The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-08-03
BoDKIN's CENTENNIAL SPEECH

AZ one neareth voice In the nlSnt
BODKIN'S S CENTENNIAL SPEECH
They didn't go to the Centennial
-day>of- -the-nation display at Phil
adelphia ON the immortal Fourth, nor
to the local celebration which bene-
fcent Congress recommended for the
benefit of the can't>get-aways. Twelve
o'clock. July 4th, 1876, found them-a
half score of young fellows, with three
or four old gray-besrds' as merry as the
youngest-sitting on the grass near the
meandering Buttahatchie, washing down
their crackers and Bologna sausages
with copions swigs from the big brown
Jug, which, from the scent that filed
the circumambient air, contained some
thing stronger than milk or water.
The meal over, and no one having
thought to bring copy OF the Decla-
ration along, Bodkins rose to his feet,
and began his Centennial oration.
THE SPEECH.
One hundred years ago! A pause of
twelve seconds, followed by loud ap>
plause One hundred years ago, this
day. Lapplause.l Annihilate time and
space, and let your minds go back to
that solemn scene--the most memo,a>
BILE in the annals of time. [Applause. |
To properly appreciate the grandeur of
the great event, imagine yourself on the
spot, and conceive the surroundings.
The glinting sunbeams radiate with
glory the massive dome Of our nations
capitol.
Hold on there, Bodkins. the capitol
wasn't built at that time" said Ben
Brister. SIT wasn't till quarter of a
century after that Washington became
one horse village" 'You go to
thunder" said Bodkins, "how's a fell
ler to speak, if you break the thread of
his discourse, just as he begins to un-
wind it?''-
As I remarked, fellow citizens, the
MONDAY sun pours down his golden
beams. filling with light and glory, en-
blematic of her resplendent future, the
first day in the life Of the nation. Ap-
plause. Far out on the water rides a
magnificent steamer
"Steam hadn't been applied to navi>
CATION at that day." Said Dick Jones.
1.-The thunder it hadn't" said Bod
kins.-
As re marked, far out on the water
there rides a magnificent iron clad
"Ships were not iron clad at that
time" remarked one Of the gray-beards.
ga lofty-turreted monitor, I intend>
ed to say" said Bodkins.
"AIonitors were invented during our
civil war;" remarked the gray-beards.
"a sloop of warl'' screamed Bodkins.
"T guess a sloop of war is the next most
ancient vessel to Noah's Ark, and I
reckon you can't go back of that. -
From the top-most peak of huge
sloop floats the glorious flag of our
country, Cloud applause) bearing on its
ample folds thirteen stripes and thir-
ty-seven stars. CA voice, add one for
Colorada.')
Thirty eight stars emblazoned on its
ample folds, each emblematic of SOW
ereign State of our glorious Union.
| Applause by the red-haired youth in
the white slouched hat.
'There were but thirteen States then,
Bodkins, SO there could have been
no more than thirteen stars" remarked
one who, from the wise look he put on,
was evidently school-master.
"Give my imagination little room,
gentlemen" said Bodkins, entreat-
ingly.
.'Besides. the stars and stripes were
not adopted as the flag of the Confedera-
ton till some years LATER persisted the
scnool>master.
Question:" shouted big chested,
middle-aged man, who had apparently
imbibed more than his share of the con-
tents Of the Jug.
"Let's all hands liquor" suggested
ruddy-faced youth not out of his
teens. This, like a motion to adjourn,
being always in order, was acceded to
mem con. Refreshments being over,
Bodkins proceeded with his address.
: - See those venerable men assembled
around the table on which lies spread
out the great charter of our liberties
the. birth register of almighty nation.
Consider the grandeur-the sublimity
of the stupendous event, to view which
angels might we'll have been pardoned
for hanging over the cerulean battle~
ments Of heaven! [Great applause Al
nation about to be born--the magna
charta of our liberties about to be signs
ed! Renewed applause, during which
the big-chested fellow falls back on the
grass. Englishmen boast that their
ancestors-the grim old barons--fofoed