Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-12-26


mate of the agencies that harmonic and chris
tanizs society, and nearest to religion, before all
other women ought We, As New Englanders, to 1
place the founders Of New England homes. Their
excellencies we've many and great Educated to
deal with the realities Of life rather than its fan
cies they were peculiarly fitted for the mission to
which they were called. They knew what it was
to love, and what it was to suffer, but love did
not make them weak, or suffering appal them
They were not however what few of their mod
ern representatives profess to be, strong minded,
or as they should be termed, strong-headed: They
were not dissatisfied with their lot but were per-
fectly contented to walk on in their narrow path
of Gods appointment is there the slightest
intimation throughout their entire history that
they ever sighed for that broad arena in which
all that is beautiful in the nature of women,
and all that is reverential in her soul, SO speedily
and surely find q grave. They were not strong
minded in the above sense, but they were true and
strong hearted strong in home attachments
strong in obedient and trustful affection to those
whom God and their own choice had given them
in lifelong union. Such were the founders of
the New England homes. s.-- "a
The speaker described the homes and their in
fuence, and concluded after happy allusion to
evening cheer and cider ere it was sin to drink
titus :-ssLet us honor and reverence the pill
grim mothers, as we do our own, and from this
time forward, whenever We meet to celebrate such
events, let the pilgrim fathers and pilgrim mothers
receive an equal recognition and an equal remem-
brance. ...-.
Sd. New England, the land of our nativity in
the East, Minnesota the home of our adoption in
the West-May bands of iron soon bint us to-
gether, and the ties of brotherhood that exist ever
grow stronger and indissoluable.
M. E. Ames, ESQ.,, responded. In being called
upon to respond to this toast, have not the van
ity to suppose that am named from any supposed
eloquence on my part--for sir possess nome
But presume that the compliment arises from
the facts of my New England birth and Mime
sotian citizenship. l am not used to speak on
festive occasions or at convivial gatherings, yet
cannot but express my qualification in thus ming
ling with the sons of New England, and with New
England's friends. Why are we here sir, on this
the 22d day of December, 1854? To commence
rate the landing of the Pilgrims 234 years ago?
Is it that they were Pilgrims? that they were
driven by persecution from Europe? no sir! they
were to establish institutions that stand proudly
forth upon the annals of our history. Why did
they thus seek an asylum among savages? Why
incur the perils and necessary suferings of voy-
age upon the treacherous bosom of the broad At
lantic? 1t was for the maintenance of religious
freedom-it was for conscience sake. They left
not their country on account of political suffering,
they had a higher motive--thc gaining which has
secured to the sons and daughters of New Eng
land all over the world the right to meet thus on
the 22d of Dec, to record the virtues of New
Engand's founders. Mr.. Ames dwelt happily
upon the schools. colleges and institutions of New
England, and noted with much force the contrast
between the first settlement of Minnesota and the
present; between 1919 and 1854-at the former
date there were about 5000 people, now nearly
$4,000 in the Territory.
Music-Hail Columbia.
4th. The Old Folks at Homc-They are re-
membered tonight with love, vencration and>se-
sPect' 49,. 80,
mindful of the honor done me, but the late hour
at which was notified of my having been select
ed, and the extreme nervous state of my system,
owing to my late severe indispostion, will fear
prevent my doing the sentiment full justice, will
however say with the juvenile asprant for rhetori-
cal honors--
You'd scarce expect of my
To speak in public on the stage,
And if chance to fall below
D,n't pick Inc up but let me go
Sir. those Pilgrims who left their childhood's
home, endearcd to them by associations, the men,
ory of which death alone could efface, have given
their impress to the world. They left fathers
whose whitening hairs and tottering steps, marked
too surely the decline of life-mothers, adown
whose tme-worn cheeks the parting tears were
coursing, as they badc last adieu to those about
embarking on the wide ocean before them, and
wished them God speed to find, if He SO willed
it, a home in another, distant land. Good angels
guiding their barque, they feared neither ship
wreck or disaster, but braved all things for the
sake of principles firm as the rock upon which
they landed. They planted their standard, with
their religious faith stamped indelbly upon it, in
the highway of existcncc--and to-day we look
back with pride upon that standard and those
principles because their supporters could for the
sake of free worship leave the old folks at home.
Strange sir, that that little band, stern of spirit
and bold of heart, by a daring execution of a
daring project which might have appalled, others
less courageous, should be the founders Of the six
States of which we arc SO justly proud. And
now each happy valley, each fertile hill is dotted
with New England homes.
The speaker then referred to the wide spread
influence which the New England character exer-
ted everywhere, and spoke in the most eloquent
terms of his boyhood's homc-of standing in
fancy, amid his slumbcrs, at the gate whereon he
had often swung-of crossing the lawn where he
had played so oft-of-but we give his words =
"I entered the house--there stood the bed, with
its whteness unsullied as of old-the fireplace
sending its genial heat around-the clock, that
like spectre with its aeshless hands, recorded
the fight of time with its familiar tick, tick, tick
and there sat my parent beside the hearth-stone.
threw myself upon her bosom, saying, dear
mother, l am SICK She placed me upon that
bed-she smoothed my hair as had been her wont,
and wiped the dampness from my brow. The
tea-kettle was singing the same old tune, that
had listened to beforc-and with these home as
sociations back again: woke and found It was
but a dream-a remembrance of the past
'Just twenty years agony mother died and
she sleeps in yonder sacred graveyard, two thou
sand miles from where he who speaks to you now