Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-17
The Bennington Centennial.

OF Tue Dattic vi l>cuuluStou, V Il, WIZ SoHeiuueu
at that pace yesterday with a grand military
and civic uro out. The central cEj:ct Of the
demonstration vas President Hayes, who With
members Of the cabinet and otEc1s accompany;
ing him received most enthusiastic dcnopstra-
tioos OF welcome Au oration Was delivered BY
Prof. Bartlett, poem Written by VIM. Cullen
Bryant was read. a hymn by Mrs Marie Mason
was sung Speeches were also made by I'resi
dent Hayes and members Of !:;s party. A ban.
uuct was afterwards served and further speech
making INDUCED 10 which much was said
both grave aud gay Of a very interesting char.
aclcr.
Duriog the march OF the procession there
was slight delay on Maine street, Of which
several persons avaled themSel yes 10 rush up
! to the Presidents carriage aud stake hands.
Ooe Of these, prominent local politician, re
marked
II like you personally, Mr. President, bnt
| darn your policy
TO which he good humprcdI3 replied:
Come. now, 30 politics TO day.
President Hayes welcomed the procession at
| tho reviewing staDd with brief remarks, ia
which he congratulated the State Of Vermont
upon The lelicitous beginning aud progress OF
| this centennial occasion. and referred IL The
evident interest taken 10 the Que huuGredlh
anniversary of two prominent events by the
visiting officials OF sister States, the military
and thousands present
Secretary McCrary then introduced Mrs.
Hayes very happily as President Hayes Molly
| Stark. Great enthusiasm was kirdlc.i by these
expressions.
The President being called for, responded az
follows:
Ladies and FELLOW citizens Il need not say
TO you that am grateful for his grcetiag.
an greatly obliged TO those who had charge Ct
this celebration for their courtesy in giving nc
az opportunity to enjoy with them the ccrcno,
MES of this day. am quite sure none Of us
will forget its occurrence. Tine notable event,
the battle Of Bennington. so great 80 event TO-.
ward national independence, am sure we feel
it has been fifty celebrated to day. Ooly think
of the procession that we bcheld al hour or
two ago. Citizen soldiers so disciplined, SOL.
diers from Vermont, from Connecticut from
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were here
Applause. But more touching than all the
long procession were the veterans Of the Union
army, survivors Of the ZOO battles that saved
the nation and made liberty throughout he
world forever possible. lApplausc. And what
eye was more dmmed as we saw proudly march
ing with his comrades than that MANNED sol.
der walking with his crutch. But my dear
friend, | must not dean you. reeogu!z, that
among the pages Of the speech to which We
have listened to, packed full as each page was
with interesting matter touching OF that great
event Of one hundred years ago, that no one
page in it was more valuable than thia, "anG
| 1rol ~ II, ba
mioute man to fight in the cause of independ-
ence." Is there not some merit 10 my bccom
ing minute man Applause.
At the banquet, 10 response to toast to The
health AID long life of Rutherford Is. Hayes,
President of the United States, the President
responded as follows:
Mr.. President. Ladies an,l Gentlemen aal
Fello1U citizens II would be glad 10 be able 10
fully thank my friends of Vermont for the kind
way they have received these sentiments, but !!
| end that | am unable TO appropriately thank
YOU, and without further words will take my
| seat.
Secretary Evarts, in responding to toast to
the health Of Queen Victoria, said is it not
the best token of the great and Christian char
acter of the nation and of herself, that on the Gel
ebraion of battle so fatal 10 the power Of her
ancestry and so glorious for the prosperity Of
this country. that we should receive such let
| ter from the Governor General OF Canada, the
representative Of the British crown. 1t is lit
ting We should respond at our festival with
royal homage, with the martial ADD loyal airs
of England. Let us. in looking back upon the
mother country, yield to her most gracious ma
iesty. the Queen, our homage to her as woman
which we deny TO a queen. | believe, Mr..
President, that had Queen Victoria been on
tho throne instead of George the Third, or if
we had postponed our rebellion until Queen
Victoria reigncd, ii would not have been ue-
cessary, aud il there had been any rebellion at
all it would have been on the part OF England.
Now this Battle Of Bennington was important
as part Of the great campaign which secured
American freedom and independence. The
great object tho British had 10 view was to di.
vide the North from the South, aud # that
had been done the colonies would net have
been divided from England aud let Us under.
stand that what the courage ADD patriotism OF
Northern men and Southern men would not
permit to be done, c3uld not be done by the
cunning of the British Cabinet in the power
of The British arms. The stress Of war with
the mother country in 1872 and 1916 only
bound more closely the lies between the North
and South. The great nation determined that
its care was 10 meet the responsibilities OF
great and powerful pcope) launched out CD the
second century Of lis being. 1t Should be tried
and tested as the workingmau does his work,
to see whether that union which hostile foes
could make DO impression on, can dc burst az
sunder by the energies Of its own people, no
other people being able TO DO it, and let nc
say to you as the engineer and architect strains
the structure to the umost pressure in the en-
HANGED energies Of that conflict, the strength
Of the American Union is proof against all 50
cial, foreign and civil strife. Let me also add,
that ii neither political nor military power can
burst this Union. neither can society. 1t is
the people that is absolutely free now and abso,
utely equal now. It's the people that knows
its rights, and will protect them from all inva-
sion of the hostile foe.
RUTLAND, w., Aug. 17.-Prcsidcnt Hayes
and party arrived in Rutland about 9 o'clock
last evening on a special tram, occupying the
Central Vermont directors car bellevue"
They left Bennington 6 o'clock, and the jour
ney up was succession Of ovations, the PEG.
pie gathering at every stati ion and cheering the
,o-f, Az ooon 90 tho train arrived President