The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-08-16

century and affected the civilization Of the
world, have not passed Vermont by, and
her people have thereby become less pro-
Vincial, moro cosmopolitan, less peculiar
people, than our fathers were. AN yet,
being largely an agricultural people, with
no very large towns or cities, with few
milllonaires aud few very poor, and little
chance to become rich By speculations, wa
have not been tempted 10 stray very far
from our fathers ways of Industry. econ.
omy, simplicity Of living and providence
for the future. And, since we are gathered
here abous the old hearth-stone, we may
be allowed, In the freedom aud confidence
OF the family circle, to felicitate ourselves
as Vermonters, not only for what our
fathers were, for their heroic lives and his-
toric deeds and the institutions they Gre
ated and transmitted to US, but that their
posterity have so faithfully guarded, pre-
served and wisely improved them, and have
30 well kept alive the spirit of those insti-
tutions and the temper of that heroic age
that education Ia free, and that we have
freedom In religion, both moving in wider
and deeper channels than aforetime of cul-
ture and christian charity that greater
softness OF manners has not made us effem-
mate that We are in good degree tenn
perate, sober, self-restrained people, stand
ing by good order and obedience to Law,
conservative and yet progressing, having q
steadfastness that may be counted on, and
a will Of our own (; not having parted with
practical wisdom and common sense, nor
yet far departed from the religion Of pay
ing our debts.
From this little hive and nursery OF men,
how many have gone forth to the broader
and more inviting fields of the expanding
west, to the great msrts of commerce,
and wherever the spirit OF adventure has
impelled, or of gain or ambition lured,
carrying with them the temper and train
ing Of their birthplace. and planting In
virgin fields the seed germs they gathered
In boyhood upon these mountain sides.
And as We have seen the emblemstic pine
tree OF our state come of such planting,
towering oft times above the Indigenous
trees of the land, with branches wide
spreading aud royal crown Of leaves, sing
ing to the winds the music of its ancestral
home, how proudly have we cheered such
vision, crying, Grace, grace unto 1t. This
| seed OF Vermont sowing, wherever cast,
| has bourgeuned into harvests to the enrich
| ment of many states, and credit to seed
| and sower and we rejoice to-day to
welcome the return Of so many Of the sons
Of Vermont, bringing to our festival golden
| sheaves of their culture and harvest.
One hundred years hence, when Vermont
shall celebrate the second centennial year
| Of her life as state, when we who to-day
| commemorate the virtues of our historic
fathers shall have long passed into silence,
| and shall then, perchance, by search OF
genealogical records be discovered as tho
| fathers of that age,-alas, how few of us
will have attained other historic immortal
| itY, when search among the musty papers
| of the then Vermont historical society, to
| find record Of the doings OF this first CEN
tennisl year, shall withdraw from oblivion
thsee poor words which now stir the air.
may they, who shall then gather to look
upon the monuments which we now rear az
| memorials Of q heroic age, as they look
back ovor the field of Vermont history for
two hundred years, and compare the past
with the present, ind state and people
sottened by culture, yet true to the spirit
Of the primeval state and of those who
founded it,-a people free, Independent,
intelligent, industrious, sober, honest, con-
sentative of the good, aggressive towards
the wrong, virtuous, religious happy
people whose Gcd ia the Lord.