Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-08
An Abstract of the Grafton Dciiv-
cred ut Chester, W.. July 3.
1869.
BY COL. CHAs. II. JOYCE.

port of the general proceedings of the
celebration of the national anniversary at
Chester on Saturday, furnished by local
reporter. At the request of the citizens
. of Chester We lay before our readers a
full abstract of the Grafton of Col. Charles
III. Joyce.
The orator commenced by appropriate
illusions to the object of the ceremonies
of the day, tracing the history of the in
dependence of the States, from the land
ing of the Pilgrims to the final DECLARE
ton of independence at Philadelphia,
Julv 4. 1776, announcing that the assem-
blage WAS gathered in obedience not only
to the voice Of d long established custom
Of our fathers, but also in obedience TO
the imperative mandate Of a great and
generous popular sentiment.
A review was given of the influences
and sources of the revolution and of the
late war. presenting in forcible argument
the underlying ground work OF al liberty,
and sketched the history of the rise, tri-
umph and downfall OF all republics ex-
cept those which have had for their foun-
dation the principles which distinctively
mark our own governmental policy.
He then proceeded to speak substan-
TALLY as follows
Our fathers fought through the war of
the Revolution, not upon any idle theory,
but upon high principles of right and JUS
tice, and the Congress which adopted the
declaration of independence closed its
session with this solemn injunction adj
dressed to the people of the United States:
Let it be forever remembered that 1t
has been the pride and boast of America
that the rights for which she contended,
were the rights of human nature"
Such were the principles proclaimed by
the fathers at the birth of our Republic,
and such is now the system OF beneficient
political philosophy, ON which rests the
great charter of our liberties II we study
the causes of the war of 1912, we shall
find that it was for the maintenance Of
that same noble principle that we again
dared the mistress of the seas, and caused
her to respect the rights of American sea-
men and honor our flag.
From that time down to the breaking
out of the rebellion, the course Of our
country had been onward and upward.
From a boat load of poor adveuturers, the
United States had risen to the first rank
among the nations of the earth, with a
country extending from ocean to ocean,
and embracing within its limits every
variety of soil and climate to be found on
the face OF the globe, the railroad and
steamboat giving us easy and ready ac-
cess to every part and portion OF our ext
tended territory, while the wires of the
telegraph, like the arteries of the body,
send the boiling life blood of the nation
to the fartherest extremoties of the body
polite. The nations OF Europe respected
and feared us, and the flag OF our I mon
was safeguard and protection to our
citizens by sea and by land, from the cap
ital at Washington, To the remotest corner
of the globe.
To the casual observer il might have
seemed that we were last outStuplug all
the other nations of the earth. in all the
sources of wealth power aud prosperity,
and "a !, nation, We were ABOUT u Iaunch
forth into that higher and hoiier clvllIZa-
ton, which when fully attained, would
constitute the very millenium uf our race
Our enemies had reluctantly acknowl-
edged our system ii success, white the
thrones of rnonarchial Europe, We're be-
ginning to tumble before the advance OF
that mighty principle of liberty, which Is
destined to revolutinnize the world,
As the men OF Israel, when pressed by
their enemies, wero wont t. turn their
faces to Jerusalem. aud pray toward the
Holy City, so the oppressed ani DOWN
trodden in all lands, turned t,cir longing
eyes towards Us, from whence they ex-
pected suceor and reAef
They were accustomed to look 10 the
United States ;is tho Palestine from which
Guild come forth evolution aud an in
huence effectuil to their pplIticd saliva
tion.
Here it seemed WIS tho last grand ex-
pertinent of sclt-government rs the peo-
pie the last resting place aud strong hold
Of human liberty, and whenever III any
country on the globe, champion OF free
dom, by the changing storms Of fortune,
was driven into exile, he FASTENED to seek
an asylum here, and whenever hero fell
in the cause of human liberty, his eyes
iuvoluntarily turned towards Us, and he
committed the sacred cause with con-
fiding trust to our sympathy and care
Such was the seeming healthy condition
of the body polite, when the thunders OF
the rebel guns at .SRHtptcr, startled the
people from their lcthargy, and gave them
IA true sense of their situation.
The causes which led to- the rebellion,
and the issues and principles at stake in
that contest, are too well known, and are
too fresh in the minds of all TO need any
extended statement from me on this oc-
casion.
Notwithstanding the seeming happy
,.f I l.4, try
the great moral lcprosy Of human slavery
had been preying upon the very vitals OF
the republic, and sapping its life blood,
ever since the organic alton Of tho govern
ment
Slavery, which in the beginning was
only winked at, by the people, had under
the fostering care of a Southern arsto-
cracy, grown to be mighty power in the
land, and had gained almost supreme con-
troll of the general government That
old feeling of brotherly love and fratern
al sympathy, which "A common cause and
common danger, had eugendered dur
ing the Revolution, had entirely disap-
peared, and envy, hatred and malice had
usurped its place the pernicious and de-
lusive doctrine of state rights, had taken
complete possession of the Southern mind.
and served a ready purpose at this juno
ture, in the hands of her leading men, to
take them out of the union
Such was the condition and situation of
affairs, when In April 1861, the President
called upon the several States to furnish
$4,000 men, to suppress the rebellion. and
uphold the authority of the general gov
ernment. The war found US unprepared.
We were happy and prosperous people,
engaged in the arts and sciences of peace.
We had none of the necessary munitions
OF successful warefare. No ships, no guns,
no srsenals, and no forts
"And yet, when on that memorable
morning, the 18th of April, 1861, the war
gun Of slavery sounded through the land,
breaking the stiffness of the century, and
our starry banner went down from Sump-