Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-01-10
VOL. SO, NO. 17.-wHoLE NO. 1885.

God, he had large and liberal soul, he was
thorough Democrat one of the freest OF the free,
and teacher Of Freedom.
Gentlemen, come not here to scan, with micro
scope lenousy the fruilties or errors OF such
men. Our fathers were not perfect But they
saw in part, and Ms far ms was given them TO see,
they carried out, in their institutions and admins
tration, the great maxim, so simple aud so beaut-
ful, because so consonant to the anaogies of
Providence, that the least possible government is
the best in other words, that the true theory of
society is to rely mainly on the natural excitements
TO action the passions, the renson, and the instincts
of our nature, and to regulate these. by legal en-
aclments, only fur as by this very regulation to
secure to each and all the highest freedom And
have no patience with the spirit that from this
vantage ground Of rerospecon, looks back TO the
Pilgrim age, only TO think Of the Quakers aud
witches. Let us rather like flal brothers, he
seen walking reverently backwards to cover the
shame of the PHtrarchs.
Other aud more particular illustrations of these
elements OF The Pilgrim character present them
selves; but may only nllGdc to them.
flabitual thoughtlulness, connected with litera-
ry ana religious educaon-the conscious posses
sion of personal attributes OF power and respon-
sihllity- good pioneers of civilization hap
| py jewellers in the woods because they open re-
sources in mans 0wp bosom in his own arm,
are apt to write, in strong lines, upon The face
character of seriousness, reserve, caution, and 1t
may be OF ungracous independence; for they
lead us 10 attach more importance to the essential
man than to any thing exterior Oh conventional
They beget n love of simplicity and sincerity, and
sometimes communicate an air of rudeness, and
it may he, of vulgar freedom, where there may
he, nevertheless, no want of genuine good feeling.
To these causes, also, we owe our love OF home.
To superficial observer, even The more inte-
gent, as Marryat and Chevalier, the spirit of emf
grafton appears inconsistent with strong domestic
attachments. That young men and young wo-
men should be true lovers Of home, and yet fly
from il, in their teens to the ends OF the land, the
solitutles OF the desert, seems paradox and yet
nature. You know, gentlemen, how the spirit oil
enterprise, which follows the bright promises OF
ambition, or wealth, or charity, to the worlds end,
consists with, oh yes, invigorates, your fond at
tachment TO your fathers home. You need not
be told how all your tenderest feelings cling a
round the spot of yourbirtb, with more and more
telaciiy the farther you go from it; how the
heart yearns 10 call your own still the old home
stead with its spreading elm, its ripping spring or
noisy rvulet, the scene of your early industry, the
final resting place of your early friends. The
heart wants visible memorials to fasten upon, 1t
wants centre TO revolve about And just in pro-
portion as our early habits have been formed by
intelligence, by religious principle, by domestic or.
der and delicate sentiment, in that proportlon shall
we be bound by inextinguishable ties 10 our ma
tive spot.
To these same causes ascribe the generosity
and hospitality o. New England: yes, the hospi-
tality and the generosity OF the money making
and money saving Yankees. There is pecunary
liteness, there is social meanness, there is lean
and hungry avarce in the bosom Of New England
aNong the few settlements originally made on
these shores, nnpromptcd by ambition for wealth
Butiwhat supplies the fountains of benevoence
Ii. otn s,la
ton, improvement? And what if the habit Of
accumulation becomes, sometimes, passion, {
vice !? IL onlyproves the existence of the virtue
OF which il is but the excess and abnse. gram
you, we are not people prodigal of other men s
bitter earnings. We are not profuse, TO wasteful-
ness and exhaustion, of wealth acquired by wrong
and outrage upon nature and humanity. We carr
our daily bread by the sweat of The brow. With
in doors and without, in the country and in the
town, all things with us are full of labor. Nc
man is above it, no man is ashamed Of il.
The fruits of this ever active industry and III,
ever watchiul frugaliy, which goes hand in han,
with II, are not accumulation merely, with parsl
mony, and sordd avarice by its side. These fruit
are still more conspicuous in charity as liberal
hospitality as free aud as heartfelt, as any sOcle
ty of men can boast of L. there any where am
pier or more tasteful provision for The public con
venience? Are private dwellings more admired
any where. Are nober structures any wher,
man better fed, are his children better taught else
where? Who built up our frequent Universities
enriched with the learning of ages, and the in
slruments of all science? Whose wealth ha
sprnkled over the land those refugees for the sick
those asylnms for the blind and the insane: 2
Who feeds the Thousand streams of charity whcl
flow out from New England, to make The worl,
glad, and like her streams Of emigration, leave a
bundance still behind? We do know how bles
sed it is to reecive:-and we know, TOO, how mucl
more blessed it is TO give
have mol mentioned the influence of the see
merry and the soil OF New England, in giving ener
gy to the original principles oil her character.
And may not trespass farther on your patience
than simply to say that nature and religion neve
co.operated better in producing an Independent
and believing spirit--a selfreance that hard
ly beirays the appearance OF dependence, and I
dependence that could not be increased, five haC
ourselves no part TO act Freedom is the spirit o
our hills aud the hills are Gods own aars.
Gentlemen, have nothing more to say for tn
land OF the Pilgrims, happy, if have been able
in any degree, to revive in you, on this occasion
a grateful aud proud remembrance of the pleas
eni place of your brih-lhe sunny hill sides ant
smiling villages Of New England-he homes yot
have left, but have ceased to love-the scene,
of your baptism, aud the sepulchres of your Faith
ers.
LETTER ON SLAVERY