Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-11-25

Inc following are the a1dreSseS made &t the D.
pening Of the festival given By the Century Club
Of this e;sy 70 Nr. Bryaas.
uR- BAscRoFTs ADDREss.
s'Y- ilaln Cullen Bryant The '.CentuFy't has
vet apart this evening TO show you honor. al il
members the old and the yoang. crowd around
you Ike brothers round brothtr-iike children
round father OK wives and daughters have
come With Us. that they, too, Enay JON IN the plea
SAINT ofAce OF bearing witness to your worth The
artists of our association whose lgbors you have
eTer been ready 10 cheer, whose merits sou have
l5Ted to proclaim unite 70 bring an enduring me
nlOrisi % your excellence IN an srt nsag KIN 70
their evn 4 noble band Of yOuT eesul,ears IN
your Own high calling. from al parts Of the oouu-
try. oser theIT ssl4utatsons aaa praise and good
wishes IL full chorus Of FeSpect snd Affection
Others who could not aecapt our invitation, keep
the festival By themselves. and are now in their
own homes going nFeG tEe years which you haze
done 30 much 70 gladden.
1T Is primarily yogr career As a poet that we
celebrate. Tire mameHt Is well chosen While
the mountains and the ocean SIDE Fing with the
tramp Of cay4lTg and th- din OF cannon, and the
nation i IN It's agony, arid earthquake sweeps
through the land, we take respite % escape into
the serene region of ideal pursuits which can new
er fail
1T has been thought praise enough Of another
10 say thar ne wrote no line which dylng ne could
wish ta bset Every line KhlcR Won have writ
ten may De remembered BIZ yourself and By 9TH
ers az al tignss, for Toar geaas has listened only
20 the whisperings OF the beautiful ana the pure.
Moreover, wssTm nationality runs through al
your verse. As one VINO ifves TnGch IN the sun l.
Drowned by his rays yous Imagination took the
hue Of the youth Of our country, and has FeEeeted
it's calm coneemplet3ve moods, when the pulses of
It's early life beat vigorously bat smoothly and
bad passions had distorted is coantenance. The
elashias whirlwinds Of c;sl wax the sublime en-
ergy and perseverance Of the people, the martyr
dom OF myriads Of It's braveSt and best It's new
birth through terrible snferings, viii give more
rassieIate and tragic aud varied cast to the tera
ture of the coming generations,
"A thousand years hence posteritg vii turn 70
your pages as 70 those which best mirror the love
IL earRessnesS of the rising republic, the sweet
musings of her years Of innocsnec, when she was
ait unfamiliar with sarrow bright with the halo
of promise sezing the great s0IitEdes by the bI-
81 hosts al civilization and guarding the nations Of
the earth into the pleasant paths Of freedom and
of peace
You have derived -our inspiration as q poet
from yonr love Of nature, and she has returned
your affection and blessed you as her favored son
AT three score and ten yearsyoar eye is undimmed,
yoRr step light and free as iE youth, and the sgIe
which eyeT responded 70 Willingly to Jour touch
refuses 70 leaTe your hand
+Uar tribute 10 you i to the poet but we
shoala not have paid It had We not reveFed you q
man Your blamelss life Is aeontinuous record
Of patriotism and integrity and passing Rsouch-
ed through the hEry conflicts that gr0W cut 0f the
ambition OF ether. yga haFe a. All agree. preseFv-
ed perfect consistency With yourself and an un-
swerying unseihsh fidelity 20 ydar convictions.
This is high praise bnt TIE period at which
we address yo1 removes even the sgspicion Of Hat
terry, for il Is Jour entFance upon yoax seventeen
year. Il l. solemn thing to draw nearer and