The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-06-17
Address,
DELIVERED IN RIPToN ON DECORATION DA
ny REV. y. b. MrNRoE.

Middlebury; We have assembled here
to-day to perpetuato the memories and
commemorate the deeds Of those men wbc
gave their lives sacrifice on the altar oil
their country.
We have met to commemorate the
deeds and perpctuate the memories of ar
Adams, an Axtell, Baker Boyuton
Bentley, Dow, a Dowuer, a Du.
quette, an English, a Farr, Goodyear
two Gilles7ies, Hale, a Harrington, O
Hendrick, Kirby, q Laumdree, a Mer
rill, two Maynards, three Spooners aud a
Wright, twenty. seven in all Of Ripton'.
soDs.
If you are sorrowiul on this occasion
| am sorrowful on this occasion, | an
sorrowful too, if you rejoice, rejoice also
If the fire Of patriotism burn! within youl
bosoms it burns within mine also. may
not sorrow and rejoice from the same
causes and to the same degree that you
do, for these sleeping ones we're your
comrades. your relatives; they were "bonC
of your bone, flesh Of your flesh; their
interests were your interest and your IN.
terests were their interests and these
were strong bonds that united you togeth.
or. while to me they were strangers; |
never knew them; never saw them but
the very fact that they were engaged in
the service Of their country--your coun.
try and my country and that Likewise
had relatives engaged. one who not only
imperilled his life, but gave it a willing
sacrifice, causes me to sorrow and rejoice
with you; sorrow for the fallen ones, but
to rejoice in their glorious achievements.
But | am not here to rekindle the lat.
ent fame Of love that burned so iercely
in your bosoms for the fallen heroes in
days past and gone nor to picture anew
those stirring scenes in which they were
engaged. Had l the disposition so to do
| am inadequate for the task ; neither
tongue nor pen can portray the picture
as some of you saw it portrayed it was
no dead thing spread out on canvas, hut
it breathed, it partook Of life; you saw
the serried ranks march forth to battle
and to victory, you listened to the meas.
ured tread Of the infantry, and the clatter
Of the hoofs of the horses of the we'll.
trained cavalry, you heard the sharp
crack Of rifles, the peal of musketry, the
roar of artillery, and, oh heart sickeniog
and heart rendiDg, the grcaus Of fallen
comrades n arms. But whatever may
be the results there are two causes in
which men need not be ashamed to en-.
gage, two causes in which men need not be
ashamed to die--the cause o! Christ and
the cause Of country. In the former
they meet the appreciation of God in
the latter at least the respect Of men.
Why those men are respected who fall
fighting in the defense Of their country
even though that country is ruled by y
monarch who holds absolute sway over
bis subjects; and when men die in the
service Of such country as ours, the
noblest, the grandest, the most extensive
republic the world ever saw. embracing
an area of 3,4sO, 600 square miles, dotted
all over with cities, villages. churches,
colleges aud free institutions OF learning
spanned with net work of railroads and
telegraph wires along which intelligence
may be flashed almost with the rapidity
of thought; populated by np~ards Of
10000 900 of people made up Of every
color, caste and nationality Of the globe,
they are more than represented their
memories are honored their names are
immortalized But | said our country
was made up Of people Of every caste.
BJ this | mean, not that our laws recog.
nize caste not that she is infested with
any considerable number OF the lower
castes; for she has none 10 speak of only
as they came upon her shores from the
bloody waters OF anarchy aud despotism
Her native born children are worthy no.
bles aud princes but | mean when | say
made up of every caste, that some Of her
frce-mcn, some that occupy positions ol
honor and trust were onc. distinguished
by marks Of caste.
No (! our people are worthy OF royal
descent: when they visit Europe they are
received with marked respect the best
rooms in their hotels are thrown open tc
them, the costliest wines ard the choicest
viGnds are placed before them and land
lords have even been known to turn out
native occupants to make room for Amer
ican citizens. A short time ago a, our
National Exposition foreigners expressed
surprise to see so many OF what they
termed tho "better classes" out to see tn,
shows of their country, remarking that
they never so saw it before; but whcI
informed that those were not the bette
classes" but that they were all classe
their surprise was changed 10 astonish
ment, and they left the grounds enter
tanning larger views of America than eve
before Thauk God for such country
Thank God for such 4 people Thanl
God for such lars Thauk Tod Tor thos
soldiers who fought 10 defense Of such
country aud the main'aiuance Of sucl
laws.
William Tell q native OF Switzerland
way up on the A ps, on cliff that o'er
hung the lake, was ogertaken by storm
and in order to avoid as much as possibl
its fury, prostra;ed himself and cluu
close to the rocks. and while gust followe
gust furiously, as it swept him near tn
horrid brink, he thought Of other land
where storms were summer breezes con-
pared TO those of his, and for a momcu
wished himself there, but the though
that his was free checked that wish, an
he raised his voice aud cried 10 deiauc
TO the furious wiOds. BLOW on this
the land of liberty" And so there wa
time, friends, when we we're oyertake
, by a storm, furious in the extreme gus
} succeeded gust, threatening to hurl u
} from the high cliff of Freedom into III
gulf Of Disgrace and DiSunion, and for
! little time We prostrated ourselves befor
the blast and cluug hard to the rocks {
, liberty, and as the storm increased in v