The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-25
Grafton by 3. 3. Herbert,
DELIVERED AT Tue CENTENNIAL PICNIC
GROUNDS, JULY 4TH.

GROUNDS, JULY 9TH.
After the reading Of the Declaration
Of Independence, Mr.. Herbert was in
PRODUCED and spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
Friends: we are gathered here to-day
from our homes, our fields, shops and
Offices, in this beautiful natural grove,
planted by the hand Of Him, who ruleth
the destiny Of nations, rs he causeth
the plants and trees to grow, and we
are met to celebrate one of the greatest
events in the history Of the world. An
event, great not only on account Of the
trying circumstances, surrounding its
accomplishment, the principles ut stake
and the goal had in view, but by reason
Of the glorious results that have followed
and that must follow until time shall be
no more.
have no sympathy with those who,
vastly honored with citizenship in this
glorious, free land, would discourage the
patriotic observance Of this day. 1t is
a day full of the memories Of the great
deeds of u noble and justly world re
nowned ancestry. 1t is a token OF ma.
tional existence, as the blood Of the
pascal lamb was Il token Of the passing
over Of the destroying angel ard the ma
tional de!lversnce to the ancient Jews
1t is a memorial the annual recurrence
of which thrills every patriotic heart, as
an oasis in the trackless desert thrills
the heart Of the weary and furnished
traveller.
You know, that hundreds Of years
since, when the Great Ruler Of the mi
verse, chose people to be under his own
special care and guidance, with Divine
prescience and wisdom, it was decreed,
that the month Of their deliverance
should be the beginning Of months to
them. Through their great leader
Moses, He made it u law unto them for
ever, commanding.
''And this day shall be unto you
memorial, and ye shall keep it ! feast
to the Lord, throughout your genera
tons: yc shall keep it Il feast by an or
dinance forever
"Seven days shall ye eat unleavened
bread, . And in the first day
there shall be holy convocation and in
the seventh there shall be holy convo-
cation to you; no manner of work shall
be done in them, save that which every
one must eat, that, only may be done of
YOU A long 18th of July but none too
long for the recounting the wonderful
deliverance and history Of the nation.
Their orators need never have lacked
for themes.
So long us that nation kept this ordi-
nance and their hearts warm with the
love of country, and themselves obedient
to the laws ard religion Of their fathers,
they increased in wealth, glory and pow
err, but when they failed in these, their
glory departed from them. We need
such day no less than did Gods chos
en- people. Not day of fcastings and
revelry alone, but day Of holy patriot.
ic convocation, for there is true religion
in patriotic devotion to ones country as
there is in the proper love and worship
Of Deity. "A free people have every re;s
son to rejoice on this glorious old day
but neither that patriotism nor that re-
ligion, which consists only in wild &C
CARNATIONS Of Joy is of much value.
"Eterna! vigilance'' has ever beer
deemed ''ths price Of liberty;' and il
becomes free and independent people
endowed with the responsibilities Of cit
liens, on such occasions as this to pom
der the history Of the past, to weigh
we'll the dangers that have threatened
the nation, that they may avoid those
Of the future.
1t has seemed to me, that we a!
people have in our folly been like tn;
vain stag of the fable, who seeing hi
form mirrored in the CLASSY surface 0
the water, fell to admiring his beautiful
antlers and hemoaning his meagrc legs
Suddenly he hears the cry of hound.
upon his track, and bounds away find
ing his only safety in the legs he had 8,
much despised. He quickly distances
his pursuers, carrying his head males
tically high in air. Suddenly his splen
did horns are caught in the over hang
ing thicket. He is overtaken by tn,
hounds and in the agonies of deatl
mOraliZes in these words: "Unhapp,
creature that am, I am too late con
WINGED, that, what l prided myself il
has been the cause Of my undoing, wha
I so much disliked was the only thin,
that coulo have saved me-"
We have glori6ed our national ant
State greatness, independence and su
periority, our wonderful national en-
terprises, our wealth, improvements an,
Inventions; prided ourselves upoa GU
enterprise and shrewdness in trade ant