Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-07-13
Rev. II. W. Beecher's Grafton,
Deiigered at the " Presidential Celebration
at Woodstock, c., July 4, 1870.

at Woodstock, c., July 4, 1870.
Fellow citizens, | am sorry for you, but
there is one other party that suffers more,
and that is he who is about to speak to you.
We are all miserable together this afternoon.
lLaugh.er.l We are gathered together upon
our annual patriotic boasting day we tell
what great men our fathers were, and as like
begets like, we elegantly leave it to be in
ferred what sons our fathers had. We read
again the Declaration of Independence as we
keep the old Queen AIMS firearms over the
mantlepieces Of our chimneys to show what
sort Of guns our fathers shot, though it be
fifty years past So we exhibit again the old
copy Of the Declaration of Independence,
which was good at the beginning, and good at
the end and was good in the middle. But
that was gone by long ago. What do you
care, and what do care what our fathers
suffered before they licked Great Britain
They settled that long ago, and the only good
of such rehearsal on this occasion is to
hear it read by good voice. As historical
document it is interesting. ! expected to
hear and was not disappointed, some allusion
made to the great conflict which has recently
been concluded. After all, the fighting was
the least part Of that business. Although
Gen. Grant is here present aching to make a
speech to you on the matter-(great laughtcr)
Il have no doubt he thinks there was some
fighting. Yet, after all, measure it as much
as you please, make the diameter coequal
with that of the earths, and then double it,
and il was the least part of all that was done
in that great four years that elapsed; for,
while we were fighting, this country was en-
abled to unfold an example, and to make
demonstration Of government which it never
made before, and could not have made, except
under some such pressure as that. Any
yacht will stand the weather when it is
moored in New York harbor put it out to
sea, where the tornado catches it, and then
she is brought to her moorings, and she shows
you how She is made and what stuff she is
made of. So with great people spread on a
great continent, almost rather in abundance
Why shouldn't she be prosperous2 Men said
this is no test Of republican governments, and
no test that its people were the greatest in
the world, and its government the greatest
There are two governments in the world-the
imperial and the democratic-eyerything be-
tween them being bastard. 1t is an expert
ment. | would not say that republicanism
was not the best form Of government in the
world, but it is the one that suits the American
people and | will not determine whether it
would not be better form Of government
for monarchies than that they hold. When |
spoke in London, Exeter hall, in 1868, on
this subject, several Americans nudged me,
and said Explain how it is liberty-loving
democrats are hobnobbing with the Russian
officers in New York." and my reply was +;
" | have found more sympathy from mankind
for the enslayed and more liberty in the
heart Of the Russian government, than | did
in the heart Of the English government,
which had its face against us in the attempt
to emancipate the slaves" (Appause.)
But am not here this afternoon to make
out case for his majesty the emperor. !
am to speak this afternoon for your majestes
the democrats, and hold that the great con-
fict through which we have passed-thc great
ten years which is now rounding out and rip
ening itself-has done great deal more than
to show we could overcome the South. That
is the least. am glad it has done that
that we were able to do it. | knew we
! suOulu. i kutM IL luT Nuln ItdoOu-liul tnle
people are slow, cautious, mighty particular,
and hard to get a-going, but, like a huge heap
of green hickory, when they get a-going moth
ing can put them out, and so we gained mo-
mentum daily as we went on. The South are
more mercurial. They start quicker, and
stop quicker. They charge we did not beat
them out, but wore them out. | take it so,
for fighting means wearing out, and it does
not mean merely the bayonet or bullet, for
there are great many things beside to con-
stitute war. But the great point is this
They were whipped, and the government was
saved, and the great line of longitude that
God put round about the North and South to
hold them together was not snapped, and il
will be one country unless we betray those
principles on which unity depends OF the
few things which have been demonstrated by
this conflict one is that a democratic govern
ment can contain all those great functions
which have been supposed to be peculiarly the
property of strong governments If there be
one thing that strong government boasts of,
that is law, and the execution Of law, for it
must maintain order in the community.
point out the example Of the States Of the
North, to more than 20,000,000 Of people
convulsed with civil war, and who devoted
/, themselves to the struggle of five years dura
ton, and | point the world to the example o.
the nation residing in peace, maintaining the
structure Of society, carrying on the mechani
cal arts, carrying forward education, and en-
larging and developing benevolent operations
} There never was time when not only the
unanimity of the government was saved dur
ing such an intestine convulsion, but when 81
many farmers paid old mortgages, when 81
many debts were paid, when so many college
founded new professorships, and 80 man!
shops were established for internal industry
More than that, it has shown strength favora
bic TO armies 1t was said that republic
might have miltiamen, but il could not hay
a standing army or expect to excel as a mill
tary power. They are huge and strong bu
! their strength is so distributed that it canno
be concentrated. War means concentration
of power, and therefore this republic coul
not be warike nation. | refer you to an
nation on the face Of the globe, no matte
: how rich or extensive, who could in so shor
= time muster million soldiers as the Mort
. did and nearly the same number in the South
When the people thus determine their law
they get them; when they determine thei
policy they carry it out and when the pee
Iple say war, there is no other government o
= the earth like free popular government {
!. make an army if you have the officers prt
i pared. God forbid that old West Poir
+ should go down-that is your standing army
: Put West Point down and you either becom
r feeble or else you are obliged to enlist 2Q,OO
y men TO uphold the government, Educate of
GERS and you can dispense with the army, fc
n it takes but little time to discipline the me
Y and put them into perfect organization Edr
r cate the officers, or you must substitute 10
d them a standing army. They are cheap toe
IS There is no body of men less warlike tina
e military officers (laughter), therefore we al
,, not in danger from them. l set out to max
d that sober, but could not resist the Tempt
La Al \ 4 | haI