The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-05-29
Ralph Waldo Emerson's Address, at Con-
cord, Mass, April 10. 1875.

Ebenezer Hubbard, a farmer, who inherited
the land in the village on which the British troops
committed depreciation, and who had a deep IN
terest in the history Of the raid, erected many
years ago 4 flagstaff on his land. and neSer neg
lected to hoist the Stars and Stripes on the 10Th
Of April and the 4th Of July. Ii grieyed him
deeply that Wonder monument, erected by the
town IN 1886, should be built on the ground on
which the enemy stood instead Of on that which
the Americans occupied in Concord : fight, and
he bequeathed in his viii a sum OF money to the
town Of Concord on condition that a monument
should be erected on the identical ground occupied
by our minute men and militia on that day, and
another sum of money on the condition that the
town should build a foOtbridge across the river
where the old bridge stood IN l775-
The town accepted the legacy. built the bridge,
and employed Daniel French to prepare a statue
to be erected on the specific spot. Meanwhile
Congress at Washington gave 10 the town several
bronze cannon to furnish the artist with material
to complete his work. His statue il before you.
1t was approved by the town, and to-day it speaks
for itself.
The sculptor conveyed the proper emblems of
the patriot farmer, who at the morning alarm left
his plough to grasp his gun. he has built no
dome over hs work, believing that blue sky makes
the best background. The statue is the first
serious work Of cur young townsman, who is now
in Italy pursuing his profession.
We had many enemies and many friends in
England, but-our one benefactor was King George
III. The time had arrived for the political sew
erance of America, that it might play its part in
the history of the globe, and the way Of Divine
Providence was TO give an insane King 10 England.
In the resistance of the colonies be alone was i'm
movable on the question of force. England was
so dear to US that the colonies could only be abso-
lutely united by violence from England and only
one man could compel the resort to violence.
so THE KING BECAME INSANE,
Parliament wavered, all the ministers wavered,
/ ord North vvovaraI h,f tho Kim bad rho ,ns,,,
ity of one idea. He was immovable; he insisted
on the impossible. So the army was sent, Amer
lea was instantly united and the nation born. On
the 18th of April 500 soldiers, with hostile intent,
were sent hIther from Boston. Nature itself put
on u new face that day.
You see the rude fields of this morning, but on
the same day of the year l775 a rare forwardness
of the spring is recorded. 1t appears that the
patriotism Of the people was SO hot that 1t melted
the snow and the rye waved on the 10th of April.
We see gladly around us to-day representatives of
Acton, Bedford, Lincoln and Carlisle, once IN
cluded in our town limits, and who were mindful
Of their mother and rIsked their lives for her on
the memorable day we celebrate.
Isaac Davis, of Acton, was the first martyr in
our noble action. We say, " lis only the first
step that costs" He who will carry out The rule
of right must often take his life in his hand. We
have worked to magnify the facts. Only three Of
our men were killed at this bridge and a few
others wounded, but here the British army was
first fronted and driven back, and if only three
men or only one man had been slain it was the
first victory.
THE THUNDERBoLT FALLS
on an inch Of ground, but the light of it fills the
horizon. The British instantly retreated. We
had no electric telegraph, but the new of this
triumph of the farmers over the Kings troops
sped through the country to New York, to Phila-
delphia, to Kentucky, to the Carolinas with
speed unknown before and ripened the colonies to
inevitable decision.
This sharp beginning of real war was followed
sixty days later by the battle of Bunker Hill,
then by General Washington's arrival in Cam
bridge and his redoubts ON Dorchester Heights.
In one year and twelve days from the death of
Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer 40 vessels loaded
with General Howe and Ills army, 8 1000 men, and
all their effects sailed out of Boston Harbor never
to return. 1t is a proud and tender story. l
challenge any lover of Massachusetts, to read the
sixtieth chapter of Bancroft's history without
tears of joy.