Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-11-02
DEATH OF SENATOR'S CoLLAMER AND
FOOT

FOOT.
REMARKS or MR. HUBBARD or srocKnRnGE.
In House Of Representatives., oct 20, 1866 /
Mr.. SPEAKER AT this day, when so much
| has been said in commemoration Of these iustri-
! Gus dead, il may seem needless work for me to /
attempt to render them additional honor
But though their names and their fame is far be-
yond the reach Of my praise, the living may derive
benefit from their example When we enter yon-
| der gateway and walk up towards this house we
are always struck with its faultess proportions,
| the excelency Of its workmanship and the majesty
| of its whole II we ask whence it came, It is an
swered that a little more than a mile and scarcely
out Of sight lies a low, damp clay bed, from which
was formed by proper manipulation, the materials
! that compose a large part OF these walls that
few miles further andn little different direction,
! lie the lodges of granite which ieded the material
| which give such soidty and massiyeness TO the
structure In another direction are the lodges of
limestone, that, at the skill Of man, has supplied
/ the cement to bind the pieces together. The for
est and NINE the workshop and forge, have each
contributed their SHARE and the device OF man has
| wrought out from them all, what we so much adj
! mire, its beauty and convenience. So when we
! approach 10 reverence, as we doInow, the memo
res Of those we deli GIFTED to honor, weask whence
did they Gomez We easily expatiate upon them
as Judges, Senators, Statesmen, but they were
| boys before they were men, and underwent an
elementary training that sometimes overlook,
but which was as indispensable to all their fl-
ture greatness, as the manipulations Of the clay,
and the work, the iron and the wood, are to ma
terial structure.
Jacob Colamer was born at Troy, n Y, in
| 1901 But his father very after removed TO
burlington. Vt, and there, sharing the hardships
of a new country and life ofpoverty, he received
those lessons Of indomitable and persevering in
dustry, rigid economy and uprightness, that fitted
him to be successful worker. A college had
arisen near his ownsSsidence, and one great OBJ
ject of his ambition was to study in its halls, and,
/ if possible, to enjoy its honors. For this purpose
he resortcd to every honorable means in bis pow
er. lie wanted money, but he wanted it for what
/ it would procure. lie could work in the field.
could work in the school-room, on the deck of the
schooner, or offciate as salesman or book-keeper
for the merchant, but he could not be idle. Over
coming his natural repugnance TO associate with
those who were better clad and felt richer than
himself he despised the shame that attended his
lowliness as he became more deeply impressed
that all that was desirable for any man was WORTH.
lie had read Of the Romans of whom it was said,
"Passunt, quia fosse yidentur,n and why should
not he overcome every hndranee in his road to
preferment He had hands, and head and
a win and if other things were unfavorable,
these remained The pine trees of that vi
cinity could afford him abundant torch light
through the long winter evenings to pursue his
studies, and time was too precious to be thrown
away. With these habits thus early formed,
growing partly out of necessity, partly out of the
precept and example of parents, the foundation
was laid for all his future greatness. When at
length after imperfect though it seemed to
him a long tanning, rendered pleasant by his ca
ger desire to learn, he became amember of the
University, it is reported OF him that he could not
ordinarily indulge in the luxury of shoes, but kept
pair in or near the college building that he
might wear in the classroom and on special oc-
casions. He had oyster suppers and cigars to
pay for, no patronage for livery stables and con-
dictionary shops, but he enjoyed plain living, a
cheerful disposition, intense studiousness, and a
conscience void of offense.
MIR. Foot was born in Cornwall in 1902 and at
the age of seven years was left an orphan by the
death of his father From that time till eleven
years of age he was the special care of that poor
but pious mother whose unceasing anxiety for her
son and constant prayer was, that he might be
saved He said in his last days the influence Of
her precepts and her prayers never left him She
was constant presence, constant restaint, and
her prayers were at last answered in his CONVEX
ton. | am more particular in noticing these ele-
mentary things because they often overlooked
and lost IN our admiration of the matured charac
ter. We forget the work in the brick-y ard the
granite ledge, the forge and the carpenters shop
but without that these great moral structures
er would have arisen 1t is all the more important
because a deficiency in early training never
be supplied. Omtting these there will always be
defect, however dazzling the external appear
of the matured edifce. 1t greatly owing to
this that SO many wrecks appear along the plane
which public men have trod during the life of this
republic We have listened to the beautiful eu-
logies that have fallen from the lips of those who
knew and served and loved these men, but the
virtues they praised the integrity they admired
the piety they commend, all the fruits of the
blessing Of God on the painstaking, prayerful
efforts of mothers to impress deeply on the minds
of their sons that 1.-THE fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom 1t this which rem
dered them such safe counseloTs, examples of pu-
rity, ornaments of humanity and guides Of the
State Mr. Collamer in his younger days and
while scarcely on the threshold of public life open
ly professed faith in Christ. He followed his
deepest convictions in doing. 1t the full
strength of his manhood that was rightfully con-
secTated to Gods service He ever aiterward
seemed to feel and act if he felt that he was
not his own, but "bought with price, he was
bound to giorify God in his body and in his spir-
Mr.. Foot did not till the last DAYS of his life
openly profess Christ but then said he had long
felt it his duty TO do SC. The impression of his
mothers piety then fresh and glowing, and
he said he never could be sufficiently thankful for
such mother When, therefore, we contemplate
the departure of such men from earth, who tho
dead, yet speak, speaking to the poverty-stricken
and Respondent be strong, ~ =" trust in the Lord
and do good and verify thou shalt be fed !" speak
ing TO the rich, the pampered, the men who fancy
they have genins and are favorites of the people,
eyes of every beholder back their example
they say go, thou, and do likewise" we can but
think that they gloriously live. We are indeed
depressed as Israel was, by being brought near
the dread majesty of Him whose prerogative it is
, to take well as to give, but seem TO hear
! these cheering words from the dspensaton "For
I ye are not unto the mount that might be
! touched and that burned with fire, nor unto
blackness and darkness and a tempest, but ye are
come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels to the general
assembly of the church of the first born which are
written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all,
and to the spirits of just made perfect ~
What more could they attain, or we desire P
Their memories are embalmed in the hearts of the
people they loved and served and their lives be-
long to history and to fame
STATE OF VERMONT.