Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-04-20

. VtilGs on DAOnuhN. lHe scene IIAS
/ changed but little in hundred years,
and the spirit which animated the Amer.
/ lean people then still survives 10 find
EXPIRE ssion on this spot, The hills and
| ii slds are still the same, a fey fences
more and few stones less being the
only changes wrought by time in the
arena OF the Concord fight. As | stood
on the historic ground this morning, the
early sunshine bathing the hills with
life and light, and recalled all that had
eyer been toldme Of that glorious day,
the whole scene seemed to reaWaken In
my imagination, and | could almost see
the astOnished gIenadiers turn and flee
by the road they had come, while
the farmers gave them ball for bali
From behind each fence and BARNARD wall
Chasing the redcOats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields 10 emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road
And only psusing to fire and load.
UNCHANGING CoNCoRD.
Few battle scenes have undergone so
few changes. In twelve years the
marks of the great struggle at Gettys-
burg have been more Obliterated than
the field Of Concord fight In q hundred.
But Concord is slow to change in any
respect. 1t clings as tenaciously to its
strikingly is this fact illustrated that it
is almost Puritan village to-day. True,
the Irish have come here as they come
everywhere where they are needed
Pat to do the farmwork, which John
Hancock, as boy, would hardly have
deigned to refuse, and Bridget to do the
cooking and baking, in which Dorothy
Quincy was an adept; and they have
built their snug little Catholic church,
surmOunted with the symbol so hurtfui
TO the Puritan conscience, right in the
heart OF the village. 80 also the poet
could sing with truth OF Emerson, who
is the great high priest OF Concord phi
lOsOphy to-day, as his grandfather was
the chief judge and arbiter OF Concord
theology hundred years ego, that
'Tis refreshing TO old.fashioned people like
me
To meet such primitive pagan as he
In whose mind all creation is duly respected,
AS parts of himself-just little projected.
But, in spite of its Catholic church,
and its Unitarian departure from old
fashioned Presbyterianism, and its Pa
gan philosophy, Concord is still, ss /
said before, almost Puritan town. AS
a great writer has said: Concord is un.
changing Concord"
THE TOWN LIBRARY OF CONCORD,
skBut il Concord is slower than most
places in some respects. it is also faster
than all other towns in others. 1t has,
for instance, the best town library in the
United States; the most unique, the
handsOmest and the airiest building; the
best selection of books, and the largest
number and best set of readers. The
building is the gift Of William Munroe,
who was Boston merchant resident in
the town. He planned and built it at
his own expense, and left sufficient
fund to prevent it from ever going to de.
cay, and then did not even ask or con-
sent that itshould be called by his name.
Mr.. MunrOe's bust has been placed in
the library apartment, just in front of
the alcOve devoted to Concord authors,
and this is the only evidence of his mu-
nificence to be seen anywhere about the
building. The Concord alcove contains
the writings Of Emerson, Hawthorne,
Thoreau, the Alcotts, father and daugh.
ter; Mrs. Jane Austin, and others of
scarcely less note than some of these.
Among the curiosities Of this alcove is q
volume Of sermons preached in Concord
more than two hundred and thirty years
ago. The inhabitants are as remarkable
as the town itself; but it would take 8
volume to tell even half of what know
about them.
CONCORD CELEBRATIONS IN THE PAST.
AS Concord fight began the American
revolution, so Concord town has been
celebrating it ever since. In 1925, fifty
years after the conflict at North Bridge,
the cornerstone Of q monument was
laid in the center of the village to COM
memorable the event. Edward Everett,
then in the freshness and splendor of his
powers as an orator, delivered the ora
tion-One of the greatest efforts of his
lie. In 1895 the modest monument on
the site of the British position was erect
ed, and it was for that occasion Ralph
Waldo Emerson wrote the splendid
hymn now 80 often quoted. In 1850
there was general celebration at Con-
cord of all the towns, Lexington par
ticipsting. On this occasion Robert
Rantoul, jr., Of Beverly, was the orator,
and Everett was present and made one
of the after-dinner speeches. Rufus
ChOate was also among the guests, and
responded to the toast of Lexington
Common and Concord North Bridge"
closing with his famous sentiment Of
"American Nationality On the plat
form were Jonathan Harrington, of
Amos Baker, of Lincoln, Of the
the events Of that grand nineteenth
Of April. Baker was in the fight at the
bridge, and Harrington the fifer Of the
Lexington company. Both now sleep
with their comrades who had gone be-
fore, and there are few even of the chill
dren Of these grand old patriots left to
participate in the centennial Of their
glory. When the next centennial snRi-
verssry Of the Concord fight" is
reached, none of those who now cele-
brate its first century of blessings will
be alive to commemorate the second;
but who can doubt that out Of these pa
triotic festivities, and those which are to
follow in the next eight years, liberty
will take a new birth, and our grand
children and gTeat-grandchildren re-
ceive through US the gift which came
from our grandfathers and grest-grand-
fathers? 1t Is q cOnsummation most
devOutly to be wished, and we can only
pray that the exclamation of Samuel
Adams, when he heard the guns at Lex
ington, "This is glorious mOrningW
may prove as truly prophetic IN the fu-
ture as they have proved in the past.
WHAT THE HISTORIANS SAY.
In view Of the controversy that has
arisen among the several towns in Mass
sChusetts more or less connected with
the honor of having "flred the first shot
that was fred around the world" ;" at the
beginning Of the American revolution,
it may be interesting to refer to contem.
poraneous history touching upon the
subject. For example, in Irving's Life
of Washington, volume l, pages 430 and
431, we find:
"On the night of the eighteenth of
April, 1775, Dr.. Warren sent off two
messengers, by different routes, to give
the alarm that the kings troops were
actually sallying forth. The messengers
got out of Boston just before the order OF
General Gage went into effect to prevent
any one from leaving the town. About
the same time q lantern was hung out OF
an open window of the North church In
the direction of CharlestOwn. This
was a precOncerted signal to the pa
triots of that place, who instantly dis
patched swift messengers to rouse the
country. In the meantime Colonel
Smith, the British commander, set out on
his nocturnal march from Lechmere
Point by an unfrequented path across
marshes, where at times the troops had
to wade through water. He had pro-
ceeded but few miles when alarm guns,
booming through the night air, and the
clang of village bells showed that the
news Of his approach was travelling be-
fore him and the people were rising.
He now cent back to General Gage for
reinforcement, while Major Pitcairn was
detached with six companies TO press
forward and secure the bridge at Con-