Connecticut western news., 1875-05-07
THE MINUTEMEN.
Remarks of Ralph Waldo Emerson nt the Unveiling of Statues mt Concord, Mass.

Remarks of Ralph Waldo Emerson nt th, UnveiIing of Statues mt Concord, Mass. In unveiling the statue of the minute man at Concord, Mass, during the cen tennial services, MT. Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke as follows:
 Ebenezer Hubbard, farmer, who ill herited the land in the village on whicl the British troops committed depreda tions, and who hada deep interest in the history of the raid, erected many years ago a flagstaff on his land, and never neglected to hoist the stars and stripes on the 18th of April and the 4th of July It grieved him deeply that yonder monu ment, 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 Con cords fight, and he bequeathed in his will sum of money to the town of Con. cord on condition that monument should be erected on the identical ground occupied by our minutemen and militia on that day, and another sum of money on the conditions that the town should build O footbridge across the river where the old bridge stood in 1775.
 The town accepted the legacy, built the bridge, and employed Daniel French to prepare statue to be erected on the specified spot. Meanwhile Congress at Washington gave to the town several bronze cannons to furnish the artist with material to complete his work. His statue is before you. It was approved of by the town, and to-day it speaks for itself.
 The sculptor conveyed the proper em- blems of the patriot farmer, who at the morning alarm left his blow to grasp his gun. He has built no dome over his work, believing that blue sky makes the best background. The statue is the first serious work of our young townsman, who is now in Italy pursuing his profes sion.
 We had many enemies and many friends in England, but our one bene- factor was King George III. The time had arrived for the political severance of America, that it might play it's part in the history of the globe, and the way Di- vine Providence was to give an insane king to England. In the resistance of the colonies he alone was immovable on the question of force. England was so dear to us that the colonies could only be absolutely united by violence from England, and only one man could com pei the resort to violence.
 Sc the King became insane. Parlia- ment wavered, all the ministers waver- ed, Lord North wavered, but tho King had the insanity of one idea He was immovable; he insisted on the impossi- ble. So the army was sent, America was instantly united, and the nation born. On the 18th of April eight hundred sol diers, with hostile intent, were sent hither from Boston. Nature itself put on a new face that day.
 You see the rude fields of this morn ing, but on the same day of the year 1775 rare forwardness of the spring is recorded. It appears that the patriotism of the people was so hot that it melted the snow, and the rye waved on the 18th of April. We see gladly around us to- day representatives of Acton, Bedford, Lincoln, and Carlisle, once included in our town limits, and who were mindful of their mother, and risked their lives for her on the day we celebrate.
 Isaac Davis, of Acton, was the first martyr in all noble action. We say, "'Tis 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 tho facts. Only three of our men were killed at this bridge, and 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 news of this triumph of the farmers over the Kings troops sped through the country to New York, to Philadelphia, to Kentucky, to the Caro- linas, with speed unknown before and ripened the colonies to inevitable de- cision.
 This sharp beginning of real war was followed sixty days later by the battle of Bunker Hill, then by Gen. Washington's arrival in Cambridge and his redoubts on Dorchester Heights. In one year and twelve days from the death of Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer one hundred and twenty vessels loaded with Gen. Howe and his army, 5000 men, and all their effects sailed out of Boston harbor never to return. It is proud and ten der story. I challenge any lover of Mas sachusetts to read the sixtieth chapter of Bancroft's history without tears of joy.