New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-20
STORY OF THE MINUTE-MEN.

BRITISH FORCE To BOSTON.
We are fortunate that VIC behold tbis day.
The heavens bend benignly over the earth blossoms
with renewed hf and hearts beat Joyfui'y tose"S'
with one emotion Of hlal gratitude sDd pstnouo
exultation. Citizens OF great, free apd pres
p.rous country, we come hher 20 bouor be
men, our fathers who this spot ana upon
this day. hundred years ago. struck the first blow 10 No
contest which made that country indepeudcot Hero be-
meath the hills they trod 10y the peaceful fiNti Ga whose
shores they dwelt aIn. the fields that they so~cd and
reaped proudly recalling their Nne aud Their vsor No
come 10 tell their story 10 thy ourselves ~ p''f by
standard and know II then worthy amdteh; abd
standing reverently where they stood ahd o'Sh' 10"
died to swear before and each other 10 the verdi d
him upon whom in day The spirit o the ReVoIn1ooay
fathers vsibly descced that government If the People,
by the People for tho People, shall not perish nom he
earth.
This ancient town. with ifs ncigf bore who share ne
glory has failed ty TO commernoratf rhs gr"st
day Of its history. Fifty years while snne SOLDIERS
OF the Concord fight were yet living -fwonty-ve Ie's
ago while still venerable survivors lnreied-Tith
prayer and eOquence and song yon Teh"wed 'he po"s
VOW But the living link with the r',oin'ion bss
long broken. Great events and mighIsi struggle
have absorbed our own generation. Yet who rtand
here to-day have sympathy with fhs men ai IN" Oh
North Bridge which those who preceded NJ here at earlier
celebrations could not know. with them war war
name ard tradition. 81 swift and vas bad been toe
change and the development OF the county that the
revolutionary clash OF was already vague and hi-
real aud Concord Lexington seemed to them amort
"a remote and historic Arbela and SeIoPdch
When they assembled TO celebrate tbi. day they
saw little group II tottertng forms, eyes
from which the light fading. arms nerve
less ai.d whercd thin white hairs that battered In tho
wind-they n few venerable relics Of vanished age,
whose pride was that before living memory they had
been muutc-Ineu American Independence. But with
us how changed War IL no longer tradition half 10
mantle and obscure II has ravaged how many of our
homes IL has wrunY how many II the hearts before
me North and South We know the paDg. Our common
liberty Ia consecrated by common sorrOw We do not
count around feeble veterans OF TIC contest hut
we are girt with cloud OF wimesses We are surrounded
everywhere by multitudes in tho igor OF their prime
behold them here to-day sharing In these p'ons aud
peaceful rites, the honor'd clens, Legislators Mays
tratcs-yes, the Chief Magistrate Of the Rlublr-~bofs
glory il Is that they minntemeu OF American liberty
and union. 1lesc OF to-day interpret 10 ar With re-
sistess eloauenc, tie men and the times ,ommemo
rate. Now, IL before, we understand The Reyolu
Now know the secret OF those ola hearts ana
homes. We measure the sacrifce tho eourase The
DEVOTION for them all. Green hills Of Con-
cord broad hel Nddesex. that heard the voice OF
Hancock and of Adams, you heard also tie coll Of Lin
coin and Of Andrew, aud your Ladd and whitney your
Prescott and Ripley and Melvin. have revealed TO NJ
more truly the Davis ana The Butr.ch the H"sDrT AID
the Parker of hundred years ago.
A TYPICAL NEw-KNGLAND TOWN.
England. 1t shows the people and IN. indtlflons
that have nlaie the American Republic Concord va,
the settlement in Nrw-Englani above tni'-watcr
1t was planted directly from the mother country, aud
was what called mother town the parebt of other
settlements throughout the wilderness. H. military
post King Philips war; and 200 years a@cl,st ecu
fury before the Innnie-men whom communicable
militia OF MiddeseX organized ~ minute rn'n
against the Indians. It is Concord tradition that n
those days. when the farmer TILED these fields Sc
the risk OF his life, Mary shepard girl " II, watch
ing on one of the hills the savaces, while hsI brothers
thrashed IN the barn. Suddenly the iDdians appeared
slew the brothers, and carried her away. In the night
while the sayagcs slept she united horse which they
had stolen slipped saddle from uu!cr tho head OF ono
of her captors mounted, fed, the Nashua River
and rode through the forest home Mary Shepard
ancestor o. the Concord motro VINO share the
fame OF this dayOt Mrs. James Barrett, o. the Widow
Brown OF Mrs. Amos Wood, and Hannah Barns with The
other faithful women whose scfcommlnd and ready wit
and energy this great morning show that the mothers
of New England like the fathers and that equally
IN both their children may thsI best VII
tues
little later than Philips $50 years last plight.
while some Of the first settlers Of Massachusetts Bay si
fingered, when the came that King James IL
had dethroned, company marched mon" this Town
and Joined general uprising OF the colony which he
next day-this very day-with old Simon Brsstrcet AZ
its head deposed Sir Edmund Andres the King'e Gov
ernOr restored the ancient charter of the colony We
demand only the traditional rights OF EngshmeD, saul
the Englsh MOBILES they seated William AMI Mary upon
the throne. We ask nothing more, said the ff"enen
Concord as they helped dissolve royal government in
America and returned TO their homes hch'y-hve
years later Provincial Congress, which had bou
called to meet ut Concord il for any reason the G"ncr
Court at Salem were obstruted. assembled IN the "'c
meeting the 1lb OF October l774 the hrsf W.
endent Legislature ia Massachusetts and America
and from that TO this the old mother town has e.e
the words the faith the RCNo
ton which had proclaimed he re six weeks tofo IN"
danger shall alright, difficulties intindate us; and >
in support OF our rights called 10 encounter
death VIC yet undaunted sensible that he neve-
die who lays down his life In support of The lava
and liberties OF his country"
GENIUS or THE TOWN MEETING.
But the true glory Of Concord OF all New England,
was the town meeting. the nursery of American indie
pendence When the Revolution began. 81 the s,oO00O0
OF people then living in Old England only 100000
voters while in New England the great Of free male
adults electors And they had been so from tho
landing at Plymouth. Here ia the wilder the %ters
were forced to themselves They could not con-
stany refer and appeal 10 another authority 20 miles
away through the woods. Every day brought Its duty
that must be before sunset. Road must lie made
schools built young trained 10 against the saw
ages and the wildcat st De ai and collected for
all common purposes preaching must b. maintained and
who could know the time the mcans and the necessity 40
veil az the community itseft Thus each town
a little and perfect Republic, as solitary ond
secluded IN the New England wilderness % the
Swiss canons among the Alps. No other practicable hui
man institution has been devised conceived TO secure
tho just ends of local government so felietous as tho
town meeting 1t brought together the rich and the
poor the good and the bad, and gave character eo-
quonce and natural leadership full and free play. Iteo
abled superior experience aud sagacy 20 govern and