The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-12-25

should be Revolutionary psnsiopsr 20 |
| were asked what WAS tho best thing 10 siv
young man good start 10 life, and IN
fAirsst certificate Of character, / should say
Become Son Of New England. But sinc
that 10 impossible 10 one who, like nyssli
has happened to be filtered through Ne,
York, tho next best thing 10 to be orandso,
Of New England. Though not son, An
cir. . legitimate grandson. AZ the dcsce nd
ant OF Erin said when Questioned as to hi
nativity, "Whatever 1 am, my mother wa
az lrishman." My parents, sir, we're boil
OF New England, and | was born under th
shadow OF New England hills. Many tim
have seen the sun rise over the shoulder O
Wschussss and Monadnock. Glorious noun
tains--how miss them here! Not even tn
noble Mississippi can supply their majesty
From my childhood have breathed the iii
Of New England hills and the spirit Of New
England institutions, and can you wonder
that | am - proud OF her ~ any Of you.
am proud Of the Pilgrim fathers, and prout
OF this dsy, which commemorates ono Of sh,
sublimest events in the history OF man; anc
~ listened might TO tho off repeated, bu
still touching story Of their wading through
the icy water, leading their wives and oarry
rying their little ones, my heart was stirred
oDce more. There seemed TO me pecuiia,
grandeur in the thought that here, on the
banks Of the noblest river Of the New World
23o years sfterwsrd, and at the distance oil
more than one Thousand miles, such com
pany OF their descendants should be ceIebra.
ting that event, under such circumstances "a
surround as.
But am reminded that Rhode leland, and
Roger Williams, is the sentiment TO which |
am called upon TO respond.
have never been in Rhode Island, but
understand 1t is about ~ large as Sand Prai
RE up hero, (if 1 exaggerate, somo one will
correct me- sud that the Governor recsiv o.,
or did receive, a salary Of 300 year, with
the privilege Of boarding the Legislasnre-I
presume to exc out his support.
But do not suppose that because Rhode
Island 10 the smallest State in the Union, il
10 therefore the least in importance. Let not
the miserable delusion that extent OF terrific
~ make great State be cherished for mo.
mont. Sons and daughters Of New Englandl
you will mover accept that doctrine 4, 10
the Hfe and soul, the character and spirtf Of
the people that make , State. Does not
Athens shine brightest in history Of ell the
States Of antiquity And, sir, Athens had
no larger territory than Rhode Island. II
was her philosophers and poets, her orators
and statesmen, and, above all, her freed ON /,
that made Athens . star Of the arss magni.
tudc.
The name Of Roger Williams has become
associated with Rhode Island, ~
the great apostle Of that religions liberty
that 6rst found homo and expression there.
Let thsre be no invidious comparisons or un-
kind reflections upon the Pilgrim Fathers, be-
pause they drove him 70 the STAND be took
He does not deserve the whole credit Of this
great principle. Great truths grow SLOWLY:
lhsy had thsir share in building up the pyra.
mid Of civil and religious rights, OF which he
laid the cap stone. Through bitter expert
snce he learned the lesson Of tolerstion bet
Ter than they, and for him Was reserved the
honor Of fully unfolding and snuncisting to
The world in the little State of Rhode Island
Ihst truth which has become the pride and
boast Of our whole country.
Let me propose, then, ~ = closing sensi-
nspt:
The great Tree Of Religious Liberty, whose
branches Dow cover the Union. liz seeds
we're planted In England in the times OF Crom-
veil and kuox--it Was nurtured BY the Pill
grim Fathers, and by them transpianted to
he soil OF Massachusetts Rhode leland
: blossomed into perfect .Hocsr. Its rich
md abundant fruit We are to night ENJOYING
apon the banks Of thee Mississippi.
THE MorHEas or Nxw EsoLaxp--Gyntle and
troag intellectual yet practical they moulded bread
nd character, they mended manners AID stockings
hey wove garments and dcstnes. aud their eh .iren
ise up aud call them blessed.
Rev. G. Williams Presbyterian was called
,pon, and replied:
Some seventy years ago and more there
vas lone log cabin in the wilderness Of
New England, the farthest inhabited dwell
ing toward the Canadian frontier. Outside
hat cabin Was toll enough for the fathers
lands. And within, woman Of remark able
mind and character was spinning, washiug,
Weaving, baking, securing, msnding, and
meanwhile instrncting her youngest son. the
vet companion OF her indoor life. Shetaught
lin letters and the art OF reading. She led
lin out among the buds and flowers and
rees, by the brook and along the hill eide.
md At nightfali ont among the stars. She
opened to him the museum of Mature. She
'pened 70 him the Bible; and as he followed
'er footsteps around the cabin, or stood a.
Ter knee, she heard him read those thrilling
tories and histories. She asked and answer
d questions. She shaped and aided the de-
OF mind that has moved the In.
elect OF his country more, perhaps, than
my other statesman in it's history. Such
roman Was IT, mother Of Daniel Webster.--
Iuch, too, Was the mother OF Amos Lawrence
"a man who made, and during his lifetime
ave away, it 10 supposed, some seven hun
red thousand dollars. And such women
veYe many Of the mothers Of New England.
sars was the combination 10 them Of gentle
'ess and strength, OF refinement and energy.
4 the intellectual and the practical.
To-night, ~ We recall our obligations to
be Puritans, We greatfully remember mnter-
al fAithfulness and tolls.
These mothers, sir, fed and clothed us With
heir own hands. They made our bread,
nended and made our garments, knitted and
armed our st0ckings, and, when misfortune
ame, they made over tho worm out apparel
1 father, mother and older children. con-
erting it BY nightly tolls into Sunday vest.
nsnts for the Juniors Of the household.
They instructed ". To our tastes and
opss and aims they gave tho earliest direc.
ion. They formed our principles Of action,
ogether with oar honored fathers, and laid
be basis OF our habits and character. They
and stimulated 10 40 . love Of
earning, and shed upon our earliest efforts
~ b n~3a ssuS1n rhsnh - III -