Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1852-01-01
Ertract from
DR.. BuShnell'S Centennial address
At Itch field, AMg. "A, 1851.

At Lttch1Setd, -AHgs IA, 1901.
What we call History, considered as
giving a record OF notable events, OF
transactions, under names and dates, and
so a really just and true exhibition Of the
causes that construct social state. |
conceive to be commonly very much Of
fiction. True worth is, for the most
part, unhistoric, and so of all the benef
cent causes and powers included in the
lives of simply worthy men causes most
fundamental and efficient, as regards the
well being and public name of conmu.
mites. They are such as flow in silence,
like the great powers Of nature. Indeed,
we say Of history. and say rightly, that
it is a record of evcnts--that is, of turn
ings out, points where the silence is lro-
ken by something apparently not in the
regular flow Of common life, just as
electricity, piercing the world in its silent
equilibrium, holding all atoms to their
places, and quickening even the life of
our bodies, becomes historic only when
it thunders; though it does nothing more
in its thunders, than simply to notify us.
by SO great noise, Of the breach of its
connections and the disturbance Of its ST
lent work. Besides, in our historic pic
lures, we are obliged to sink particulars
in generals. and 10 gather, under the
name of prominent few. what IS really
done by nameless multitudas. These,
we say, lex out the colonies, these raised
up the states and communities, these
fought the battles. And so we make
Vicious inversion. not seldom, of the truth
representing as causes, those who after
all are not so much causes as effects, not
so much powers as instruments.in tie oc.
casions signalized BY their names-caps
only of the foam. that roll conspicuous
in the sun, lifted, still, by the deep un-
dor swell of waters hid from the eye.
Therefore. it you ask. who made this
Ltchfeld County of ours, it will be no
sufficient answer that you get, however
instructive and useful. when you have
gathered up the names that appear in
our public records, and recited The events
that have found an honorable place in
the history Of the County. or the repub.
lie. You must not 60 into the burial
places. and look about only for the tall
monuments and the titled names. 1t is
not the starred epitaphs Of the Doctors
of Divinity, the Generals, the Judges,
the Honorables. the Governors, or even
of the village notables called Esquires,
that mark the springs of our successes
and the sources Of our distinction. These
are rather effects than the causes; the
spinning wheels have done great deal
more than these. Around the honored
few. here Bellamy or Day sleeping
in the midst Of his flock; here Wolcott
or Smith. an Allen or Tracy, a Reeve
or a Gould all names of honor-round
about these few, and others like them,
are lying multitudes Of worthy men and
women. under their humber monuments,
or in graves that are hidden blythe mon.
qmental green that loves to freshen over
their forgotten resting place: and in
these. the humble but good many. we
are TO say are the deepest. truest causes
of our happy history. Here lie the
sturdy kings Of Homespun, who climbed
among these hills, with their axes, to
cut away room for their cabins and for
family prayers, and SO for the good future
to come. Here lie their sons, who fod.
dered their cattle on the SHOWS, and built
stone fence while the corn was sprouting
in the hills, getting ready, in that way.
to send a boy or TWO 10 college. Here
lie the good housewives that inside coats.
every year. like Hannah, for their chil>
dren's bodies, and lined their memory
with the catechism. Here the millers,
that took honest toll FOR the rye; the
smiths and coopers, that superintendsd
two hands and get little revenue of
honest bread and schooling from their
small mt stock OF two handed invest
ment. Here the district committees and
school mistresses; he religious society
founders and church deacons and. with-
al. great many sensible. wise>hesded
men, who read a weekly newspaper.
loved Washington and their country,
and had never thought Of going to the
\. General Assembly, These are the men