Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-08-18

nous Which nave been poured i0rtn rom
Pilgrim lips upon Pilgrim ears to-day. zap.
pause
We heard there of men whose powers OF
digestion were so conspicuous that the idea
of swallowing Mexico at meal did not
alarm them, To-day, in The most eloquent
language, we have had the Genius OF the
country taking her seat at the centre OF
magnetic attraction, swallowing ChImbora-
20 fnr supper, and kissing sunset with an
affec'iona'e embrace. Applause and loud
laughter Upon little reflection, after all,
1t seems to me it is highly appropriate. -
Why should not Young America come to
maturity in Old Americas house! Why
should not the places where the tents were
first pitched be those where the young SCI
ons should he the most sturdy!
When shall rhetorical eloquence hereaf-
ter plead aud play second par, in the great
game Of manifest destiny, and the sons of
the Pilgrims 60 forward in the path which
their fathers uod more than two hundred
years ago? | said | was going to assume
the privilege Of age, that Of giving advice,
and hope that by so doing | shall not
trespass upon the prophecies of this occa-
sion.
The sentiment to which you have called
upon me TO respond is religious oppression,
this day, it has peopIed continent. APP.
prehend much ,ud long as we have dwelt
upon that sentiment, tina, we have not yet
appreciated it IN all its length and breadth.
When we are in possession of privileges
aud III the Interpretation which they give
to us, without struggle all that has been
dune to dare AID suffer for their acquisl-
ton their maintenance, their support, and
their transmIsspn TO us. is but legend and
tale OF history,--we are but partially pre-
pared to appreciate the tremendous sacrifi.
ces by which they were attained.
Religious, liberty, the birth right of eve
ry one Of us, WIS not born in a day. Gen.
Grafton after geleraton struggled for it,
More than 400 ears ago the great truth Of
free and religious liberty was proclaimed in
the ears of arbitrary monarchy aud bIgoted
church, sounded by the notes of John
Wlckllfe on che ear of monarch after mon
arch, parliament after parliament, aud thun-
dered at The doors OF State and Church.
Martyr after martyr, age after age, gene
ration after geneIalIon, set the seal OF their
vitality, of Their allegiance to this great
principle by tie sacrifice of their lives, aud
1t was not unit more than two cealuries
had rolled ava, that the Pilgrim had come
to the desperate determination to seek IN a
foreign land ,ba religious liberty for which
they slrove aud which they could not get,
in the land of TIER birth.
Do we appreciate to its full extent the
tremendous responsibility of such reso,
luton? The ficiluies with when we now
move from country, aud continent to CONT.
nent. have done much to lessen in our judg.
ment the realities of that fearful measure
upon which they determined to venture.
They left their native land and went to
Holland, says their historian, because they
heard 1t was place where the hand of in.
dusiry reapt a successful reward-because
it was place where political honors might
be easily obtained or riches gathered up?
No, nothing of that; but they went there,
says the simple historian. in the eloquent
language of truth, because they heard that
in Holland there Was religious freedom tor
all men"
That single lact invested Holland il their
eyes and IN their hearts with charm winch
no other place could possess. They went
there "becanse they heard that there was
no earthly barrier, no despo;ic king, no he
redtary church to come IN between the as
plralions of the immortal soul, as it rose up
to the great throne of eternity, with their
highest aud hottest feelings of devotion -
That was what carried them to Holland.
Applause They stayed there until uno.
ward clrcu stances made them turn their
eyes to this continent.
Aluson has been made to the discovery
of this continent. Sir, apprehend that
with the glowing eloquence of truth with
which that has been depicted before you,
Justice has moi heen done to that thought
What was the history of those men : Gen.
Grafton after generation they had strven
for religious and political freedom. They
placed spiritual freedom before them as the
great end and aim aud object OF existence;
it seemed as il il had been settled N the
councils OF eternity, that they could not
have it on the old continent.
Aud then, when the experiment had been
tried, then, when il appeared as IT liberty
had been despoled of her power forever,
and as if the fat Of The Almighty had gone
forth, tina, HIS patience should no longer
bear with men. it seemed that the Genius
of Religious Liberty put up one more pray
er for one other opportunity before it be
abandoned forever and then, sir. in the
councils oI Eternal Wisdom, there was re-
veaIed tp he eye of science, in the soliludes
Of the ocean, new continent, where they
might 90 and try the experiment Great
applauseu
They.ealpe here. and they made the ex.
pertinent, aud it was blessed and prospered
by that Providence whose hand had led
them hilher But by-and-by. that spirit
of oppression from which they fed followed
them here; and It is a fact, that ought to
be remembered forever that that great
spiritual revolution for which the Pilgrim
Fathers had fought, and which preceded
their political revolution, had been so sue.
cessfnl and so entire in its victory, aud had
SO completely established those rights be.
yond controversy or cavll, that when the
hour OF our political separation came, and
the great duty of setting forth our wrong To
the world was devolved upon committee
OF Congress, there was not the least inilma-
ton that their rights Of conscience had been
iufrIuged.
No, thank God the Pilgrims had won
that revolution before aud, SIR. it Is no
impea chment of that last revolution to say
but for the spiritual revolution, it never had
taken place. Applause. Never never
Now it is curious To mark the history of
the Pilgrim fathers for two hundred years,