Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-22
Putting the Centennial out of Counte-
nance.

1t viii be Just Il thousand years ago this
summer since a fierce Viking from Nor
,v.lv. .ailin~ to and fro according to his
habit in search of new worlds IN which to
steal and Kill. ran aground upon Il mass of
volcanic mountains rising out of the misty
confines of the Arctic Sea. and wrapped
in the unbroken SHOWS and scOriH of ages,
while sulphurous flames and boiling tOun
tains burst from the plains below. The
Viking called it Iceland, and Harold, the
fair-haired. became proprietor thereof;
and it certainly speaks very little for the
comfort or domestic advantages of that
picturesque state of society sung by sages
and bv sccls, in which fLir-haired Vikings
played such an active part, to know that a
brisk emigration at once set III from Nor
way to this desolate beach, which nature
had apparently thrown away for fire and
frost to destroy. The descendants of these
first settlers vet people the Islands, and
propose to celebrate in a few weeks the
thousandth anniversary of that ftr-Off day
which made them inheritorS of its sulphur,
seals. and lava The details of the cele
bration are not vet resolved upon, but we.
their American neighborS, are expected to
ion in some sort of way, and that with
the more he;trtiness because the return OF
the island to her ancient rights OF self
Government Is also to be made a subject
for rejoicing.
OF course, this celebration puts new
face on our Centennial. Indeed, a pro-
yokinoly new face When we turn with
these solitary people 10 search for their
ancestors back in the distant ages gone
down into the eternal darkness and silence
of Polar seas, George Washington, and
Bunker Hill, and the brick State-house, and
The brass bell in Philadelphia appear us
things of vesterday-vulgarly and often
siyely modern. We are disgusted with
our own youth: we discover that we are
but bows, ut the end of single school
term, and the less perhaps that is said of
our doings the better. TO be sure, we
have grown bigger and broader than our
crave and ancient neighbor, and can make
Il louder noise at our birth day; but is big
ness virtue i'll anything but cattle ut Il
prize show? and will our size and weight
really be written down to our credit by the
judge who takes account of the nations?
The Icclanler during this decade of cen
turies has built no cities, fought no civil
war, made no bruit of my sort in the
world. His history during these thousand
Years simply is that he has always been
poor, digging sulphur, or gathering moss
from the rocks, OF dragging seals from the
water rs his meager contributions to the
traffic of the world; that he has always
been contented, taking both his poverty
and his work easily that without free
schools he Is educated; that he has sung
one great undying song on behalf of his
native land; that, while compelled to live
IN dirty houses of lava and clay, his moral
nature and habits are exceptionally clean /;
that, having been granted nothing of the
beauty amt warmth of Gods world, he vet
gives to Him a singular adherence and
gratitude His record is, in brief. that of
man in his country. in himself, and in his
God. What like message shall we send
back of ourselves on our first birthday to
him.
II Is proposed to found, or rather in
crease, a national library and museum
st Reykjlvik, the Icelandic capital, as a
lasting commemoration of this anniver-
sary, and contributions of American books.
etc, are asked for it. The Pennsylvani,
historical Society in Philadelphia has Of
fered to receive any such books from au-
thors and publishers. and to forward them.
As this IS probably the only practical way
IN Which we can aid our ancient neighbors
IN their rejoicing, we hope it may be done
ma manner suited to their dignity of years
and ours OF size.-Nes0 York Tribune.