Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-01-23
PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL.
Large Gatses ing, lnfcrcstiDg
CeremOmies.


The native Pennsyivanians, Who by
reason of great good fortune or superior
judgment, have found homes 10 this thriv
ing State, and in the garden spot thereof
which 10 the county Of Scott, convened for
their Seventh Annual Festival at the Penn.
sylvanis House last evening to
have lev hours chat over the memories
Of the famous old State which accidentally
had been their birth-placs, and extend each
to the other, hearty congratulations upon
having made, in the selection ef . new
home, SO great An improvement upon the
original discovery Gf their fsrefa,hers.-
Such rejoicings are not At oil out Of plsce-
far from it. InasInuch Is one has no voice
in the selection Of the place Of his nativity,
il 10 eminently proper that after having
made 20 profitable selection Of home, he
should rejoice over il. We hold il to be .
subject Of rejoicing with exceeding great
joy-good suppsrs, fine music, and dance
oil night long thrown in, that man should
have left any State. or any country, and To-
Gated in Iowa. All the more enthusiastic
should these re)oicings bs, when Of all the
counties in this State, he has chosen that Of
Scott. No wonder. then. that Pennsylvs
mans in Iowa reioice-no wonder that they
jubilats most profoundly such Of them -
have cast their lot right here.
The gathering last evening Was large
about two hundred ard I'll y being present
-amcng whom were the aged. the mddle-
aged, the young-making up . most inter-
esting and highly agreeable party. In fact,
We noticed among those present the very
first Pennsylvania that made . home in
this county, J. A. Birchsrd, Esq, Of Plsas>
ant Valley, who, like his great forefathss-
William Penn. made his first home among
the Indian tribes.
At seven o'clock the exercises Of the eve.
ming commsnced-John N. Crawford. Esq,
President, taking the chair, and after in>
voking order, introduced the Glse Club
consisting Of Mrs. James Altman, Pianist,
Miss Mary Atkinson, soprano, Mrs. L.
Wheeler, alto. Ira II, Andrews, tenor, Vim.
Harmsr, basso. who sang in excellent style
that beautiful and highly appropriate song
-"All together Again.
Mr.. Crawford, in retiring from his official
position, addressed the society for = few
moments in his usual interesting style al
lud,ng to the re-assembling Of the sona and
daughters Of the old Keystone State.-the
happy significance that surround these an
nual gatherings-that of coming together,
as by an invisible cord, to look back upon
the scenes Of former days in the land Of
their birth - the hills and dales,
the rushing river, tho old homesteads
nesting among the lofty noun
tains and stretching far along the fertile
valleys, the old meeting house. the school
house, the mill and the thousand other as
sociations tha. make up the sum Of early
recollections.
He very ably contrasted the leading ele
ments that migrated to this from the old
countries-the Spaniard, with his inordin-
ate thirst for gold, leaving = path of ruin
and desolation; the Puritan. with his stern
resolve and holy motives, determined upon
religious liberty, yet fiercsly intolcrant to
all not believing as no did; whose deeds
which, though failing in all respects to meet
the sanction Of the present day, have had
90 much to do with the development Of our
country; and then the followers of Penn,
who came to establish religious freedom
toleration for all-proscription for none.-|
The fruits Of these colonsts are yet visible
The former like tho Dead Sea apples, turns
ing to ashes upon the lifs-the two latter,
fraught with the most important results for
good. The peaceful, christian influences Of
Penn were al powerful in founding that
happiness and prosperity which so eminent.
ly characterized the great Keystone State
Mr.. Crawford, after thanking the society
for honors bestowed, stated that he had
received . letter from DR. james Irwin,
President elect, informing him Of his ina
bi.ity to be present on tho occasion, which
was read, after which he introduced James
d. Campbell, Esq, orator Of the evening.
We regret being unable to make room for
this the leading feature Of tho evening. In
Justice to tho gentleman We will say that
his efforts on this occasion Was Of the most
interesting cha ractcr-well conceived in ev>
cry particular, and presented in such man.
ner - to form . rich, glowing picture from
b ginning to the end. 0lancing moments
rily::at the seventeenth century he gave .
vivid sketch of the inhumsn religious intol-
erance Of that day, which ultimately result
cd in William Penn's clearing and o5tain>
ing the grant in America which had been
promised BY tho Crown to Sir Penn, his
father-the ssndin: out Of colony and
planting the seeds Of great nation in the
wilderness.
He alluded to the leading elements in the
early history Of that settlement as being
made up maiuly Of the English. the indus
trious, frugal Gssman, whose language and
primitive habits have, lin many instances
been preserved in that State until the pres.
ent day, and the generous, hospitabIe people
known % the Scotch-Insh.
Ho alluded 20: tho noble part taken BY
Pennsylvania in the war Of the Revelation,
and, Also, Of the late bloody civil war. OF
the last struggle ef the rebellion At Gettys-
burg, che speaker drew most vivid and
thrilling picture. As in war. 30 in peace.
Pennsylvanis contributes cher share - The
restless energy Of her tradcsmsn-ti,s vast
meas and wealth Of her natural stores-the
wisdom other statesmen and the patri otsm
Of her peop!s, make the proud offering she
brings to the glory and wealth Of the nation.
Another song from the Glee Club, sni
then came the magnificent supper prepared
by Msscrs. Davis Sons for the occasion,
which was discussed in most thorough
manner BY the three several parties into
which the asssmblags was divided. Imme-
diately upon this forward movement to the
dining hall, Mcssrs. Strasser and White,
with their select band, commenced playing,
and from that time until late hour 10 tbs
night. fsasting and dancing was the main