Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-07-05
An Eloquent Speech.

uehohIhdtlons ot New-England held their or
e nual gatherings, to enjoy social converse, an
TO employ 'heir energies for the promotio
= OF the principles they love. On Thursda
:, afternoon the UniverSalist held their fcstivs
y at the old "cfadle Of liberty" Faneul Hal
. About 1000 persons partook OF the magnif
cent entertainment.
After the dinner was finished, sentiment
and speeches were the order OF the day. A
moug the orators, Rev E. H. Ch1pin, of Ney
> York, was conspicuous. But, we think ftk
,, beautiful and eloquent speech of the occasion
was delivered by the REV. N NJ. Gaylord
OF Boston, We copy it as an admirable an
just tribute to the West, and os one of tn
finest efforts of the kind we have ever read
The opening paragraphs are peculiarly ap
proPrate and beautiful. He spoke to the fol
lowing sentiment:
The West. Broad and fertile in her prairies, maj
she always be broad in principle and rich in sent
ment, ....
Rev. N. NJ. Gaylord, of Boston, late o
Columbus, Ohio, responded. He i'd un
derstand, sir, that 1t is the law of this occa
sion that no man shall decline the honor con.
ferred by the Commtte, when through yor
they command him to speak. And yet there
are few occasions when, and no place where
man of moderate abilities would more man.
itest prudence by silence than ON a day
like this. 1t strikes me that FaneuH Hal
is the last place on the American CONT men,
for one to air his fancy rhetoric and his holi.
day oratory in; for without faith in modern
spiritualsm we may imagine the vast room
filled with august ebadows !he spirits OF
the mighty men Of s.old, who on other than
festival days came here and made speeches
that were eloquent indeed-speeches that
caused evolutions--speeches that were more
Than 'half battle'--speeches that the spirit o!
| truth and justice inspired and bore abroad on
the vines to freeze the hearts OF tyrants with
a stranger terror and fire the fainting SOUS
OF freemen with new and prophetic hopes.
Now, sir, it is an uncomfortable thought
that, in addition to this critical audience in
the flesh, these majestic phantoms may be
+ fiji tting about this theirfavored haunt. They
fear, will hear with impotence the crud.
ties and common-places of an ordinary after
dinner speech, and especially SO as they must
still be under the spell of enchantnent cast
upon them and US, by him of New-York, who
has just made the Old Cradle to rock as in
days Of yore-filing the venerable shrine
with eloquence almost if not altogether equ
al to their nwn. (Gssa. appliance } -----=-,-
But you ask me to respond to a sentiment
in honor of the West. The duty is CRATE.
full one; for the best memories of my life are
associated with that great Western land
What the valley of the Saco. the green banks
of the Kennebec, the granite hill country
and the wooded slopes OF Vermont, contain
for many of this company, the Western ccun-
try holds for me-the one most sacred of all
eaith's acres-the place of birth. There are
the scenes of childhood's joys and griefs.-
There is the homestead and the household
gods of youth; the ruins of the log school
house that stood on the village gree n,shadow-
ed by single gnarled, many ringed oak; and
there are tn ose other trees, (and who does
not re e.nember trees). wide brarchings hang
ing over the deep places in the brook, Cit
seemed then very Amazon and Mississippi
and where, among the mossy roots, the boy
would lay and forget to watch his fishing-line,
being intent upon visions of glory that
went by with the sailing summer clouds, or
sending up through the whispering boughs,
when the cleaning had come, vague loDgings
and spirations-asking in vain of the twilight
stars why manhood fingered SO long, and
what it world bring when it cane, and when
the supreme joy of life would be gained.
And there in the West is the village
church, where from the lips of the santed
Rogers the quaint. coptemplatve, genial
hearted scholar, and the accomplished dalec-
tican,--and from Pingree man without guile |
"a soul all alive with love of truth and of |
his kinda private life as gentle and sweet
tempered as Fenelon, in the pulpit and in
debate as impetuous and impassioned and
terrible as Knox--irom these evangelsts
did first hear proof Of that faith which alone
leads to the supreme good. They gave me
an answer to the most veXed and vexing
questions touching the present and the future
gave me key to unlock all the enigmas |
of Ife--puI golden thread inru my haud, 7
which le ads from the darkest and most in
tricate labyrnths into the radiance of an
eternal day. They taught me religion |
which harmonizes reason and faith, and an
swers all cavil against God and his rule, by
proving that all evil is partial, and that all
partial evil is universal good. .' .e3 fr
have heard to-day son Of New England
speak with pride of the land OF his fathers.
His ompleisancy is natural and commend
able. We allow the Esqumaux and the
to boast of their native soil, and
we thank kind nature that she has made her !
surroundings as dear and pleasant to them,
as his Alps and his valleys to the Switzer,-
May not man, then, be proud of his birth
and, when it Is such land as this New Eng
and, or that good country, there far off be-
,ond the Alleghanies! a osgHa' p1ruT I
| wish. sir, | could speak in fitting praise,
Dr. indicate even a thousandth rpart of its
,lories and its blessings. Your toast ex-
presses tho wish that he may ever be- a cor
in the physica! capacities and
of the West, and in the principles
and sci timents Of her people. Devoutly do !
say, Amen! and point you to her history
for proof that rch have been and are her
tendencies. That is indeed too broad land
for the success sof narrow and restrictive
policies. Those who shape her destiny when
hor ba hat