Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-12-27

with its hospitable surroundings, and the biz
chimney. stack, covering 90 much ground, that i
proves to dernonstration that our fore fathers
never sold land BY the foot, and knew nothing Of
the mysteries Of town sites and corner lots
(Meriment.) 49, a
New England Is the land of our birth,-it is .
goodly land, and We love it for it, associations
and its memories. But memory l. not all of life.
While our childhood's home is dear to us, there
is another land dearer than that which we have
left: the land We have chosen, the country to
which we are drawn by the irresistible charms of
nature and of promise. (Cheers.)
New England is mother to us, and we cherish
the relation; she is the lane of our Dir tn and
we shall not forget her. But Minnesota has q
higher claim upon our regard. She is the home
of our choice. She has no Warren nor Stark
no Bennington nor Bunker Hill-she has no glo-
rious historic past,but her present is magnificent
and her future is sublime. (Great applause) If
her history is not so rich in memory, her future
is far more beautiful in promise! If the heart
throbs quicker when we think of the past of New
England, how do the pulses thrill, when we con-
template the future of Minnesota, and the posi-
ton to which hereafter she will assuredly at
tain! When whatever is hard and contracted in
the New England character, shall be liberalized in
the purer air of the West when oil our peculi-
arities of manner and of mind shall be moulded
into one feeling of consequently and united bro
therhood, then, indeed, will she be &c beautiful
Minnesota. Magnificent and unsurpassed in ma
tural gifts, with the purer air, the clearer sky,
the brighter sun, the healthier climate, the more
generous soil-full of boundless treasures of
rock, and wood, and mineral-the parent of the
noblest river in the world, the nurse of thou
sand lakes that never leave her bosom-how fair
she is, and how fair she will be, when the cluster
ing intelligence and enterprise, not of New Eng
land only, but of all chimes, shall have dotted
her fertile valleys and sunny slopes with homes
of industry and thrift when throughout the
length and breadth Of the land shall rise those
twin pioneers of civilization, the school house
and the church--when agriculture shall flourish
till her ocean prairies rise and fall with the au-
tumn breeze, with waves of yellow grain-when
trade and commerce shall thrive abundantly, and
all the avenues Of travel are freighted with the
rich products of a prosperous people, and when,
above all, that type of New England Enterprise
the Pacific Rail Road, with its arteries of light
ming, shall stretch its iron pathway across the
wilds, uniting the grey rock of Plymouth with
the golden waves of the Western sea, and the At.
lantic morning and the Pacific evening shall here,
within our borders, become as one day! God
speed the time
Mr.. P. closed amid overwhelming applause
Mr.. Lamprey was called to respond to the next
regular toast. sol osan
g. New England as a birthplace; Minnesota as q home.
He regretted that the duty had fallen to him to
respond to that sentiment after the eloquent gen.
tleman who had preceded him, yet it afforded
him lively satisfaction to be present to COM
memorate the landing of the Pilgrims on Ply
mouth rock. Why should we say New Hampshire
for birth-place2 Because of her crystal springs
unsurpassed by those of Minnesota. Be-
cause of her fair daughters faithful as conscience
and true as truth, not to be compared with any
except those of Minnesota. Because of her
worthy matrons, who warn their sons as they 20
forth from the land of their nativity, to be mind
full of the responsibility of their position. Be-
cause of her Revolutionary history, and her
Stark at Bennington. What was his motto on
facing the enemy? "Victory to-day or Molly
Stark widow!"' We should be proud of New
Hampshire because she is good State-to emil
crate from The speaker remarked that If he
could not be born in New Hampshire he never
would be born at all, but would say with Topsy-
T" never was born as knows on; specs /
grow'd!" (Laughter.) Minnesota fer home
because Of her majestic river longer than the
sea-serpent, Oaughter) because of her St, Paul
and st. Anthony-the united head Of navigation
(Roars of laughter.) Minnesota for home be-
cause of the magnificent, ,unmeasured,
unreasonable Future which is hers. New Eng
land has some facilities which are not here, do
you say? Minnesota is in her infancy vet wait
till she shall have attained her majority and we
will see! The speaker portrayed eloquently the
hopes and sorrows, the fears and anxieties which
swelled the bosoms of those brave men and
women, after their Punishment from Holland, as
they stood upon the shores of Delft-haven.
And the adventurous MayAower crossed like
feather on the great billow, and was welcomed
by the snowy Ell Dorado of the West. After
quoting the eloquent passage from Hiawatha,
commencing $50 disasters come not singly," he
concluded his excellent speech with the sentiment
New Hampshire the old aunt, Minnesota the young
niece, soon to become q sister. '@''-'
s. Our New England Homes. We will build the new after
the pattern Of the old. -,o- r,-. :
Rev. Mr.. MADDocKs responded. For many
years he had lived in Vermont, had taught and
worked among her hills until he had become, in
q measure, identified with the progress of her
people. He recapitulated the many pleasant
scenes of which he had been a witness " in the
days of Aud Lang Syne," and formed quite a
happy grouping of the "reminiscences of New Eng
land. He ended by expressing his admiration Of
the Pilgrim valor and piety, and said sswe need
no better legacy to transmit to our children in
this new world, than the virtues and the pa
triotism inherited from our fathers of the old.''
This being response to the last regular toast,
Mr.. Emerson read, as volunteer toast,
William Penn, the Founder Of Pennsylvana.
Ex-Gov. Ramsey responded, with his usual
pungency and spontaneous wit, in behalf of the
Penn was q man of peace, he was also shrewd
man, for instead of going to bleak, barren, and
desolate country, he went and settled those
beautiful and fertile regions on the banks of the
Delaware. (Great laughter.) Another thing
which the people of this territory will appreciate
he was a most excellent Superintendent of In
dian Affairs. The Governor bestowed a deserved
tribute upon the sagacity and justice, the piety
and prudence of Penn, I" the simple, inoffsnsive
amid the most hearty applause.
The following volunteer toast was then read,
and responded to by Col. Irwin: 1850,
James Buchanan, Pennsylvana's fsvorte son(9) 1l
This sentiment was most inopportunely offered,
and the better taste of the company attempted to
suppress political. speech upon festive occa-
sion, but the Colonel ingeniously avoided partisan
illusions as well as he could, and what everybody
feared would be an attempted puff of &C ten cent
jimmy" passed of amid a continuous and re-
peated storm of applause ...-..
Minnesota and the Union Of the states-we are one.