The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-10-25
Historical Society.

The annual meeting of the Vermont
! Historical Society was held on Tues
day afternoon 18th. The report of the
Librarian showed donations from fl
individuals, many of the gifts being
rare and valuable. The Treasurer re-
ported S61S A in his hands. The
officers elected for the ensuing year
were as follows:
President --Pliny II. White, of Gov
entry.
Vice Presidents. - Rev. VIM H.
Lord, of Montpelier; Geo. w. Bene-
dict, John W. Phelps.
Recording Secretary. C. +. Hough-
/ ton.
Corresponding Secretaries. Albert
d. Hager; Henry Clark.
Librarian and Cabinet Keeper r.
Chas. Reed.
Treasurer.--H. d. hopkins.
Curators. Inland Hall; VIM. II.
Parker; John b. Page; Mathew II.
Buckham; Luther L. butcher; p. ID.
Bradford; Geo. w Grandey.
Rev. w G. Smith, DR. Ezra Paine,
and Chas. W. Thompson, of Mont
pelier, and DIR. Gates b. Billiard, of
/ st Johnsbury, were admitted as mem
bers. A resolution, offered by Hor.
Chas. Reed, was adopted, inviting the
heirs of the late Col. Henry Stevens,
for many years the President of the
Society, to donate such documents as
pertain to the history of the State. --
Hon. +. j. Phelps, of Burlington, was
selected to deliver the next annual
address.
In the evening the annual address
was delivered in Representatives Hall,
/ by Hon c. w. Willard, of Montpel-
Ter. 1t was upon the whole an able
effort as far as language and compost
/ ton was concerned, and we think one
of his ablest. The subject, Vermont.
Its present and future, could not fail
to be interesting to his audience. The
speaker descanted upon the present
dead conservatism of the State, in re-
spect to population, and active bust
ness. He said, perhaps, truly that
vermont was like grand old tree of
the forest, that had reached its prime.
/ But shall it remain so while other
parts of the nation are advancing so
fast? Is there nothing before us but
decline and fall He thought there
was no need of that. There was yet
unexplored wealth within our bor-
ders "He who attempts nothing, adj
vances nothing. We must be some
thing more than an agricultural State.
They who till the soil have many vir-
tues, but agriculture soon reaches its
growth. We must be something more
than an agricultural people. Our
young men will not stay i'll Vermont
unless they find as remunerative en-
ployment here as in other States. =
Hence it is that the most enterprising
OF hem emigrate.
Enduring growth comes only from
progressive industry" The speaker
admitted that there were some things
against us, and alluded most truthful
/ ly to the large amount of surplus
capital now locked up in Government
/ bonds, and thought that fact was a
greater evil than their on-taxation.
He advocated more equal attach
ment law, making investments and
enterprise more safe. He thought
our system of Education should be
such as to lead to greater industry
There were too many dead heads
among us in many of the professions,
aud also out of them.
But we should, above all, have great
1 faith in the future. Faith is rs good
in temporal as spiritull things" This
age should be made more practical. -
knowledge for itself simply is moth
ing. We should not have less learn
ing, but more active knowledge.
Rev Piiny H. White then real a
paper upon the Life and Services OF
Vim. G. Bradley" which was short
memoir eloquently written and neatly
delivered. argus.