The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-21
THE CENTENNIAL,
At Concord
he speech of the day WIS made By George
William Curtis. At2 Pm. there was

At Concord
the speech of the day was made By George
William Curtis. At2 Pm. there was
A BANQUET.
al which Judge Il. r. Hoar presided. On
| his right were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rev.
driDda;l Reynolds, chaplain OF the day, and
General Hawley, Of Connecticut. On bis
| LETT were George William Curtis, ex.Speaker
Blaine, and Senator Boutwell,. The Gov
ernors Of the New England States occupied
tables near by with their Stats. a
After dinner was disposed Of Judge Hoar
made an address and gave as The tirstTregular
toast "The 10Th Of April, 1916" In the
absence of the President Speaker Blaine re.
sponded in a patriotic speech. "Paul Re.
vcrc's Ride" was toasted. and grandson
OF Mr.. Revere was called out. MIR. Wood
responded for Acton.
Senator Boutwell, was then called out, and
was followed by Governor IngersolI, OF Con.
nectcut Peck, of Verm mt; and Dingley, of
Maine. General William Curtis responded
for Rhode Island. General Hawley. of Con-
necticut, also spoke. Judge Hoar made on
address on some relics and exhibited them,
and to close read a letter from Frederick
Douglass, which breathed the true spirit of
the occasion. This brought the exercises to
\ close. During the delivery of the speeches
the day gradually grew colder, and the peo-
pie slowly deserted the pavilion until by the
end OF the after-dinner ceremonies there were
not one hundred people present. During
the afternoon all the visiting military COM
panies departed. In the evening grand
ball was given in Agricultural Hall. which
was beautifully decorated for the occasion.
The President and some Of bis party made
their appearance about 1890 O'Clock, and
were the centre OF attraction. The scene was
very brilliant one. A supper was served
at midnight, and the great day, with its
crowds and wealth of ceremony, was over In
Concord.
At Lexington .-.a.
there were speeches, q procession, &c. A
letter FROM Mr.. Gladstone, of England, was
read, as follows: ..
LONDON, April 5, 1875.
GentIemen,-I have the honor to receive
the letter in which you convey to me very
| warm and courteous. invitation to attend the
banquet which it is proposed to hold at Lex.
ington in c0mmemoratiou Of the attainment
Of the independence of the United States of
America. The circumstances of the war
which yielded that result, the. principles it
Illustrates, and the remarkable powers and
whether as soldiers or ci, ilians, in the strug-
gle, have always invested it with peculiar
interest in my eyes quite independently Of
The Intimate concern of the country in tie
events themselves.
On account Of the features that war and
its accomplishments seem to me to constitute
one Of the most instructive chapters Of mo-
dern history, Il have repeatedly recommended
them 10 young men as SUI! jscts of especial
study. With these views ! do not say how
far am from regarding the approaching
celebration with indifference. 1t is entirely
beyond my power to cross the sea, even with
the present admirable communications, for
the purpose of attendance. The present time
happens to be for me, even independently of
my attendance in Parliament, one OF very
urgent occupations, which am not at liberty
to put aside. But i earnestly hope, and l
cannot doubt that the celebration will be
worthy of the occasion. In retrospective
view Of the eventual period my countrymcn
can now contemplate its incidents with i'm
partially. / do not think they should Sc
verely blame their ancestors, whose strug-
gles to maintain the unity of the British Em-
pire is one that must, think, after the late |
great war OF the North and South, be viewed |
in America with some sympathy aud indul-
gcnce. We can hardly be expected to rate |
very highly the motives of those other Pow
ers who threw their weight into the other
scale, and who SO .sensibly contributed to- |
wards determining the issue of the war.
Yet, for one, can most truly say that what
ever the motives, and however painful the |
process, they, while seeking to do an injury,
conferred upon us great benefit by releas-
ing us from efforts the continuation of |
which would have been of unmiXed evil.
AS regards the fathers of the American Con-
stitution themselves, believe we can and do |
now contemplate their great qualities and |
achievements with an admiration as pure as
that OF American citizens themselves, and |
can rejoice no less heartily that in the coun-
sells of Providence they were made the in |
strunents OF purpose most beneficial to the |
world. The circumstances under which the |
United States began their national existence, |
and their unexampled rapidity of advance |
in wealth and population, enterprise and |
power, have imposed on their people an |
enormous responsibility. They will be tried, |
as we shall, at the bar Of history, but on a |
greater scale. They will be compared With
the men not only of other countries but of
other times. |
They cannot escape from the liabilities and |
burdens which their greatness imposes on |
them. No one desires more lervently than !
do that they may be enabled to realize the
highest hopes and anticipa!ions that belong |
to their great position in the falsty of man.
| have the honor to be, gentlemen, your
obedent and faithful servant,
w. E. GLADSTONE.
"The North and South" In response to
complimentary call of the president,
GENERAL WILLIAM F. BARTLETT,
of Massachusetts, made a remarkable and
beautiful speech. Referring to southern |
soldiers, he said in conclusion GAS an |
American | am as PROUD of the men who |
charged so bravey with Pickett's division !
on our lines at Gettysburg as l am |
of the men who bravely met and repulsed
them there. Men cannot always choose the
right cause, but when, having chosen that
which their conscience dictated, they are |
ready to die for it. If they justify not their |
cause they at least ennoble themselves, and !
the men who for conscience sake fought I
against their Government at Gettysburg |
ought easily to be forgiven by the sons OF
men who for conscience sake fought against
their Government at Lexington and Bunker
Hill. Oh, sir, as Massachusetts was first In
war so let her be first in peace, and she Shall
forever be first in the hearts of her country
men,
The VoTE OF PREsBYTERIEs ON THE I'll.
II ri n