Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-10-06

ID WEEKLY HER
Again, how shall one contrast something
with aothsng ? and in ITO Rutland was
still nothing at all in respect to the works
of man, while, as to the works of God, -
aside from the destruction of forests,-all
things remain as at the first. The noun
tain-forms, and their sky-lines, here as
round about Jerusalem, thank Heaven,
can never be much changed. j see
them to-day just as saw them when my
eyes first learned to delight in them as the
heaven-kissing wall of a valley embosom-
ing all the sweets of nature, while ex-
Guiding the cares and sorrows fthe world.
| see them as my father saw them in 1856
and as the first corners saw them sixteen
wears before. Well has some one asserted
that no man is ever homesick for his natal
soil, unless its scenery is such that he can
find his way home without guide board.
The reason is that only in such places are
the features of mother nature unmlstak-
able When a man, born on a prairie, or
in Chicago, returns to it after long absence,
the places that had known him know him
no more. Nor yet does he know the
places. He cannot recognize the face OF
his own mother.
1t is on this account that Highlanders
have contempt for lowland regions. Ac-
cordingly, when Dutchman was quoting
the grandiloquent hexameter of a Holland
poet. IeJ5aaem fecere Di, ova 6tora
BeIgae, the English Of which, is that,
''whle the Gods made all the rest Of the
world, the Dutch created Holland" he
provoked my Green Mountain pride, so
that l could not help retorting "The
Dutch made Holland, did they? l
should really think they did ! 1t looks as
if Dutchman had made it."
.'Holland that scarce deservesthe name Of Ii and
AS but the otfscouring of British sand,
This undigested vomt OF the sea,
Fell to the Dhtch by just prOpriety."
But the characteristic features of Rut-
lnnd even to the utmost bound of its ever
lasting hills, the Trinity of goodly noun
tains, Killington, Pico, and Shrewsbury
were rot made by handS,--or only by
HIS hands (which by his strength setteth
fast the mountains being girded with
power"
But while the earth abideth forever, one
generation passeth away and another gen
Grafton cometh.
Our fathers, where are they? Each in
his narrow cell forever laid. Meeting
lately, in Iowa, Rutlander who forty
years ago was living here with me, we
sat down and talked over the occupants of
every house at that time in this village.
Only two or three could we remember as
dwelling where they then dwelt, ia
cleaning of grapes where the vintage is
done" The pioneer Madame Williams,
mother of the Governor, the lady ancien
and honorable, of whom my earliest feel
ing was,-'nor Spring or Summer beauty
hath such grace, as have seen in her
autumnal face" had already passed away.
We recalled Temple, the excellency of
dignity, Williams the genial Judge whom l
have seen weep as he sentenced a culprt,
Walker the Minister who was to me more
awe-inspiring than the whole papal con-
clave in after years, Hodges our merchant
prince, Strong, rightly named for he was
strong indeed, Boyce, the most popu ar of
men, and Ormsbee the most acute, Al
worlds cabinet shop which had just sent
Congressman Meaoham to college, and
was about to send General benjamin Al
word to West Point.
The rude foretathers of the hamlet sleep.
| see here a centenarlan city but my
ewes seek in vain centennarian citizen.
[ saw one ten years ago in the Capital Of
Wisconsin,. | was there making a fourth
of July Grafton, and there sat before me
the only revolutionary peusloner suryIy-
ing in the State, "a hundred years old, -
his youth passed in New England, his
middle life in New York, his age on the
Mississippi. called him three-lold man,
who had fought his country's foes on the
land, and on the sea, and, if his Maker
had given him wings, he would have fought
them IN the air. Look !" | cried with
all your eyes on what. you never will see
hereafter !"
The people took the horses out Of the
old mans carriage, and drew him them
selves in triumph round the park.
Thus would ice delight to honor a Rut-
land eentenarian, diu Heaven vouchsale
US one at this centenary.
Senator Foote we first saw when, the
Castleton Seminary proving bankrupt, he
was admitted to the Rutland bar. Who
then could prophesy that he would live
to preside over the national senate As
little did Page, in the bank foresee that he
was training up a Governor. Green,
Porter, Fay, Lord, Burt, Cove, Hall,
with more others than l can mention,
crowded upon our memories and lounges.
''Aud every lovely feature OF their life
Did come appore led III more precious habit,
Than when they lived indeed
On this day of concentrating our
ancestors who stood here century ago,
it IS impossible not no contrast the lr0yLd
as they saw it with what our eyes to-day
behold.
ITO! In that year George the Third,
who, according to English wits, reigned as
long as he could and then mizzled and
misted, and who, even when crazy and
clapped into strait jacket, refused TO be
heve himself a limited monarch, chose
Lord North for his prime minister who,
for three penny tax on tea, bar,ered
away tue uElShlSsb Jc"tt Ol tue CtGNu anu
on the next morning after the time we are
hallowing as the birthday Of Rutland, the
British monarch, seeing cannon fired
twenty times in minute, pronounced i'll
an argument no Bostonian could resist.
Yes, hundred years ago all England
Rugged the deluslon that i've thousand OF
her soldier could suhjugate America. SheI
had just bulIed Spain into evacuatng the
Falkland Islands, but was not without
fears Of France. In Paris the Able
Raynal was just propouudlng bis theory
that Americas had . degenerated through
transplanting as if nature had punished
men for crossing the ocean," He fortified
his philosophy by the facts that Indians
have no boards and so passed for men half
finished as well as that & of those Ameri-
cans educated in Europe, not one had risen
to an great perfection in the slightest pur-
suit; aud of those who had staid in their
own country not one had distinguished
himself by superiority in those talents
oh