Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-04-27

men and the times We commemorate.
Now, II never before. We understand the
Revelation. Now we know the secret ol
those old hearts and homes. We can
measure the sacrifice, the courage, the
devotion. Tor we have seen them all
Green hills OF Concord broad fields OF
MiddieSeN, that heard tie voice OF Han
cock and Of Adams, you heard also the
call OF Lincoln and o. Andrew, aud
your Lldl and Whilney, your Prescott
and Ripley and Melvin, awe revealed TO
Us more Iu.y the Davis iud the BuilricE,
,he li0smer and the Parker, OF hundred
years ago.
Ba, lhc true glory Of Concord. As OF
a,l New E1gland. WAS the town meeting,
abe nursery OF America, independence.
When Tue Revolution began, OF The
>.ovJ,ou0 OF people then living in old
E1g.and only 10000 were voters. while
% New England the great mass
ai tree male adults were electors
Ald they had been 50 from the landing
81 Plymouth. Here ia the wilderness
,tc settlers were forced % govern them
selves They could not constantly refer
aud appeal 20 another authority twenty
miles aTay tAyOugh The woods. Every
day brought is duty Tia. must lie done
before sunset. Roads must be made,
schools built. young men trained 10 arms
asaius. the sayages and The wild cat.
taxes must be laid and collected Tor all
common Purposes, breathing must be
maintained, and Who could know The
time. the means and meet ssi;y 50 well As
tae community i;seli' Ihus each town
was lille and perfect Republic. As
solitary aud secluded IN The New Eng
land wilderness Us the Swiss can,ons
among the Alps. No her practicable
human institution has been devised OF
conceived TO secure the Isl end, OF 10
c.l government So ic.icitIu> a. Tue tOWn
meeting Il byough, 10 setber the rich
aid ihe poor. The good snd the bad. and
gave character. eloquence and natural
leadership luli and Tree play. IL ensbled
sup1I i0g experiences aad s&gso.tY 10 gov.
t.n. sud virtue aa4 Intelligence s!Cno
a.e rulers Us divine right. The Tories
Cd ed the resolution iol committees OF
correspondence the source OF The rebel
lion; but il was only correspondence
OF towu-meetings. From that corre-
spondence came the con liberation OF the
colonies. Gu, OF that arose the closer
majestic union OF the Constitution. the
greater phenix born from the ashes OF
lie lesser, and the national power and
prosperity today rest securely only upon
The foundation of the primary meeting
That i where the duty OF the citizens
begins. Neglect OF tina; is disloyal,y to
liberty. No continuance will supply its
place, no excuse absolyes the neglect;
and the American who IS guilty OF that
neglect is IS deadly ar enemy OF his
country as The British solder a century
ago.
Such was the opening battle Of the
Revolulion-a conflict which. so far as
We can see. saved civil liOe.ly in two
hemispheres saved England as well as
America, and whose magnificent results
shine through the wOrll as the beacon
light Ol free popular government. Aud
who Won this victory? The minute men
and militia. who in The history OF our
English race have been always tie van.
guard OF freedom. The minute men OF
he Revolution who WIS he? lie was
tie husband aud father y ho. ed 10 love
liberty. and 10 snow tnit lawful liberty
Is The sole guarantee OF peace and pro
gresS. left the p,Ow ia he lutrow and
the hammer on the bench, aud kissing
wife and children. marched 10 die or 10
be Tree. He was the sol and lover, The
plain shy youth OF sing ing school and
be village choir. whose heart beat TO
arms for his country, and who felt.
though he could not say. with the old
English Cavalier:
- could not love thee, te,re, so much
Loved mol honor more
The minute man OF the Revolution,
lie waslhe old, The middle aged, The
Young. He was Captain Miles OF Con.
cord. who said he went 10 battle rs he
went 10 church. lie wa; Captain Davis
OF Acton. who reproyed his men for
testing on The mIroh. lie was Deacon
Josiah Haynes OF Sudbu Y, eighty years
old, who marched with lis company to
the South Bridge al Con ,O,d, then Joined
10 the hot pursuit to Lexington, and fell
- glOriously Is Warren at Bunker Hill.
lie was James Hayward of Acton, TWEEN
" two years old, iofemc ST in that deadly
race from Concord 10 Charlestown. who
raised his piece at the same moment with
the British soldier, each exclaiming.
You are q dead man, - The Briton drop.
ped. shot through the heart. James Hay
ward fell MORALLY wounded Father"
he said, II started with forty balls; |
have three lell never did such a days
work before. Tell mott er not 10 mourn
too much; and tell heI whom | love
more than my mother that | am not sor-
~ turned out"
This was the minute. man OF the Revo
luton, the rural citizen trained in the
common school, the chu ch and the town
meeting, who carried bayonet that
thought, and whose gun, loaded with
principle, brought down not man but
system. Him We gratefully recall to-
day-him, in yon manly figure wrought
in the metal which but fsebly iypifies his
memorable will, we con NIT in his i'm.
mortal youth TO the reverence of our
children. And here among these
peaceful fields; here in the coTntry
whose children first g;ve their blood
for American union and independ-
encp- and eiOhty-six wears later rave IL .