Smyrna times., 1858-07-15
Sketch fthe Grafton delivered July eth,
BY REV. ]. E GRAMMER,


In anSWer II an irritation from the 1Own
Council Of Smyrna, to present before their
.feHOp-ciii-enS the ApreaL IF the LadieS' NJ.
i Vernon dissertation, lOrtheir aid IN purchaS-
ing Tie (rme. home md Tie tomldof WASH
iHgtOn.
! The speaker began by saying, that though
personally stranger TO them, yet to-day they
met as men Of one national household, as bre-
thren of commOn origin, as the favored in
hertors of the rich blessings of the Father of
their Country. That to-day they felt, tho their
faces were strange, their hearts and their hands
were pledged in the nnon of their civil rights
and constitutional liberty and that every spot
On the free domain of united, independent Anne
rica, was part of their landed estate, as repub.
| lcan sovereigns and that every hand they
grasped, was brothers hand. That on that
day, they gathered around the altar of Ameri-
can independence, to offer upon it the common
and universal tribute Of their gratitude aud
eternal devotion. That, no matter what varic-
tics Of cast or complexion, whether Of Anglican
or Saxon origin, whether displa ying the charac-
terlstics of the French or the Celtic nature.
whether rich or poor, high or low in the scale
OF mans opinion, they met that day on the broad
platform Of civil equality, to rejoice in their
blessings, were they those of birlhright or the
bounty of an adopted and chosen country.
! In this offering, the speaker said he was glad
to contribute his humble mite, tho it should be-
as but drop in the great ocean of American
feeling which was that day tossing lis waves
till they laughed and sang; tho 1t should be but
Il little murmurng rilI by the side Of those no.
bic tributaries Of our national cl0qucnce, which
on that day were rolling their swelling tides,
| trelghtcd with patriotic thought aud sentiment,
/ throughout the borders Of thus wide Union.
who, said the speaker, has not the heart to
be happy to-day, when natioM'S heart is 1hrob-
bIng with the pulses Of her tul-grown power
and gery Who, that had no song upon has
lips, when the forests and mountain tops were
ringing with almost consc Ious sympathy re-
Sponsive ch0ruses to tie glad shouts Of children
and the martial anthems of jubllant people
The speaker here cited those beautiful words oi
Scott, beginning,
BreaIhes there man with soul dead" Nc.
With one consent, he continued, they had
! gathered to pledge anew their faith and rebuild
their tabernaclcs upon the Mount where British
! Tyranny was transformed and trausiieurcd for
ever into Il smiling and radiant Goddess Of Lib
crty; that for Que day at least of the 800, they
might realize that 1t was good for them to be
there,-good to leave the counting room and
the store, the workshop and the harvest field,
to count over their many blessings, and to gaze
again and again upON the precious pearl Of Re-
publican Liberty ior which their fathers had
jeopa ardized "houses and lands" wives and
children, and exchanged their bio ID and trea-
sure,-to gather anew the ripe fruits OF that
golden harvest field, whose seed were sown
br0Gd-coI IN the TOLL and agony, and blood O,
the Revolution. The blood Of the patriot Is the
seed Of the State, as that of the martyr is OF
the Church
But Of that " noble army of martyrs " who
counted not their lives dear unto them, ana
poured cut their blood like water, as The offer
ing OF their hearts to their country, there stood
"tC INV SOhhC oilsHt pdilICuldI SldI III d
iirmament ofspangled glory. Around his name
there fingered halo which Time could never
pale, and whose mild efulgence was lighting a
World in its pathway to liberty and indepen-
dence. That name was upon every lip on that
day; that man is first in the hearts OF his coun.
trymcn.
AS our Father, he stood before US in the wis.
dom, dignity and selEdcnyng heroism of one
who was truly little lower than an angel. His
character and achievements were the richest
legacy of our country; and that after ST. Paul,
) of all mere men, he deserved to be called the
greatest bcnetactor Of the human family.
The speaker then turned to address the Town
Council, referring to the object they had pre-
sented before them by that noble band Of Ladies
who had pledged themselves to redeem the
name and patriotism of the country, by rescu-
ing from ruin and apparent oblivion the home
f of our first President, and our first General =
=, who was first in war and, what was greater
the first IN peGce.
Mr.. &. said he felt that he was unequal to
such duty; that he would have preferred one
Of more years and experience to have dwell
upon such theme, and unolded it in all its
inherent attractiveness; that it was only through
brief notice which he happened to read in
their public print, and which was confirmed by
a personal interview with one of their council.
men, to great surprise and regret he learned
} that he was expected to address them on tha
day in behalf OF the Ladies' Mount Vernon
Associations"
c The character of Washington, said Mr.. G..
like the grandest scenes in nature, could not b,
. appreciated by passing glance. 1t rises be
y fore us in its colossal but perfect proportions
: like the sublmest objects of crealion,-as, 70
= example, Mt. Blanc, which, when one gaze