The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-08-24
GRAFTON.
BY HON. DANIEL ROBERTS FAT BENNING-
TON, AUGUST 10, 1877.

BY HON. DANIEL ROBERTS FAT BENNING-
TON, AUGUST 10, 1877.
Sons Of Permont-My Brothers,:
Around this, her ancient hearth.
stone, our mother state has called her
children together to celebrate her hum
dreth birthday. II is well. The call
stands justified by the occasion, and the
place of our gathering best BELTS both.
The founding of state is a great
event in the worlds history, forming
an epoch in the social, civil and govern
mental reckoning of nations. The
names of the founders of states are the
great names of history. The names of
the founders of free states demand rev.
erence and special honors; for of states
free created, the number is but small
and the names of the founders of such
shine but here and there in solitary
brilliancy, too few and too scattered to
form consultations in the heavens of
history. Since the formation of the
American Union, the new states, from
time to time added, have, for the most
part, been but ordinary accessions to
the family of states, without special
throe of birth. These, born to an inher-
itance of freedom, received through in
fancy and adolescence mothers nour-
ishment and care, and emerged into free
self-government through the regular
process of growth-the infant became
of age. Not so Vermont, which was
rather free created than thus free born
or, may say, developed into organized
life and form from the germinal princi-
pie of individual freedom and liberty OF
free choice. No mothers care Graded
or nurtured 1t, but, rocked by storm
and tempest and nurtured of the ele-
ments, this child of the forest and the
mountains won for itself place, and
took it, as a free state, not only ''inde-
pendent of all" but in defiance of all
"save the mercies of God" In this re-
gard, its case is quite exceptional
among the American states-made so
through the great sagacity and indomi-
table will of a race of heroes, as wise as
they were brave. Thus created free
state, and having SO lived and flourish
ed for a hundred years, il is well that
her children of to-day mark the event
and celebrate it.
Ii is well, too, that we meet here for
our festival; here in Bennington, the
namesake of the royal governor OF
New Hampshire who granted this town
its charter, the first of the one hundred
and thirty of the New Hampshire
Grants. Here was the earliest princi-
pal settlement of the then wilderness.
Here, more than elsewhere, occurred
the stirring events of our colonial life
pregnant of our future state. Here
was the states cradle and her early
hearthstone. Here gathered the heroes
of that day, the demi-gods Of this, in
council of safety and of war, for de-
fence against the common enemy of the
infant nation, and against the special
enemies of the hardy settlers of ''the
Grants"-those land jobbers and free
hooters along the Hudson, toward
whom the catamount from Landlord
Fay's tavern sign grinned angry def
ance. Here, early In May, l775, mus
tered that patriot band whose ears had
but just caught the echo ofthe first shot
at Lexington, and from here they went
forth under the leadership of Ethan Al
leu, sin the name of the Great Jcho-
yah," to the capture of Fort Ticondero-
ga; and from here marched Stark,
with his braves and the Green Noun