The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-06-07
Our patriot.Dcnd.

Cornwall, on the occasion of the ceremo.
MES of Decoration Day, May 80, 1870.
The honors which we should bestow
upon the memories of our Patriot-Dead
should be measured not only by the cx-
tent of the sacrifices which they made for
their country, but, also, for the glorious
results of those sacrifices to us, and to
humanity. They gave their lives, their
all, and no storiod hero ever gave more.
The value Of those services to us,is the
value of our homes, our country, our all
of earth worth living for. What means
that blessed term Ne,c ENGLAND Home
Does it mean less than that political par
adise of which the oppressed of all ages
have fondly dreamed but never before
realized. That spot where men Of all
classes are free to rise in the scale of be.
ing, limited only by the extent of those
powers which God has given them. OF
what other country than our own can We
say as much, and is not New England
the center from which these blessing.
have radiated.
We honor the memory of Luther
who with kindred spirits have emancipa
ted so large portion of mankind from
the bondage Of a false religion and giver
them religious liberty. We bless the
memory OF our Puritan Fathers, who
completed this emancipation for them
selves and their posterity, by seeking
homes in the wilds of America. W.
revere the name of a Washington, VIII,
led our fathers to that political freedom
which we now enjoy.
But have not these, our honored dead
secured to us the sum ofall these blessings
and sealed with their blood the doom o
that power which would, otherwise, hav,
crushed us beneath their feet = Had tn,
slave power succeeded, what would hav,
} been the result ? Those northern horde
who blotted out the civilization of tn
Roman Empire, were scarcely more bar
barous than the onemies against whicI
: our brethren had to contend. No Roma
! soldier was ever treated by them wit
more horrid, deliberate brutality, ncve
) suffered death by such long continues
fortunes and hellish means as did on
heroes within the walls of rebel prison.
, or many private citizens even,who chance
to fall into their hands.
Had that system which had fitted
| people for the preparation Of such horri
1 deeds, which had dragged them down t
such depths Of ignorance and barbarity a
. the masses Of the south displayed been eS
tended over us, aud we been ruled by il
g devotecs, what | repeat would have bee
the result? What would it have bee
5 even could we have escaped that swi
: destruction by fire famine and tn
! assassns knife which would inevitabl
e have followed our subjugaton to such
people ? Fired as they were, with all I'll
1 malignity of hell by their bitter hatre
It for New England and her Institutions
Do we not owe these, our defender
S from such a fate, debt of gratituC
- which we can never repay? Shall "
n cherish their memories less tender
1t than man has been wont to cherish Il
memories of less worthy heroes in ag
4 Pa ao.l Nv TLonu ~ ,noa Iar o H.,
s .hao ,"V ,ho"o ,onn nos iho ' obnSon tbon
: Of orators and poets, and have nerv,
n the arm of the patriot, yet no hero tn
te.. ou 'lose " 1;' g Soo1, &c n v +,
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