The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-07-15
From the Centennial City.

PuILADELPHIA. July b, 1876.
MgssKs EDITORS What associations
ill the mind, what thoughts suggest them.
selves, and what retrospective impressions
hit across the memory, at every recurring
anniversary OF our great national holiday.
But how are these thoughts and reflections
intensified, as the morning dawn admon.
ishes us that we have passed the centen.
NAL boundary, aud planted our feet within
the precincts Of the new century in our
political history Yesterday, Just as the
orb OF day Was lifting himself on his
tlreless course, the heights OF Fairmount
trembled from the conclusion of the heavy
salvos Of artillery from tho Key Stone
battery, while a salute of one hundred
guns was being fired. From seven till
nine O'Clock in the morning, the military
display was the largest and most mapnii.
cent ever seen in this city; Vermont
being well represented by the Ransom
Guards, OF ST. Adams, and the Estey
Guards from Brattleboro
AT ten o'clock the great convocation
in Independence Square was called to
order by Vice President Ferry. Prof.
Gilmore with an orchestra Of eighty
pieces, accompanied by chorus Of FIVE
hundred voices, opened the exercises
Right Rev Bishop Stevens. of the Prot.
estant Episcopal church OF this city,
offered an appropriate prayet then a
welcome to oil nations was sung Bayard
Taylor then recited an ode com posed by
himself especially for the occasion Hon
VIM. M. Evarts, the distinguished bar.
rister, then stepped forward. and delivered
a scholarly and very able grafton, emf.
nently appropriate, and applicable to the
great occasion; occupying over an hour
in its delivery-although the heat was
intense the interest did not flag but to
describe all the events Of interest that
transpired that day, 10 this great historic
city, would tax the columns of the REs.
IsTER and the pen OF correspondent a
little too heavily.
% that great natal day. the voice Of
patriotism and thanksgiving was heard
throughout the land, from beyond the
plains of Concord and Lexington to the
far.of golden gate of the Pacific, from
the northern lakes to the tee ming gulf,
and from Atlantic's shore even to the
blooming valleys Of the mountains and
the land Of jeweled mines, add from the
homes of peace and plenty, which are
kissed by the sunlight, that glitters on
the caps Of eternal snow in the northwest
yet here, where the pulsations Of liberty
we're first set in motion, did this nation
in sense, rededicate and reconsecrate
their faith and trust, at the altar Of pat.
riotism on that hallowed spot, Independ.
ence Square, where was FIRST read the
great declaration and where the air among
the tree tops still vibrates from the peal.
ing anthem of the old cracked bell, as it
rang forth its clarion voice on the Fourth
OF July, l776; declaring liberty to oe
the inalenabe birthright and heritage of
every one, and principle vouchsafed to
man by the voice and implied fiat of ON.
Impotence,
Prof Jackson's pyrotechnic display in
the evening, on Pine Ridge. in Fast
Paramount Park, exceeded nything ever
witnessed here. or probably in this coun.
Try 1t is estimated that fully two hun.
1red thousand people witnessed the great
fireworks. r.ws