainted dead ? But let us not trouble ourselves with these ephemeral insects. They will perish with their brief hour.
The spirit of the nation will soon move with a deeper and more irresistible flow, sweeping over the plains, rising above the hills, and pouring through the gorges of the mountains, bearing thousands more of our brave men to the field of strife.
The great inheritance of liberties, baptized with the
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blood of our fathers, and still guarded - may we not believe - by their saintly presence, can never be given to traitors. Wherever, throughout the wide domain of the Republic, men shall gather to this national jubi- lee to awaken fond reminiscences and to pay a grate- ful tribute to their sires, a more fervent spirit of patriot- ism will be enkindled, and the solemn vow of loyalty to the Union will be renewed. The righteous wrath of outraged freemen will deepen month by month, so long as the proud old banner that waved on the battle- fields of the Revolution, that drooped over the graves of our fathers, and beneath whose ample folds their children have found peace and prosperity, shall be torn and insulted by traitors.
This last struggle of liberty may yet prove the grand- est in the issue. It will doubtless develop in its pro- gress, new and difficult problems to be solved by a pru- dent application of the settled principles of political science. They should be decided calmly and wisely, but constantly in the interests of humanity, good gov- ernment, and a Christian civilization.
A little while, and the selfishness of trade and the mcanness of party will be consumed ; a little longer, and the foul plague in the veins of the government will be purged away forever ; and when the nation rises up with a new and nobler life, we shall learn that " man's extremity was God's opportunity." When the end of this war shall come, be it soon or late, it will be found worth the sacrifices we have made - such as will tend to promote human freedom and the civilization of the world.
" Esta perpetua" may still stand upon the Constitu-
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tion, for soon the earth will tremble with a heavier tramp of armies, sent forth from our peaceful homes with the prayers of mothers and the benediction of fathers.
" The angel of God's blessing Encamps with Freedom on the field of fight ; Still to her banner, day by day are pressing, Unlooked-for allies, striking for the right ; Courage, then, Northern hearts - Be firm, be true !"
CENTENNIAL AND PATRIOTIC CELEBRATION.
JULY 4th, 1861, the town of Lebanon was one hundred years old. Invitations had been sent to those who had gone from the town to return and unite with the people of the town, in celebrating the day. A large number, considering the state of the country, accepted the invitation, and came once more to the place of their birth, renewing old acquaint- ances and reviving many pleasant memories of the past.
If we had been permitted to make our selection from all the fair days of the calendar, we could scarcely have suited ourselves better. The day was cloudless ; abundant rains had insured us against dust. Per- haps we should have inserted a few whiffs from the North Pole to cool the air a little ; but then we remembered that the heat was good for corn, and it served to remind us of the endurances of our soldiers at the South, and stir our sympathy for them.
The day was ushered in by a salute of thirteen guns, fired by a squad of nine cadets from Norwich University, under the command of Capt. A. B. Hutchinson.
These cadets did good service during the day, displayed high skill as artillerists, and won respect by their gentlemanly conduct.
The parade of the Horribles, which we have noticed elsewhere, was a pleasant feature of the day.
The procession was formed at half-past nine, under the direction of Capt. E. A. Howe, Chief Marshal, and his Assistants, Messrs. Shaw. Noyes, and Randlett. Headed by the Lebanon Cornet Band, and es- corted by the Mascoma Engine Company, No. 2, and the Franklin Lodge of Masons, they marched around the Common to the stand for speaking.
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
EXERCISES ON THE STAND.
G. IL. LATHROP, ESQ., PRESIDENT OF THE DAY.
The exercises were opened by a fervent prayer by Rev. George Storrs, from New York, a native of the town, and a descendant of one of the early settlers. 2. Singing by a choir under the direction of Mr. J. M. Perkins, who, during the day, furnished excellent musie. 3. Historical Address by Rev. D. H. Allen, D D., of Lane Seminary, Ohio, a native of the town. 4. A Poem by Rev. C. H. Fay, of Providence, R. I., also a native of the town. 5. Reading the Declaration of Indepen- dence by Hon. A. H. Cragin. 6. Oration by Prof. J. W. Patterson, of Dartmouth College.
At the close of the exercises on the stand, the procession reformed and marched to the tent prepared for the collation. When the head of the column reached the place, a slight contre temps occurred. The peo- ple were ready, but the dinner was not. Time, however, soon remedied this. Nearly four hundred and fifty took their seats at the tables. Rev. Dr. Lord implored the Divine blessing. Of this part we have only to say, that the good old dietetic rule was observed " to leave off hungry."
TOASTS AND SPEECHES.
Rev. G. W. Bailey acted as Toast Master.
1. "Our Centennial Birthday - with all its pleasant and interesting associations."
2. "The Fourth of July, 1761 - Lebanon a houseless wilderness ; 1776 - her noble sons rush to Lexington and Bunker Hill to defend her rights ; 1861 - the wilderness has budded and blossomed."
The third toast was introduced by reading a letter from Barrett Pot- ter, Esq., a son of the first minister of the town, Rev. Isaiah Potter. Mr. Potter is now in his 85th year. He gave at the close of his letter the following toast : -
3. " The Early Settlers of Lebanon - Silas Waterman, William Dana, Charles Hill, William Downer, Levi Hyde, and Nathaniel Por- ter. the pioneers and first settlers in the town of Lebanon, who, with subsequent settlers in 1768. gathered and established the first church therein, and 1772 settled Rev. Isaiah Potter, the first ordained minister in said town."
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Responded to by Rev. George Storrs, who said : " We have come to our native town once more, many of us from a distance. We find great changes We find an improved country, forests arc cleared away, new homes have sprung up. We find new modes of travel, the lightning-like speed of the railroads. It was not so with our fathers; they came by forest paths, upon ox-sleds, by boats on the river, where civilized foot had never before trod. They were superior men. I delight to recall their inemory. Let the memory of our fathers be blessed ; let it dwell in our minds. They came not only to plant colonies, not only to better their fortunes, but to plant temperance and religion and establish churches, with their blessed influences. We should be deeply grateful to them. We should be deeply grateful to the first minister of the town, for his labors and influence. I shall never forget a single sen- tence that fell from his lips. All is held fast in my memory. When on one occasion he used the words ' O Ephraim, how shall I give thee up.' they seemed to come to me and say, . O George, how shall I give thee up!' They were blessed and fruitful words in me. Honor and success followed him. Let his mantle fall upon his successors."
4. " The Sons of Lebanon, at home and abroad." Responded to by Rev. C. H. Fay, who said : -
"I am to speak of the sons absent and present. It is not a poetical theme. You will not expect me to speak in rhyme. If it had been the daughters of Lebanon, I could not have avoided rhyme, so inspiring is such a subject. I have but slight knowledge of the absent sons. I have met them occasionally. They all seem to be doing well, to bring credit to the place that gave them birth. You have a good specimen of them in the Orator of the day. Of those at home, what shall I say ? The scene before me reminds me of the progress we have made in one cardinal virtue - Temperance. O, those old Fourths of July ! With their wine, and spirits ; and women banished from the tables, because they were not fit places and scenes for them. But now we find wine banished, and women admitted. They are far more inspiring than wine.
" Let me tell you a story, related to me by one of the fathers, show- ing the advance temperance has made in the town, and how they man- aged in the old times. It was the custom for a neighborhood to select one of their number to take their produce to market, - their butter, cheese, beef, pork, &c. He went ' below' (that is, to Boston,) for the
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rest. If successful, he was gone about a fortnight. He was always commissioned to bring back a cask of rum or brandy. On one occasion a number of neighbors were assembled in an orchard. It was in the Jefferson campaign - they were talking politics. Of course the word federalist occurred frequently. One said to another, when he had at- tempted to use the word, ' What do you say fetherlist for, - why don't you say feth-fetherlist ?' 'O, you can't say it yourself. I can say fetherlist as well as you.' Others tried the word with about the same success. After testing themselves by this novel shibboleth, they con- cluded that they were not quite sober. And now I trust that you, their sons, will always be able to say federalist, - that none of you will ever be in a condition to say fetheralist.
"Of the sons at home, I conceive that they are much like the man's nigh ox. He had a yoke to sell. He praised the off one highly, and at great length. Finally the purchaser said, ' Why don't you say some- thing of the nigh ox ?' 'O, he can speak for himself.'"
5. "To those who, not having the good fortune to be born in town, have endeavored to retrieve their fortunes by taking a wife who was." Responded to by Rev. Dr. Swain, of Providence, R. I., who said : -
"I am one of the unfortunates not born in Lebanon. I plead guilty of the misfortune, to the crime, if it was a crime, of not having the wis- dom to be born here. But with my folly I have mingled wisdom, for I have taken a wife that 'was.' The 'was' is emphatic, ' who was born here.' But I have some pleas to offer in extenuation of my misfortune, of my crime, if it was a crime. The privileges of a son-in-law are often found to be greater than those of a son. My misfortune might have been greater, for if I did not have the good fortune to be born in Leb- anon, I have ' retrieved my fortune by taking a wife who was.' I might have had the double misfortune of not being born here, or finding 'a wife who was.' So I have mingled good with cvil, wisdom with folly. In these days of secession, let me say : The daughters of Lebanon, 'the cedars of Lebanon,' let not wife, nor mother, nor daughter of them all, ever be found a se-cedar ! Let them love and defend our institutions to the last generation. May their posterity equal and surpass their ancestry."
6. " The Clergymen of Lebanon." Responded to by Rev. Mr. Case, of West Lebanon, who said : -
" This at least merits large notice. The subject is an extensive one,
·
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for the clergymen were many ; it is at least a lofty subject, for the first three ministers of the town taken together measured some inches over eighteen feet. They were high priests. I mention it as a significant fact, that the clergymen of Lebanon were ever devoted to temperance. Considering the customs of former times, it is wonderful that no more ministers fell into intemperance. The records of another town show that in a population of six hundred and forty, forty barrels of rum were used in a year, besides other liquors. Every man in old times would think himself wanting in hospitality, if he did not place a bottle before the minister when he called. Considering their temptations, they escaped wonderfully. Of the ministers of Lebanon, it may be said of them, that they have ever been loyal. The first of them all set a good example to the rest. For when the country was struggling for inde- pendence, he went out to encourage and comfort her troops as a chap- lain. He was a strong man. A little story will show this Passing through the camp one day, he saw two men trying to lift a cannon. Taking hold of it alone, he easily lifted it to its place. One of the men, in his astonishment, Jet slip an oath, when the other silenced him by telling him that he was a chaplain, when he hastened after him and begged pardon for his profanity.
" It is a significant fact, that in the first records of the town we trace their anxiety for a ministry among them. It shows the love of our fathers for these institutions which have so much to do with our pros- perity. Lebanon ranks high in the number and quality of the ministers she has raised up. About thirty have gone forth from her. Among them have been doctors of divinity, who have made their mark in the world. Others have found and filled worthy places in colleges and the- ological seminaries. One is buried in a foreign land, who went forth as a missionary to the heathen. Let the next one hundred years equal the past."
7. " The Lawyers of Lebanon."
Lebanon has not been very fruitful in this class, and none were found to respond.
8. "Dr. Phineas Parkhurst, and the Physicians of Lebanon." Re- sponded to by Dr Dixi Crosby, who said : -
. " Dr. Parkhurst was born in Plainfield, Conn. Early in life he re- moved to Royalton. Like other young men he went a courting, and stayed on one occasion to breakfast. During the meal he saw Indians
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
approaching. He immediately went out and caught the Narragansett mare, and helping his lady-love and her mother to mount, got up behind them, and set out for Connecticut River. The Indians followed and fired upon them, wounding Parkhurst, the ball passing through from behind and lodging in the skin before. He seized it in his fingers and held it till he arrived in West Lebanon, when it was extracted by Dr. Hall. This incident first turned the thoughts of Parkhurst to the practice of medicine. He became an apprentice of Dr Hall, for so they termed students in those days. In due time he began to practice, his first case being in a department in which he was afterwards very successful - obstetrics. More than three thousand received their in- troduction into the world by him. In due time he married - for money it is supposed - the portion of his wife consisting of one cow, three cups, and three knives. He first lived in West Lebanon, and knew what it was to be poor - often with but two shirts, and one white cravat, to which he was very partial, which was washed over night. But success and prosperity came in due season.
" As a physician, Dr. Parkhurst was not learned, but skilful by expe- rience. After listening on one occasion to the learned talk of some of his brethren. he said : 'I am much gratified with all I have heard; I can't talk, but, by Judas, I ean practice with the best of you !' As a physician, he was skilful, prompt, self-denying, always ready at call, night or day, in cold or heat. He was noted for his unbounded hospi- tality ; the string was ever hanging out at his door. He was the father of a large family - two sons and nine daughters. He exemplified the great precept of religion, beneficence towards his fellow-men. Those who have succeeded him have been worthy and skilful members of his profession."
9. " Dartmouth College became the Alma Mater of fifty-four sons of Lebanon." Responded to by President Lord, of Dartmouth College, who said : -
" A respectable clergyman of Hanover was asked to give a short er- tempore address. He replied that it was impossible ; ' I must write everything. Why, if I should find that I had forgotten to write amen at the close of my sermon, I should faint away.' I am very much like him. Absurd and ridiculous as it may appear (pulling out his manu- script), I must resort to my notes.
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" Mr. President, I acknowledge the great courtesy which gives me this occasion to commemorate a remarkable fact in the history of Leba- non, viz : That there have been raised up fifty-four sturdy men, each of whom was born of two mothers. I am still more glad to say that these two prolific mothers are yet in their bloom, and their offspring is likely to be indefinitely increased, till I know not but they will be sufficient to found a nation; particularly as these remarkable children are all sons who are very apt to marry in the family. At least the sisters find Swains without going abroad to visit.
" But, Mr. President, I better like your courtesy, because it proves that Lebanon is not disposed to appropriate all the honor of sending out into the world such a noble company of educated men. The natural mother divides credit with the foster mother. This is well, and speaks well - so let it be. What Lebanon has brought forth Dartmouth has nourished, to become an ornament to both and a blessing to the world.
" Mr. President, I cannot speak from book, but I think that your good town of Lebanon must have produced a larger number of educated men than any other town of our educating State. I will not even ex- cept the larger commercial, political, and manufacturing towns. But, however, it must have exceeded other towns of the same age and popu- lation. She deserves to bear the banner, and I trust the banner will be flung here to the brecze, at your next Centennial, July 4th, 1961 -in a time of peace and glory, inscribed to learning, wisdom, and virtue- the guide and safety of the State.
"Sir, I am aware that every man who happens to be born in Leba- non and educated at Dartmouth does not thereby necessarily gain for himself, his town, or college, a true honor.
" I cannot deem that Lebanon or Dartmouth, or any other town or college would choose, in all cases, to recognize the parental relation. I remember what happened at a time, when I was a boy. A young man from a neighboring town was sent to Harvard. No matter what his name - let us call him Simplon He proved to be what students fre- quently make a subject of their good-natured, but sometimes extrava- gant sport. His father's house was on the line of Kittery and York, and that line bisected it. It was a problem at Coll., in which end of the house Simplon was born, and hence some lively classmate gave out the following epigram : -
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.. ' Kittery and York, 't is said, For Simplon's birth contest ; The strife is sharp, and Kittery wins. But York comes off the best.'
" Now it is not my opinion that Lebanon or Dartmouth has ever given occasion for quite such pleasantry as this. Or, if it were so, I should not choose to speak of it in such a company. I have to say what is to better purpose, viz: That your list of graduates is one of which any town or college may be proud. It were impossible to speak of them now in detail. But they would bear the criticism of the world; from those old schoolmen, dead, the Woods and Harrises, who have left a shining mark in the history of their times, down to the medieval period of her Young, and the living men so well represented by the honored and be- loved Orator of to-day. Had Lebanon and Dartmouth done no more than to send out such a company, that alone would make them worthy of record among the true benefactors of mankind.
" Mr. President, we joyfully this day cement the fellowship and friendship of Lebanon and Dartmouth. I speak for Dartmouth. Send us still your young men, and we will nourish them. That kind of pat- ronage is not all we want, but it tells most upon the world. It is bet- ter even than wild lands - though possibly not better than would be the confidence and rational patronage of the State. But let what will betide, Dartmouth will be for the State, and the whole of it; not for sect or party, but mankind."
10. " The Farmers and Mechanics of Lebanon - none better." Re- sponded to, in behalf of the farmers, by Daniel Richardson, Esq., who said : "Now you will see the difference between knowledge and ignorance - alluding to the learned gentlemen who preceded him. I have been a farmer all my life, and have not had the advantages of ed- ucation. I cannot make a speech. I may say in behalf of the farm- ers, that we are under great obligations to them. They have cleared away the forests, subdued the wild soil, and brought it into the service of man - made room for these many pleasant homes. It is the ambi- tion of farmers to raise the largest ox, the best horse, the fattest hog, or largest crop. In old times they took pride in one other thing -in raising up the largest and best families. Let their posterity imitate them."
For the mechanics, Mr. L. F. Brooks- one of them - briefly re- sponded with a handsome tribute to their skill.
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
11. " The President of the United States " In response to this toast, Hon. A. H. Cragin spoke as follows : -
" The President of the United States is the legal and constitutional head of the government. He is the agent of the people - the execu- tive of the Constitution and laws, and, as such, is entitled to respect. The present Chief Magistrate was elected by a constitutional vote, in due form of law, and is therefore as justly entitled to administer the government as ever was Washington or Jackson. He has his commis- sion from the same authority, and is alike responsible. He is clothed with all the powers conferred by the Constitution, and is under the most solemn oath to preserve, protect, and defend that Constitution.
" It is manifestly the duty of those whose agent he is, at all times to aid the President in the discharge of his proper duties, and to strength- en and uphold his hands in support of the government which he is called upon to administer.
" The present occupant of the Presidential chair entered upon the dis- charge of his duties under the most extraordinary and trying circum- stances. Dissatisfied with the result of the late Presidential election, a portion of the people in the Southern States, regardless of their consti- tutional obligations, defied the will of the majority, and were conspiring to destroy the government. They had boldly raised the flag of rebel- lion and resistance. Men were in arms against the government that had so long afforded them protection. Treason was doing its work. Forts had been captured, arsenals had been plundered of arms and mu- nitions of war ; national ships had been seized and employed by the in- surgents ; treasuries and mints with vast sums of money had been em- bezzled and appropriated for the support of rebellion ; the national flag had been insulted, and the Union pronounced a curse.
" Such was the state of things, and worse than this, when Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated President of the United States.
" He appealed to the reason and patriotism of the misguided people. and, by the memories of the past, the hopes of the future, and the graves of the patriotic dead, called upon all true citizens to rally in sup- port of the Union and the laws of the land. His patriotic and paternal appeal was derided by the traitors. The government paused, while the work of destroying the Union went on. The gallant little band in Fort Sumter, hemmed in by a wall of iron batteries, were on the point of starvation. The government, at the last moment, resolved to supply
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
the fort with provisions. When this purpose became known, ten thou- sand rebels opened a deadly fire upon less than one hundred starving defenders of the Union. The fort surrendered, but instantly the coun- try was aroused. The war for the Union began. The President called for 75,000 volunteers, and forthwith they were ready. More were called for, and to-day 300,000 men are under arms for the defence of the Union.
" The spectacle of the uprising of the people is truly magnificent. The North is nearly a unit in their patriotic efforts to support the President in his determination to preserve the Union. Party lines are obliterated, and all classes vie with each other in their zeal to maintain the govern- ment. There is but one voice heard, and that is, that the Union · must and shall be preserved !'
" This government was formed after great sacrifice, and at a very great cost. We have been accustomed to applaud its founders, as wise and patriotic men, and to cherish the inheritance which they left us, as of priceless value. It has already performed a great mission, but its work is only begun. To the union of these States the nation owes its unprecedented increase in population, its surprising development of ma- terial resources. its rapid augmentation of wealth, its happiness at home, and its honor abroad. The light . of our example has illumined the whole earth, and to-day the hopes of the world, for the preservation of liberty and free government centre in the preservation of this Union. God helping us, we will preserve it.
" If this Union perish now. it will be the most stupendous failure that the world ever saw ; and it must be inferred that our national sins have become so great in the sight of Heaven, that God can no longer withhold his vengeance.
" Trusting that the same wise Providence which sanctioned the work of our fathers in the Revolution, has much to accomplish for his own glory, and the benefit of mankind through the instrumentality of this government, I believe the Union will be preserved.
" I am inclined to believe that the purposes of God are visible in this causeless rebellion. There is no accounting for it from the usual mo- tives for human actions. 'Whom the gods destroy they first make mad,' is a familiar adage. I accept the fact as the manifest work of Providence, and fully believe it portends no ultimate evil to our country. or the inalienable rights of man."
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12. " The Stars and Stripes. They have floated over our cradles -let it be our prayer and our endeavor that they shall float over our graves."
Song by Messrs. Ingalls and Alden, Mrs. Davis and Miss Porter. - " Star Spangled Banner."
13. " The Staple Products of New England :
. Land - hard to till, and piled with granite gray. Men - hard to kill, harder to drive away."
VOLUNTEER TOASTS.
By Robert Kimball, Esq. "The Memory of Stephen A. Douglas.
" Brief and eventful was his bold carcer, An iron will, a soul devoid of fear :
Wrong - he, perchance, has been in time now past ; Right - minds like his will surely prove at last."
" Lebanon and Hartford chartered the same day ; settled by liberty- loving pioneers from the same town in Connecticut, situated side by side in the same charming valley ; may their united devotion to the great interests of religion and constitutional freedom be as constant as the flow of the noble river which beautifies their banks." Responded to by D. B. Dudley, of Hartford, Vt.
Letters were received from many gentlemen, natives of the town, ex- pressing their interest in the celebration, and regretting their inability to share in the occasion. From Rev. E. L. Magoon, of Albany : from Maj. Henry L. Kendrick, of West Point, offering the following seuti- ment : " My Native Town. Her children rise up to do her honor and reverence." From John Potter, Esq., of Augusta, Me., with the senti- ment : " The Land where our venerated Forefathers sleep, and the cher- ished Birthplace of their Descendants. Let liberty and union be for- ever inscribed upon her annals, and preserved as a precious inheritance to the latest generation, by her sons." From Mr. J. A. Durkee, Esq., of New York : " The Star-Spangled Banner and the next Centennial An- niversary. May the rays of the sun which rises on the next centennial anniversary, shine upon that banner with its stripes unsullied and stars undimmed ; waving over a happy people, bound by no chain but the silken cord of brotherly affection, and no bond but peace, no creed but love to God and good-will to men."
100
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
Also letters from H. R. Stevens, Esq., and Wm. D. Ticknor, of Bos- ton, and Capt. James Benton, of the U. S. Army. At a late hour the company broke up, after singing Old Hundred.
COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS.
E. P. LISCOMB, C. C. BENTON, JOHN CLOUGH. RUFUS CASE,
SAMUEL, WOOD, 2d. WILLIAM S. ELA, - SOLON A. PECK, Selectmen.
OLIVER L. STEARNS,
CHARLES A. DOWNS, }
GEORGE W. BAILEY,
Secretaries.
7期
FA
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