Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-08-01
ADDRESS

celebration IN West Windsor, July 4M,
1877
We have assembled on this, the natal
day Of our country, to celebrate quietly,
among ourselves, its anniversary. A
little more than century has rolled away
since that little body of men, represent
ing thirteen feeble and widely scattered
communities, affixed their names to that
Declaration which was destined to make
both them and it immortal. While can
but express the hope that this day may be
appropriately celebrated forever, still l
cannot forbcar expressing my commiscra-
tion for you, that among the affections
which crowd upon us through life, the
one from which there seems to be no aye
nue. Of escape is Fourth of July address.
But trust that upon this occasion you
will bear your sutferings with fortitude.
The theme is an aspiring one. Poets
have sung its praises, and our greatest
orators have been proud to give 1t their
best efforts. For three generations every
year has added something to the eloquent
thoughts lavished upon it. To say that
am unable to do justice to this subject to-
day would but feebly express the truth, or
the dillldence with which l have under
taken the task. But / can assure you
that bring to it a heart filed with its
love of country, proud Of her glorious his
tory and throbbing with affection and rev.
erence for those heroes, who amid priva-
ton, disaster and bitter trials sustained
the principles of freedom in their weak
ness and infancy and let that speak for
me. No man affixed his signature to the
Declaration Of Independence who did not
know that it was declaration of war
with Great Britain, long, bitter and un-
certain, and when they threw down the
gage OF battle they knew that it was
against fearful odds. On one side was
England, the most formidable power in
the world, strong in the consciousness of
wealth, fully armed and equipped for war,
insolent, haughty, triulnphing over every
enemy, her fleets commanding the ocean
and victory lowering over her standards.
Her rcSO SOurccS seemed incXhaustiblc, and
her fame encircled the earth. On the 9TH
er side, the Americans were infant people,
thinly scattered over vast extent of ter
ritory, vulnerable at hundred points,
and open TO attack by sea or land-with-
out army, without navy, without money
or materials Of war, their troops private
citizens fastening to the contest with
their simple rifles to meet the armies Of a
indicative king, trained in their terrible
trade by long service in European wars.
TO cope with this formidable power the
colonies We're able to put into the field at
one time not more than 40, 900 men, and Irc-
quently scarce half of those were tit for
active service. What but the inspiration
of the holy cause Of liberty and the guar
dian care of the God Of battles could have
served this little army, half clothed, poor
ly provsioned and lily equipped, to guard
this great country from our own Green
Mountains to the everglades Of Florida,
and to successfully resist one of the might
lest powers Of earth!
Perhaps from the very hour that Colum-
bus and his compcers discovered this con-
tinent his ultimate destiny was fixed by
Him who holdcth the destinics Of nations
in the hollow of His hands.
Less than three centuries ago, this land
that we proudly call our own to-day, was
Il wilderness whose subsequent Iemark
able history would at that time have ap-
peared to human view quite improbable
1t has great natural advantages-grea
possibilities, but they were all unexploret
and unknown. From the st. Lawrence tt
Florida, and from Plymouth Rock tt
where the Pacific washes the distant west
ern shore, there was no sound or sign o
civilization. There was boundlesS wealth
as now, stored up in the soil but no cult
waited meadows smiled under the North
ern skies, no fields of cotton in the balm.
South, no acres Of waving grain in tn
West. The same streams wound thel
) courses rs now in their thousand places
, but instead of the busy mills whose whirl
!, ing machinery they turn to-day, they onl
5 bore upon their currents the red man
{. canoe, or mirrored his dusky form Us h
fshed in their clear waters. There wa
untold wealth glistening far down in tn
coal mines of Pennsylvania, in the iro
y ore of Missouri, and in the golden sand
d of the Sacramento, but the Indians neve
i sought them or cared if they were there
!. Excellent harbors indcnted the coas
/ but no steamships entered them brinSln
;. wealth or human life from other lands
Where thousands OF cities and village
O TEEN with busy life there was only ia
II forest trees, which perchance. rocked tn
l. Indian mothers child from their swingin
/. branches, or echoed to the sound of I'll
savage war-whoop. But He who rulet
- the universe did not design that this ia
m work of His creation should remain TO
- . ever thus.
Settlements of the English were mac
er first in Virginia, then in Massachusett
G. At this period great changes in socle'
Z, were visible in England. The feudal sy'
TEN which had so long prevailed in Il
tn rope, and under which the common pc
- ., pie were merely the slaves or vassals
the mobiles, was melting away. IL
printing press, then in its infancy, w
- widely dffusing knowledge. Men we
l.. ,.nt, ar