The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-19

cord az they helped 10 dissolve royal government
"a America, and returned 10 their homes. Eighty
nye years later the nrst Provincial Congress,
when mad been called TO meet At Concord u
Tor any reason the General Court al salem were
obstructed, assembled in tile old meeting nou-e
on the llth October, 1874, the hrst inde-
pendent legislature in Massachusetts, aud
America; and rom that nour 70 this the
ola mother town has never forgotten
the words nor iorsworn the faitn OF the
Revolution which mad oeon proclaimed here SIX
weeks before mo danger shall alright, no dill
ncultles intimdate us; and II, in support OF our
rights, we are called 10 encounter even death, we
are yet undaunted, sensible that he can never die
too soon VINO lays down his lie IN support OF the
laws and liberties or MS country"
But the true glory OF Concord, as or all New
England, was the town meeting, the nursery or
American independence. When the Revolution
began, or the 100000 OF people then living in Ola
England only 100, 900 were voters, while In New
England the great mass Of free male adults were
electors, and they had been so from the Ian ding
at Plymouth. Here IN the wilderness the settlers
were forced TO govern themselves. They could
not constantly refer and appeal TO another
authority twenty miles away through the woods.
Every day brought It's duty that must be done
before sunset. Roa must De made, schools
bunt. young men trained TO arms against tue
savages and the wildcat taxes must be laid aud
collected for all common purposes, preaching must
be main tained ana who could know the tune, the
means and the necessity so well as the community
ltsellp Thus each Town was little ana perIect
republic, as solitary ana secluded n the New
England siderness as the Swiss can tons among
the APPS. No other practicable human institution
has been devised or conceived 70 secure the
lust ends OF local government 50 ielictous as
the town meeting. /: brought together the rich
and the poor, the GOOD and the bad, and gave
character, eoquence and natural leadership
full and nee play. II enabled superior experience
ana sagacity 10 govern, and virtue and intelli-
gence alone are rulers by divine right. The tories
called the resolution for committees OF cor
respondence the source or the rebellion; butt
was only correspondence OF town meetings.
From that correspondence came the confederation
or the colonies. out Of that arose the closer ma
iestc union or the constitution, the greater
phoenix born from the ashes OF the lesser and the
national power and prosperity to-day rest Sc
cureiy only upon the foundation OF the primary
meeting That IS wnere the duty or the citizens
begins. Neglect OF that Is disoyalty TO liberty.
No contrivance VIII supply It's place, no excuse
absolve the neglect; and the American VINO Is
guilty OF that neglect is a. deadly an enemy o. his
country as the British solder a century ago.
But mere and now cannot speak Of tic New
England town meeting without recalling It's great
genius, the New Englander IN whom the Revou-
ton seemed to be most iuliy embodied, and the
lofty prayer Of whose lie was answered upon this
spot ana on this day. lie not eloquent Ike
OTIS, nor scholarly ike Quincy nor all-ia cinating
Ike Warren, vet bound heart 70 heart with these
great men, MS friends, the panest, simplest, aus
terest among them, he gathered al their separate
gins and adding 10 them his own. fused the whole
In the glow OF that untirng energy that unerrlng
perception, tnat sublime will, wnIch moved be-
lore the chosen people OF the colonies pillar OF
cloud by day. IRE by night. People OF Aassa-
cnuseirs, your proud and grateiul hearts
ouistnp my lips IN pronouncing the
name or Samuel Adams. Elsewhere to-day
nearer the spot where he STOOD win MS immortal
friend Hancock a hundred years ago this morn
ing a son or Massachusetts, who bears the name
or q friend o. Samusl Adams and whose own
career mas honoraoiy illustrated the fidelity OF
your state TO human liberty, will pay fitting
tribute to the true American tribune OF the peo
lle-the father OF the Revolution, as he was londly
called. But we also MS children and must not
omit our duty.
, Until I7es samuel Adams aid not despair OF .
peaceful issue a the quarrel with Great Britain.
kat wshs1ki in aay ear british fr,sara |
1.omney sailed into Boston Harbor, ana her snotted
guns were trained upon the town ne saw that the (
question was changed. From that moment ne
knew mat America must be Tree or slave, and the
witn tongue and pen, was 70 nerve his fellow i
colonsts 10 strike when the hour should come.
on tsat gray December evening, two years later, 4
wnen ne rose il tine Old south, aud In a clear,
ca n voice sal, 'Tnis meeting can DO nothing \
more 10 save the country and 20 gave the word
Tor tie marcn the tea ships, ne comprehenced
more clear.y, perhaps, tnan any man IN tne
colonies. tie immense and far-reaching conse.
quences or lis words. he was ready 10 tarow
Foa NJ he N 7
overheard the King auo Parliament o England.
DURING the ten years from tne passage Of the
stamp act 10 me ngnt at Lexington and Con.
cora, TINS poor man. obscure provincial
town beyond the sea, VAS engaged wlta
the British Ministry 10 OF me mlphue,t
contests that history records. Not a word
In farnamen tnat he did not hear, not an
acS 10 the cabinet that he did not SEE. with brain
aud heart anG conscience all anve he opposed
every hostile order In Council vita a BRUSH prece.
dent AMI arraye1 agalnst the government OF
Great Britain the battery or principles impreg
nsDle with the accumulated strength o centuries
81 British convection. Tie cold Greavine the
brilliant Tow send, the oosequoas NORTH, the
reckless Hi,oorougn, the crafty Dartmouth, ali .
fne ermtned ma coroneted cniefs Of the proudest
AZ stocracy II the 70 H. derided declaimed. de-
nouncea lail unjust taxes anu sent troops 70 cDl-
lect item &c rea loudly By a serylls Parliament,
Tn para lie ~ h.aQ-lr0l2 ktng-ani the pldln
Boston Puritan iaG Ills anger on me vital pont 81
the uemendO4s controversy 40 held 70 il
IncxoraDy King, Lords, commons, tne pc pls
. England aDa tne Deope ofAnericA. Intrencned
10 lis own honesty, he kings gold could not buy
MIN. EnsLuaeu Ia the iovc 81 hts fellow ciuzeus.
tn Kinq'. VIII coud not take MIN. And wlen on
this morning the xmas troops marched % seize
MN ID. sublime attn sav beyond tie clouds or
the moment ne lis. az sun 81 the America taat We
oen1ld. ana, careless Q himself. mind Vi ouly o.
bis country. be eAultIngiY exclaimed "Oh what
0 glorious morningr
Yet TINS ma0 he.d no once but that Of CLERK OF
the Assembly 10 nica he was yearly elected, and
tnat 81 constant MODERATOR 81 the town meeunI
nj was d. mighty weapon. TIE town meeting
was the alarm ben Wa wnca he aroused
the Continent Il vas the rapier via 6hicn
is lenced witn the Ministry. II was me
slaym0re WIN watch ne smoe taeir counsels. Il