The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-06-23


s,rom everything human was engulf
ed.
With this brief allusion 10 long pass
ed and foreign affairs, | invite your AT.
icntion 10 things y, home. When the
history Of the American Revolution is
written, as Il should be, and will be writ.
ten. II will be seen tha, the ministers
bore part more important and effect
i've than any other class The state
ments make Of historical facts are gen.
eral, and, like all general statements,
are liable TO exceptions, but these are
very few. cannot descend 10 pariicu-
lars, and have no wish 10 make secia- 4
rinn, or sectional, or party comparisons.
My purpose is to vindicale the charac- !
ter and rights Of the whole class The |
clergy were peculiarly fitted, by their
training and position In colonial society,
to take the lead in the Revolution
The people OF their time were eminent
ly religious people, and the ministers
often drafted the laws that regulated
the community. Ministers were very
frequently the leaders Of their foeks
through the wilderness. ! will give you
| u single instance, and the gentleman
from New Hampshire, Mr.. llibbardl
will recognize it as n part of the history
Of his own State. In 1919, when the
: dark cloud Of Indian war was hanging
over the inhabitants Of that province,
dripping death from its skirts, the Rev.
Mr. McGregor entered that province
with sixteen Scottish families Their
ancestors had emigraied from Scotland
10 Londonderry, IN Ireland, century
before, in search of freedom. But the
teasing and lorturing tyranny Of Charles
and James left them no rest, and one
hundred aud twenty families sought the
promised land in the New World
They had marked characteristics, great
bravery, industry, national pride, a high
sense Of honor, and iervent pleiy. The
offspring of that little colony may be
counted by thousands and tens Of thou
sands, spread over New Hampshire and
Vermont. Among those who have not
dishonored their pareniage are Stark,
Reid, McClay, Mcneil, and Miller,
worthy defendants of the dauntless men
that fought with Wallace and Bruce.
The first net of the little band. in their
new home, was an act of religious SER
vice the leader preached his first SER
mon under the shade Of a spreading oak,
where il would seem rs if the hand Of
nature had scooped out an ampitheaier
in which 10 dedicate the new settlement
TO the service Of their maker. have
stood in that spot. hard by the birth
place Of a beloved and departed parent,
and there recalled the earliest memo
ries Of childhood, when, at the evening
iireside, group Of neighbors called
back the times and friends they had left
behind in old Londonderry.
/ will name another.service in which
the clergy took the lead in intoxicating
resistance to the encroachmenis Of roy
al power Of this ] will give but one in
stance OF many at hand. The Rev. Mr..
Wise, minister at Ispwich, Massachu-
sets, was in the habit Of publicly and
privately teaching the people that tax
alton was unjust if levied by the home
government without the consent Of pro-
vincial assemblies. lie was teaching
: doctrines new to his generation, that be-
come watchwords in the times Of the
; Revolution was warned Of his danger
; but needless Of that danger, pressed on,
till in 1858, he was thrown into prison
by the tyrant Andras. / respectfully
commend that eminent and notorious
precedent to those who are hard pressed
by sense Of duty 10 "rebuke the pre-.
sumption" Of the clergy. 1t was thi.
same spirit that, as AN element of their
existence, had come down from ages
past, and inspired their efforts to pro
duce and sustain the Revolution. il
that time the ministers did not petition
the Government, but the Government
petitioned the clergy. When the peo
pie saw themselves In peril. they turn
ed naturally 10 those who had been lhrii
connselIors in civil and religious affairs
Hence 1t created no surprise, that nine
teen months before the Declaration o.
Independence, the Provincial Congres.
Of Massachusetts, addressed crcnlar
letter TO every clergyman in the Colo
ny, spraying bis influence against the
eneroachments Of royal power" Se'
note at the close. Almost the entir'
body Of the clergy made II the theme 0
their discourse. II was for that reasor
the Briiish officers bore such hatred I,
this class, and delighted TO cast indigni
~ on their places Of worship, using then
as barracks for troops or stables for bor
ses
have lisi Of persons prescribed It
i77i, that was thrown into camp, .ill
this direction
To as eGo,ys and 'oldier' Of Maiss,y
, troops IN Boston
. Il being more uisn probable that III,
= Kings standard will soon be ercc,ed. ifou
rebellion breaking ogi IN the province, II i
proper ihst you soldiers should be aequs ini
Z I'd With the authors Thereof, and All M,
( faisioftnBes broagit 1pon the province
The following "a lat Of them Szmoe
Adams, James BoSdoin. DR.. Tb0msi
Young. Dr. Beniamin Cbnreh. Captain
Joha Bradford. JOSIAH QuiDcy, NajaE Na
( ihaniei Barber, Wdlisu MolliDeoE, Jnhf
iiancoct. WilliAn Cooper, In. c7.aney, N