Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-07-14
GRAFTON,
DELIVERED AT wEAvERvTLLE, JULY 4TH, 1866, BY
HON. JOHN MURPHY

Mr. MARSHAL, LADIES, SOLDIERS
SOCIETIES FELLOW CITIZENS:
The occasion which brings together this hall to-day
much learning and Intelligence much just pride and patr
osm. and much OF youth and beauty of orna
Ii of all Others best calculated To AVA
ken our hne,t sen-btes and TO arouse our purest
ISM Though the duty that have met to perform is not
new since the glorious Of the Fourth Of July
I6 has been the grand and halowe custom OF the Amer
lean pie assemble recurring Fourth to chant
their Dns of praise and Thanksgiving to the God of Ma
tions for preserving and might almost Law
ish generosity with which lie has poured us His choicest
gifts honor by the celebration OF the day the IN
fading that clusters around the memory and decks the
the immortal authors of that sacred instrument
which we just heard read and which boldly and truth
fuy declares that created equal; to contem-
plate many dangers AMI prvatonS that tins little band OF
illustrio. their handful of brave peasant soldiers
had to contend with great struggle for freedom and its
final this have assembled here to-day to perform
woud that were gifted lat this occasionl with
power shaping thoughts and uerng my words IN
a manner half commensurate with the excellence OF 'her
the glory Of their arms the grandeur Oh 'eir PM
losophy and the wisdom OF their deliberations ln"h
Republican Greece in their pinieSt ds "het 'r
one u- tly claimed be these of empire won by the words
her warriors and Athens proudly STOOD III
letters and presented grand spectacle 30
gorgeous noble destiny as the United sateso
America to-day presents As the morning sun uhei ;'e
and shot forth it, lightning rays over valley
and glen hilltop and mountain and SwePt from earth sr 50
night the merry pea~f bells the thunder d
ten Thousand cannon and joyous shouts of millions OF
brave AMI lwart freen'en proudly proclaimed II ,
ui,ee welcomed the NINETEEN
Anniversary Of Republics independence And in order
celebrate the day with more becoming pomp ana
laid aside daily avocaon- and poured the pay
oil Of peace the stormy waves oil polcal stl1'e anu i
of the three hundred and sxtyne Il"
millions of political difference from
the rths of Maine 10 the golden canyons oil the
the broad and fertile prires OF the West to the anu
meadows of the south cluster around the starry ensign "
made douby sacred to by its folds being nero
cay baptized in the patriotic Of the bra'es and the
Republics in the late struggle for natoha
life =
such is feeble and imperfect outline of the augusness of
the occasion which we are here asse'noieh 10
Bear while make rapid Retrospective tour
through the vista of the past history OF the
nent comparatively speaking the
navigator the great almu' OF the sea set out
the frlfll
the UNEMPLOYED and uniahomed Atlantic III search
of Western land and to wiring from the bosom &" the mighty
deep the great of navigation open up the ocean
hghrolls colonization and civilization OF the western
ba;nhere The next great event which we will consider
from the discovery land by Christopher Columbus Is the
landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Rock 1t would
reourr more time than il aIle TO such occasions
info description of the which induced our Pilgrim
Fathers To quit their native land and cross the drcay w
seek and country the then bleak
and sterile hills OF New England yet unconsecraed by the
footsteps of civilized man.
Suffice say that the and resolue spirits who
freigted the M,1ccr and dared 10 buffet the err2rs OF
winters in search Of asylum where they and thrir
religious pure and unayed nnmoe-ted by the eic- of
and undurbed by of passion first anch
ed the shores of New England and before disebarkng
from the Migf'wer they form civil code which tn gov
their social intercourse which is purely democratic IN
form and just in spirit And there find the dignhed
Brewster and the eniepising Alcrton landing their little
band unprotected from the chilling blasts OF an ihcencnt
Northern winter. the shore Of rude and frownng vii
derness border ed by meaureess a" -now-covere
forests But soon y the re.oute industry of those
where heretofore naugt heard but the warhp OF the
and the of the grizzly is heard the sound o the
hammer and the lowing Of the and soon from the prom
onory Of Cape Cod to the eapng cataract of the w"nroS
niagara and from there to the fertile banks ot the classic
Potomac might be and heard the p wv of the hu'blnd
the soil and the stroke of the AMMAN
reverhersns through the den-ene-- of the forest And soon
these sterile plains and capped forests 10y the aGrcu
tura skill and untrng industry at those "lng missionaries
liberty if meamorphosed by fairy touch smile with
the verue and foliage Spring bloom with the richness
and beauty of Summer. and ripen into the ecuny Of COL
den Autumn. Other adventurous spirits signing Tor the
hume, itulpb pDan in
touched by the magician wand Tiir-
Colonies happy and prosperous spring into exist
The rapid increase Of population wealth could not long
fail t5attract the avarce and arouse cupldy of the
home government. The British Parliament and king WIN
their provebia lust for wealth and dominion ps'ei law.
the most unjust levied taxes the most oneru and
power the most de-c melting the savage nature Oh e
tnci0r , , , re-, an linen Of n,,ce aboii-iing in
many in the great Char
ter wruns by the sturdy lsrons OF England from Ming Jo
the plains bunemede taxing the Colonies with pu al
Loving them the right Of representation burning their cities
and pillaging their townthese and many other wrongs ana
indgntes almost ultaneusly heaped on the unoi
feng thrifty citizens Of the Colonies But these IN
trepd children Of progress who leantly dashed the nsio
ou- Of -ervitude from their lips in their native h9meS
msnfuIy brtvcd the thousand perils Of wind and
surf tom,Iawk and wilderness aud made t-and valleys
and hills till then since the beginning nntrod AMI unre
claimed by civilized bloom with the flowers Of Summer
and with the golden vi harvcstthse who in
short space Il" time and with many herculean difficult
ties had studded the dashed coast with growing
cities and thrifty and witened the arbors and crow
ded the rivers with the sail Of prosperous commerce.
without struggle be deprived OF their wellearnei
privilege bound by the parliamentary execu"ners OF their
liberties and into the merciles embrace of the British
Lion But wise patriots and prudent men aud unwilling
to change their present form OF government they mildly yet
firmly against the wrongs of the present
eminent and humbly pen-d George the Third for re-
dress of their grievances Their circumstances were
rejected connnely and their petitions scorned with
preach from the throne of royalty Patience with the Colo
nists length ceased to be virtue. frbearance stigma
finally assembled within he grand
Hall Of Independence Philadelphia and in clear and ring
ing words not to be nsconstned boldly declared that the
of
free AMI Independent soveregn- endowed with all the rights
and privileges lreeen owing ~ allegiance Sovereign.
Prince foenate but from hencetor and forever arored
with the rich panop ly Of American citizenship
grand the Congress. fresh from the
people and composed of much ability much eloquence
and much manlike philosophy sweeping in the gran
deur Of its majesty the rule of ROYALTY tearing from the
root- in the whirlwnd of its march the divine right of
George the Third from the Hudson the Great Peder fired
the Indignation of Princes aroused the the advocates
Of Royalty and made the thrones Of the Old World to heve
with alarm for their future safety All Europe thrown
into CONSERVATION at the proclamation Of these brave and
daring The sumberug embers Of revolutionary Re-
publican France began be famed into life and emit sparks
Of light unes the burning el"quence OF the fiery Mireu
and the throne Of Louis begin crnnbe and fade De-
meath the aliuring smiles Of wandering freedom
The dark clouds Of which had been long gathering
storm had come: the Eubic1n was passed. the ocsln ,t
was sounded and the martial tramp Il" armed lie
be heard Lexington Common was ALREADY ,;m.oued
gore Of patriot soldiers, and Bunker Hill nights p,rick
with the blood of Warren The hery eioque dive
Henry the great virginia. and his % breeze with
liberty give death" were s~ep on wy ,,ut.n 10
lightning velocity from city to town anu vaIor the
q gu.
rude peasant and the merchant prince anu .r 81
words OF John Adams the great Io "a met words
sarhusett- his towering rnihn ,he Furth July
6nne the fires ii American liberty thar .h -, ay By
would be celebrated with wa. carried the
i - ~ echoed from Kennebec 20 "a. t axe charge
The important for .eectinE 9p had arrived
81 9 had AZ this up IN a.. their great
lhere MI ~ leaders distinguished ioi ~, Il. ~ IIier
mon nun pr, fortunately the judgment o. ~ ns,,,s
snd citizen Esprs,e1n a sc ad clear I,
star Of er,, ~ timid and ceered the deppndent was VS.
is. and ike the I.raeie. q .ia IA. Il liberty %
pered 10 s for goal freedom and a. by inspiration
the lous Congress unanimous " lie ,eecte WASH
the H.. Immortal whose lame has aa-
much TO the of arms by the g"ries o. MS
deu ~ the wisdom Of his conncils wa- appointed Io-
;nIbef OF the Armies Of the CnitedC ones hap
b. .eiectisn, k,rtunse appointment And now might hse
- .sr the peasant soldier atrayed In his antique hab
ats with his rude implements Of rushing from All
narts Of the country the standard OF WASHINGTON WIN
he Are. n liberty burning brightly in his bosom ana me
.eal Of the patriot gisteng in his the panoramic view
n the Of armies they bvouac from hox