Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-11-07

of the hour, to a high degree, and expe-
rienced withOur grandmammas-and grand,
too. we're they = the sublimity of that
golden mean = in life, which, devoid OF
ostentation, is ever pre-emlnent IN modest
dignity. and unassuming worth.
From such stock You came, and as Vermont
grew and prospered. As her sons, year ny
year. scattered, until nearly every State ana
Territory felt the influence Of their labored
thought and enterprise. who slept more
sweetly than her daughters, who thought /
so little as her sons, Of that leaden cloud, /
which, at first a mere speck in the politl-
cal horizon, gradually spread and blaekea-
ed, until, in treacherous fury 1t burst over
Sumter who. | ask, could have Deeh
less prepared to meet such are
calamity, than the sons and daughters oil
old Vermont?
And there were others, born in other |
climes, acquired sons, who did their duty
well in the struggle that came. 1t came
-Four years
Four waves OF that wide sea which rings the world
Broken upon the shore, Eternity.
Upon whose crests, Ike waves tossed by tne t.'e'
We neaTcd, touched, and hoated SIDE 9y sue Car.
Fled Ike the phantoIas % morning dream
As early as January, 1861, Gov. FAR
banks. filed with anxious apprehension Vi
changes in the Cabinet by the WIN
drawal Of Anderson from Fort M0nl,
trie. and by the generally disturbed
and threatening attitude of the South, as
certained. through the commandants OF tne
then existing militia companies IN the
State how many men were IN each com
nanv and how many of these were willing
- volunteer their services, If the Jnlted
states Government should issue call.
This was the first move in Vermont. Now
gather myself in troops, was Yirtually
tben ordered Then followed the extra
session of the Legislature, the Governor
address. the, at that time, weIl-diSesteu
bills. the First Regiment, and, IN
time. its duty. well performed near
- Old Point Comfort" The details OF
this. and all subsequent organization, the
taxation of the State. 50 cheertully met, We
omit. for an ADLER pen has given to the
State. dates and figures, time and place,
which Will be more and more valuable IN
each succeeding generation; the pen OF
that hard-working and iamented man, Peter
T. Washburn.
Let Us rather devote a few moments in
calling TO mind far Of the incidents and
actions Of the war in which You were e.
peclally interested and engaged.
You remember Camp Griffin picket
the Gulf with it, work and destructive
disease. You remember Lees Mills, where
private Scott deo for his country and prayed
I Tor Lincoln you remember the mud and rain,
and sumner : advance at three taps OF the
drum at Nilliams5urgh You remember
crossing the ChlckahOmlny You remember
G0lding's Farm, Savage Station and those
tough fights at Gaines Hill, and in White
Oak swamp, where Brooks was wounded
that stern mans lip long afterwards
quiyered. unusual for him, when, with
moistened eye, he babe the old brigade good
bye You remember Malvern Hill, regret
ted. but no fault of yours, South Mountain
and Antetam, Harper's Ferry and Fred
ricksburg: You remember Bank :
Ford. where three brigades of Johnnies
were filed with deceitfnl hope. You
remember Gettysburg. where, with the
Ton-hearted Stannard at your head. yOu
dealt. on the flank, and in the front, - de-
struction'> devastating doom You have
seen the oak on Your native hillside. -
stood Vermont there, and when those 9th
ers. opposite, charged. CALAMITY, dashlng-
[ ly, in line. they layd in moment like ~
I tumnal leaves at the very foot of that oak;
and the saddest part of all was, You were
/ of one nation. one kindred. one tongue
/ You remember the Wilderness. where you
/ lost 50 terribly, yet fought 50 srandlY,
/ losing nearly one-half of those engaged. /
had namcsake there who - fighting fell.
/ None more noble. none more brave than he.
| You remember Cold Iarbor, that hole-y
7 place. and Petersburg. with its mine; the
Shenandoah. where that tired horse with
- iying feet. " bore to the field has master,
/ and the master of his men-and when he
spoke a word of cheer along the line how
I did the " Old Brigade. agaq tcgH. rs be
gins that ancient hymn, " Early, my God,
/ without delay. We haste to seek thy face.
T Cedar Creek was won. You remember with
/ reason, Chapin'- farm. the rest, the hoSpi-
/ tails. prisons, AppOmattOx. and home again.
/ The war WIS ended. and " Old Virginia,
/ and d" the low lands low" had heard from
I Vermont. No matter how few the hills Of
/ corn between the rocks in thoSe.years, no
matter whether the boys kept step or not,
/ they fought, and they fought for high
ami mighty purpose. They returned, alas
/ how iew,-some with one leg, some with
one arm. some with one eye, and have ever
/ since been " entitled 10 the respect of man
/ kind" Ble~t men especially. the rank
and file, who. for country, endured the
march. the heat. the cold. the knapsack,
/ and the conflict The spirit Of Great Ethan,
/ and the fiery zeal Of Stark fed their hearts,
| and ever led them on. Did not time forbid,
/ ! should like to speak Of each individual
I one. ! should like 10 speak of " Badly,
/ of - Club" and Of - Elijah'-but these
and all the rest, living, and dead, who left
home with that 81 patriot sigh. which made
them wish to live, and dare to die, viii
forever embclli~h the historic page.
have often thought that there was fully
As little of jealousy among the Vermont
officers and men as among any in the service
D Ir7n 2 hnv rf-n- hfrf | mo Df
them felt as did VIM. Pitt in his contest
with Fox, regarding England and French
arbitration. when he 50 beautifully con-
strued that passage in Horace, which refers
to Fortune. viz:
" Laud0 maHeHtuH.; 81 celereS glaiH
Pnncs, reSlgH0 qua aedt, ef Hica.
VIRTUE me iHr0iro, pr05amgue
PGuperlcm SINE d5fe giiFro.
The widows. the orphans. the fathers.
the mothers, of those men who fell will
also be cherished with an ever growing
love. This j. the first natural result Of the
war. Another result, i emancipation. As
Tom Marshall. of Kentucky, once said Of
the Ohio State grants, so it can be said Of
the South: All that fair land was doomed
to freedom" The greatness of that act no
race can fully comprehend. For genera
tons were needed to make " Aries sons
equal TO Us under the law, and who can es-
innate its effects on generations yet unborn.
This act will ever show to the world the
depth, and width, and might, Of Lincoln's
illuSirious patriotism. Let Us remember
his 4" mystic chords Of memory"
of finance, no one can with safety ven
ture to speak. With our tremendous dent,
and money mOnop0lIeS, It Is 4 fearful look,
but let Us hope that this last shudder of a
liz. IL ] III
Yet teach Us true values. No Olden castle
can, with It's drawbrilge and feudal rights.
always challenge nation. " Hard pan must
again be hard pan, and this last token
OF Selt-developIng greatness will forever
distinguish itself among the masses in its
simple, child-like efforts TO maintain a poll
tico-ecOnomic structure in any government.
May such a government he ours. On de-
signing men in Congress, too, We must
mount guard =" They labor, mostly. for
their eager selves, bat there Is something
wonderful in how much can be accomplish
ed when We wreStle with evil for great and
certain good
- 1t is Of infinite moment, - said Washing
ton, that you should properly estimate the
immense val ne Of your National Union to
your collective and individual happiness
that You should cherish a cordial. habitual,
and immoyabe attachment to it accus-
toming yourselves to think and speak Of it,
as the palladium of your political safety
and prosperity watching for its preserya-
ton with jealous anxiety. Remembering, |
now, that we have laid down our arms and |
again become citizens that the children of |
to-day can but trembe, when they see your |
gallant acts, and intrepid deeds, and many |
years Of sacrifice, in danger, from the in
huence Of National sins among the people"
Then let Us emulate high endeayor, ever
guarding our old and tattered flag with the |
Z" harmlessness Of the dove, and the |
wisdom OF the serpent So shall |
our institutions be preserved intact 50 |
shall no Grecian fate be ours; so shall no 1
northern wind, or southern cloud disturb, |
bat we shall have n country of which it !
can truly be said, She stands first under |
the whole Heavens
Comrades my task Is done Yer