Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-07-07
Hon. Dwight Fosters Speech mt the
BrOOhfield Celebration.


1t is an honor of which l am deeply sensible
that have been included in the number oil those
who are entitled to participate in your festivities
today.
In the presence of so many who, by immediate
birthrghts or by chosen residence, belong to
Brookfeld, l feel that it is hardly becoming for
me, who am only in the second generation de.
scendant of the good old town, to be more than
silent listener and spectator In the company
OF so many distinguished sons, who have return
ed hither, bearing the laurel they have won in
every department of service, to lay them all on
the altar of their birthplace, am here. have
no claim to occupy your time attention. But
although have. never resided here, and have
visited the place only as stranger and pilgrim
L know of no spot on earth. except the city
which is my birthplace and residence, where
feel myself so much at home as here.
Here was the home of my ancestors and here
are their graves. The history and traditions of
the town, its scenery, and localities of interest
have been familiar TO me from childhood. The
faces which look down upon me from the walls of
my dwelling are the portraits of. Brookfeld men
And all my affections and associations are SO den-
titled with this place, that l can hardly persuade
myself that do not belong here by as good right
as any of you. l thank you, therefore, most cor
daily, that your committee of arrangements have
been so far of the same opinion as to extend to
me an invition to be present today
The national anniversary which we celebrate
carries the minds of all of us back to the infant
days OF the republic--to the thoughts, words, and
deeds of our forefathers-to the patience and mi
vations and sufferings, the tolls, and hardships,
and dangers by which they won the birthripht
of our liberties and national independence And
have thought l could not better occupy the few
minutes during which l may be expected to ad
dress you than by speaking of some things which
have heard and read of the men of BroOkfeld at
the time of the American revolution.
The colonial history of the town, from its ear.
lest settlement, shows the inhabitants to have
been Of tile best class of New England Purtans
They subdued the wilderness, repealed the as.
saults of the savages, shared in the expeditions
against the French colonies toiled through tile
week, and worshipped on the Sabbath, as did
their fellow countrymen throughout New Eng.
land-wth the love of civil and religious liberty
as the most cherished sentiment of their hearts
and its attainment and preservation the most val
ued object of their lives. BY the discipline of
such lives and the influence of such convictions
they were prepared to resist the earliest en-.
croachments of the crown of England upon their
rights and liberties. Accordingly, Mr.. President
we find on the old record of the town, (which I
have read with deep interest, and Of mart of
which l own copy in my fathers handwrit-
ing) that as eally as l773 at the town meeting in
the Spring, committee chosen to prepare a
letter of thanks to the town of Boston in replv
to their circular letter, dated Nov. 20, l772.
which was one of the first measures adopted by
the Boston Committee of Correspondence the
the whole revolution" The letter prepared by
this committee was twice read, adopted, entered
on the town record, and copy of il transmitted
to Boston. have copy of it in my hand. Per.
nit me to read it to you;
To the Committee of Correspondence within and
for the Town of Boston:
Gentlemen, The Town of Brookfeld having
taken the letter of the Town of Boston of No.
vember 10th 1772 into consideration, together
with the statement of the Inducements and
violations of the Rights Of the People of AmeYi-
ca and of this Province in particular, which have
from time to time been made by the Court and
parliament of Great Britain
We fully agree with you in sentiment relating
to themiand that It's the indispensable duty Of ev.
cry lover Of his country and the happy Consttu-
ton which was once the Glory of this Country to
exert himself in every Loyal and Constitutional
way to ward off the impending evil.
This Town will ever be ready to assert and in
every legal and proper way maintain those Rights
and Liberties for our children which were with so
much Labor, Blood and Treasure, purchased by
our ancestors, whose memory is and ought to be
esteemed by us and we hope, Notwithstanding
the attempts of the enemies of our Constitution,
70 deprive US of those Rights, yet by steady
firm, and constant exertion we shalf not finally
be deprived of them.
This Town will not fail Of joining with other
Towns in this Province, in every constitutional
way,to obtain Redress and as the Province is now
W u6 idfoEeu WIN u Oenefdl Assembly, we trust
that they, under God, may be led to such meas
ures as may procure US relief.
we take TINS opportunity to thank the Town
OF Boston for their great and vigilance in
the common cause and look upon ourselves EN-.
barked in the same bottom, mutually interested in
the same event Let us look to God for his Bles-
ing and Protection, and stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ has made us free
At meeting Of the Freeholders and other in.
hubitants OF the town of Brookaeld, legally as
sembled the l4th Of September 1878 the lorego.
ing letter being twice read, Voted That the same
be recorded in the Town of Brookfeld, copy
thereof be MADE and attested and transmitted by
the Clerk 70 the Committee Of Correspondence
within and for the Town Of Boston"
At the very next town meeting committee
was chosen "to consider and report to the town
proper resolve relative to the Importation Of tea
from Great Britain, subject to a duty payable in
America" Without pausing to read the whole
resolution then reported and adopted. there are
some extracts which am unwilling TO omit;
''The inhabitants OF this town are fully sepsi-
bic of the importance of a union OF aentimant
and conduct Of the people of this province and
also 'of all the American colonies, at a time
when every measure which subtlety and craft
| can devise Is taken TO enslave them5
'An uninterrupted friendship and commerce
with the country Of our fathers nativity we wish
TO continue to the latest generation, but our dear
| buught rights and privileges we will never tame
| ly give up" As 1--WE shall not countenance riots
and unlawful tumults while Il (peace) can be had
| with the quiet enjoyment Of our dearest civil
and religious privileges, when they are wrest.
| ed from us we shall not think our lives and prom.
erty too much TO DO spent in their defence and re.
| covery,"
Such are some Of the sentences from the feso.
lutions adopted in BrookGold, Dee q, l77s. |