Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-07-29

An 0ratiCa,
Delivered at Worcester, July 4M. 1847
BY CYRUS BROWN, ESQ.

ol |ANoo bho"N) EoR'
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen;
The time has arrived in which we are to celebrate
our National Independence. Seveny-one years have
passed since the Declaration of Independence of the
United States The national existence of this coun-
try therefore, commenced on the 4th of July, l776.
The American Revolution is subject which should
engage the earnest attention of every American, and
its lessons cannot be too firmly impressed upon the
minds Of the youth of our country, unto whom will
soon be entrusted the goody heritage, bequeahed to
them by the heroes of that war.
The United States were originally thirteen colonies
composed of emgrants principally from Great Britain
After enduring all the hardships incident to the set
Element of a new country having at the same time to
contend against hostility from the natives and each
other, they triunphed over every obstacle and be-
came permanently settled. For the space of about a
century they acknowledged the sway and continued
to contribute, like loyal subjects, to the support of the
British Crown. But at the end of that PERIOD plan
of taxation projected and attempted to be carried
into effect by the Parliament of Great Britain, which
was peculiarly obnoxious to the people Of the colonies
This attempt the which finally separated the
two countries.
A brief consideration of the cause, which superin
duced the American Revolution, may not be here i'm
proper. As early the year 1861 there had been ir
England navgatian act for the regulation of Com
merce of the Colonies, by which it was declared thai
merchandise of the English plantations should be
imported into England in any other than English yes
sells. Several acts were passed at different times, all
tending to Cypress the people of the Colonies One
will mention, called the "Stamp Act" passed in the
month of March, 1765. When the news of the pas
sage of this act reached America, burst eff resent
ment was everywhere manifested. In Boston and
Philadelphia the bells were mufled and rung flner
al peal In New York the act was carried through the
Streets with Deaths head affixed to it, and STYLED
the "Folly of England, and the ruin of America" Ii
Portsmouth, coffin, inscribed with the word LIBERTY
in large letters, was carried to the grave with mucl
ceremony; minute guns fired during the movemen
of the procession and an Grafton in favor of the de
ceased delivered at the place of interment
The Stamp papers were in many places seized an
destroyed, and the houses of those who sided wit
the government plundercd
On the night the Bill was passed, DR.. Frankin,wh
was then in London, wrote to Charles Thompson, al
forwards secretary of the Continental Congress- 9Th
sun of Liberty is set, the Americans must now ligl
the lamps of industry and economy" To which MI
Thompson answered, ave shall light torches of quit
another sort" Thus things went on, step by stey
until hostltes actually commenced, and the first bal
flo ut A G.,
battles of the Revolution were fought between that an
Oct l0th 1884, when CORVALLIS surrendered his er
tire Amy to General Washington, which was but 7,07
mon. This closed the Revolutionary war.
Mr.. President what think you was the number sai
in these battles Sir the loss of the American arm,
by Statistics was 10737, to the British army 1902
making a sum total of 1906 men. How many die
in the service of disease and not slain in BATH
no one can tell: but probably no less than 10000
were slain and died otherwise in the Revouonar
war; How many were made widows, and how man
children were left without fathers care? Now, 81
add to this the expense of that war; which was no les
than 0U0C00,and the expense that has since bee
paid to Revolutionary soldiers and the widows of so
ders and the destruction of property in that war;
E you will have sum probably of $300000,000
Nor would complain at all of this, for our foref
theirs fought in their defencc-il defence of the
property their Liberty, and the liberties of their pc
terity,
, Ny country. wake your long reposo,
Awake! be just-be true,
And bless the lingering days of those
Who fought and bed for YOU
q But Sir the liberty that was purchased by the bloc
and treasures Of our fore fathers to some OF their
sccndans is gone We have become like Egypt
IL old, strong and powerful nation, Egypt, with pc
ulaon of twenty million, held two and one half m
lion of Hebrew slaves. God commanded Pharaoh
let these people go, but he would not the consequent
- was, Egypt was destroyed.
o Never was there such display of Almighty pow
never, since the creation of the world, has the ar
h of Omnipotence been more signally revealed, than
this manifestation of his utter adherence of SLAYER
% and his love of human liberty He caused the nigh
% river of Egypt to run with blood from its upper cat
j. racs to its seven mouths, and the Mediterranean
ceived the tribute of the Nile, tbushed at Pharaol
insult to jehovah in presumng to hold man as sla'
The hail and lightning, the ice and fire, eaped frc
their chambers in the clouds to the slave insulted sc
IN to avenge the quarrel of the abused.
i North America, sir in her political behavior is
y contradiction in terms. She was the land of retu
for the oppressed. Corrupt Europe Of the seventeen