Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-07-31
A SHORT FOURTH OF JULY GRAFTON

/ What is the Fourth of July? 1t is dav for
( explosion of powder. a day for gas. dav for
outside show and celebrationo Is il not the
I day that stands for the foundation of liberty
and the rights of man? The soundcst and tr,i-
est doctrine ever promulgated was that sus-
tanned by our faith RS in the achievement of our
independence. 1t is that which makes us what
we arc; which makes this day the Sabbath of
Liberty
Let me say few words respecting our coun-
/ try, than which filirer and noblcr God never
nude. Methinks he hid it for ages behind the
/ heap of ocean waters, that he might here at
last build up mighty Christian civilization.
that should realize the fondest hopes and cx-
pectatious of prophets and secrs. So broad a
land, so diversified in its treasures. so fertile in
It's soil, partaking the boon which every climate
has to confer, stretching through so many lines
IN the West, so many in the North and so many
in the South. So fair so large and so rich a
land, methlnks the sun never disclosed in his
daily journey. Applause God has poured a
mixed spirit upon us, for races together make a
better population than consanguineous stocks
God has poured lavishly from every nation.
Some men leave their country. it is true for
their country's good hut not all They that
are too restless and cnterprising to remain at
home fly to the New World. They whose
young blood cannot walk the old places and
take the old stale customs they are the men
who liy their country for their own good, and
pour upon our shores. We take them as the
tribute from every nation under the sun--thc
young. the earnest, the best blood, the motive
power of the nation.
Such blood mingled with ours. if educated
and Christianized, will give stamina variety,
genius and all the elements Of national wealth
ana progress such as were never before brought
together This is our population now. From
one ocean to the other ocean is our boundary.
The Atlantic greets us on the East, we wash
our feet in the Pacific, we trip to the great
lakes, we bathe our brow in the Gulf; on every
side God gives no other boundaries than
mighty oceans. Pent up in this vast area,
tins nation is to make mark in history which
no other nation ever made
But this variety of climate and diversity of
interests Is one great cause of danger, as ships
built too long and not strong enough, are in
danger Of breaking in the middle So we, with
conflicting interests on one side and upon the
other, men so removed as to lack personal SYM
pathy and frequent intercourse, are in like dan
ger OF parting somewhere. Besides this there
are men who would sacrifice their country for
their own advancement, and there is nothing
can save this nation from the perils that sur
round ii but spirit Of true religion and patr-
otism, spirit that loves country not for self
but for country's sake
am most happy here at least to claim for
the Union, as most heartily do, our undivided
allegiance. For there is no sacrifice too great
to pay for the union of these states unless we
sacrifice that for which the Union was first made
liberty. We will suffer much for the sake of
the Union--wc will give up many sectional
points of pride, but when we are asked to give
up the spirit which animated the men of the
reyolution-the spirit of liborty-that we can
never give up. We declare that any true pa
triotism must be patriotism which shall in
clude in itself the knowledge and love of those
principles first embodied in the declaration of
our independence-the rights of man-the dec
claration that all men are born free and equal.
Patriotism without that is not patriotism in
America. 1t may be patriotism in Austria, but
not in America. The patriotism that does not
include within itself the doctrine that every
man has inalenable rights to life, liberty, and
property-the patriotism leaving that out, is
like man without Il heart or head-a hollow
corpse.
We have had patriotism of all shapes and
forms. Sometimes it goes up and down the
country preaching Union and patriotism, but
with everything of liberty left out. Our IA
theirs embraced in their patriotism everything
pertaining to sacred liberty, and by their suffer.
ings, and struggles they maintained their dec
laration. Our patriotism must be patriotism
that takes in Maine, and New Hampshire and
Vermont, and Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
and Connecticut, and New Jersey, and Ohio,
and Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and Delaware,
and Maryland, and North Carolina, and even
South Carolina. Yes, and Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi and Arkansas, Tennessee and Ken
lucky, and dear old Indiana, and Illinois, and
Missouri, bound for freedom, and Minnesota,
and Wisconsin, and know not how many be-
sides. A voice, "Texas."] Yes, Texas and
California, and all the states, named and un-
named, that are and are yet to come Don't
anybody say Kansas. Laughter and applause.]