Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-09
THE NATIONAL ANNIVERSARY.
II. w. BEECHER,S ADDRESS.

ings, frings, speeches, toasts, professions
and accidents which happened on the cele-
bration of the Anniversary of our National
Independence. In most places, Monday the
5th, was taken for the celebration. The
speech of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, de-
livered at the laying of the corner stone of n
new Armory in Brooklyn-on the site of the
old free library, which had been removed to
another site-a speech listened to by large
assembly and received with rapturous cheer
ing, strikes us as among the best-if not
quite the best, that we have read. We give
copious extracts.
Abiding to the fact that Gen. Lafayette
laid the corner stone of the old Library, the
orator proceeds
We should speak well of Lafayette. He
was one of those few men in whom the most
romantic sentiment for liberty in youth rip
encd into an ambition stable as manhood
itself, in his old age; a man without guile,
without sel1shness; man whose very bread
was love to his fellow men. Who in his own
land. and in this his second land, as much
his own as France and more, devoted him
self freely to the welfare of the peoples who
never retracted what he had said or done, or
marked dark lines of inconsistency across his
clear record. While thousands like him de-
clared for Liberty, when liberty was still in
state of fermentation, he almost alone
among thousands remained its firm votary,
sacrificing for liberty almost everything dear
to manhood.
That name is fifty associated with the
name Of Washington in the annals of our
American liberty, and count it n good
omen-snce so large portion of our citizens
are immigrants, and for years must continue
to be, as | hope will be- count it a good
omen that in looking back to our Revolution
AIRY heroes, there is scarcelya nation on earth
that cannot point to some distinguished officer
and say THAT man, who bled with your
fathers Tor liberty, was of my blood"
There never were moro peaceful places than
our citizen arlnories where our citizen soldiers
assemble to carry on the picturesque part of
war-to do the velvet portion, without the
risk or peril. Laughter
Build, then, these peaceful Castles of In
dolence for our citizen soldiery, and let them
nave home among us. The very differences
between our armories and those abroad are the
difference between free cities in free America
and the cities ofthd I'D and representations.
But let me take occasion, upon the erection
OF this building, to speak of the better armo-
rles which have long been building up among
us, for hold that our armories are all along
our streets.
Wherever you shall find fnthnr and
mother, and garrison of children, there is
the best commander, the best drill-sergeant,
the best soldiers. The free and well conduct
ed families-thcse are our armories. Wher-
ever you shall find an intelligent laboring
population-a population who labor, not
drudge; whose labor is not compulsory, en-
forced, stolid labor, but whose heads work
first, and then animate their hands with
brains to work more skilfully Afterwards
cheerful, unrepining labor-families which
achieve their own independence by labor
these are our armories And at every point
where you can congregate a band of these
laborers-men who sing while they work and
come from town wiping the shutdown sweat
from their brows, to be cheered with the
comforts of home, and wife, and children
these are our armories.
Again, we have our schools, where all our
children have access. No matter how poor
man may be in money, if he is rich in
children, those family jewels, they have the
benefit Of our schools. They teach all alike,
the children of all religious faiths, nation.
aiitles, rank and conditions they teach them
oil the common ideas and duties of American
citizens. These are our truest armories, and
the cities which have these are inexpugnable.
1 might go ON to point to our churches,
whence, as from fount, we draw our trucst
notions Of personal manhood, of personal
liberty, of municipal privileges and munich
pal rights. These are some of the institu-
tions which supervise our domestic armories
and make them efficient
Standing here upon the day set apart to
commemorate the achievements ofour fathers,
we ought not to forget that we are citizens,
not only of this city, but also of this great
We remember and praise their
sutferings and achievements, but they suf-
fered and struggled willingly. For some
years past, it would seem the celebration of
the day had been growing into disrepute, and
1t is well to revive the custom. Some man
surely can always be found to speak worthily,
wisely and well on the great subject of hu-
man rights and human liberty, to which the
day is sacred.
What is the Fourth of July! Is it a day
Tor explosion OF powder, day for gas, a day
Tor outside show and celebration Is it not |
the day that stands for the foundation of |
liberty and the rights OF man The soundest |
and truest doctrine ever promulgated was that
sustained by our fathers in the achievement
ot our independence. 1t is that which
makes us what we are which makes this
lay the Sabbath a. Liberty.
Let me say Il few words respecting our
country, than which fairer and mobler God
never made. Methinks he hid it for ages
behind the heap of ocean waters, that he
night here at last build up IA mighty Chris
Ian civilization, that should realize the fond
st hopes and expectations of prophets and
eers. 80 broad land, 50 diversified in its
treasures, SO fertile in its soil, partaking the
Iooa which every climate has to confer,
tretching through so many lines in the West,
o many in the North, and so many in the
south. 50 fair, so large and so rich land,
nethinks the sun never disclosed in his daily
Quincy. God has poured II mixed spirit upon
ls-for races together make better popula-
ion than consanguineous stocks God has
lavishly from every nation. Some
nen leave their country, it is true, for their
ountry's good, but not all They that are
% restless and enterprising remain at
ome, fly to the New World. They whose
Dung blood cannot walk the old places and
axe the old stale customs; they are the men
Who fly their country for their own good, and
our upon our shores. We take them as the
ribute from every nation under the sun-the
Dung, the earnest, the best blood, the mo-
i've power of the nation
Such blood mingled with ours, if educated
nd Christianized, will give stamina, variety,
enius and all the elements of national wealth
nd progress, such as were never before
rought together. This is our population
ow. From one ocean to the other ocean is
ur boundary. The Atlantic greets us on
ne East, we wash our feet in the Pacific, we
lip to the great lakes, we bathe our brow
| the Gulf on every side God gives no other
than mighty Deems. Pent up
this vast area, this nation is to make