Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-08-24
vERMoNT's CENTENNIAL.
The After-Dinner Speeches.


Hon. {. j. Phelps, President OF the Cen
tennial Commission have not yet appeared,
and are well worth publication. They were
as follows:
Gentlemen The first gentleman to whom
| shall call your attention, among the very
distin guished guests present, is the Chief
Magistrate of the United States. | should
do an injustice to myself and to you if l
omitted. before proposing this sentiment, to
allude to the high Office which he fills, and
fills in a manner that shows that he means
to be President of the whole country and
not Of a part. (Applsuse. IA man who has
so addressed himself to the high and critical
Duties of that great Office that he has not
merely satisfied the promises of his friends.
but has disarmed the criticisms and hostil-
ity OF his enemies. (Applause,) L give YOU,
therefore, la lies and gentlemen, as the first
sentiment appropriate to this occasion, and
nearest to our hearts, not the health of the
President of the United States, but the
health and long life of Rutherford b.
Hayes, President OF the United States.
THE TOAST TO TIE QUEEN.
President Phelps said: We are celcbrat-
ing the anniversary of a great victory over
the troops of Great Britain, but we can re-
loice in the fact that it is more than sixty
five years that peace has reigned between us
and the mother country. Long may it con-
tinue! am happy to state that court
eOus and gratifying correspondence has
taken place in reference to this celebration
between Gov. Fairbanks and that excellent
nobtman, Lord Dufferin. Governor Gen
eral Of Canada, who was invited to be pres
ent on this occasion. lie writes to say that,
If it were not tnpt his duties called him out
West, be would have been happy to have
responded appropriately IN his official ca
pacity. Mr. Phelps then read the letter
from Lord Duiierln 6xcusing himself from
attendance, and continued 1--WE should
not be DONG our iull duty If we forgot that
Industrious lady, who through 20 many
years OF b ameless life has been more than
the queen of Great Britain-she has been
queen IL the virtues. and queen in the
hearts OF all people. | therefore propose
the health of her Most Gracious Majesty Vic
torla, Queen Of Great Britsin-bod bless
her
SECRETARY EvARTs's RESPONSE.
Mr., Eyarts said In regard to the majesty
OF England, the majesty Of that nation and
of that gracious lady, the queen, is it not
the best token of the great and Christian
character OF the nation and of herself that
on the celebration of battle fatal to the
power of her ancestry and so glorious for
the prosperity of this country. that we
should receive such letter from the Cover
nor-General of Canada, the representative
of the British crown ? 1t is fitting that we
should respond at our festival with royal
homage, with the martial and loyal airs at
England. Let us in looking back upon the
mother country yield to her most gracious
majesty the Queen our homage to her as
woman which we deny to a queen be-
lieve, Mr.. President, that, had Queen Vic
toria been on the throne, instead of George
the Third, or if We had postponed our re-
beliion until Queen Victoria reigned, it
would not have been necessary, and. 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 Amer
lean freedom and independence. The great
object the British had in view then was to |
divide the North from the South, and. if |
that had been done. the colonies would not |
have been divided from England. And let |
US understand that what the courage and |
the patriotism of Northern men and South |
ern men would not permit to be done could |
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 lol2 and lSl6 only bound more closely |
the ties between North and South, and then |
the great nation determined before this |
structure that It's care was to meet the res
possibilities OF great and powerful peo-
pie launched out on the second century of /
Its being. 1t should be tried and tested as
the workman does his work to see whether
that Union on which hostile foes could
make 20 impression can be burst asunder
by the energies OF Its own people, no other
people being able to do 1t. And let me say
to you, as the engineer and architect strains
the structure TO the utmost pressure, in the
energies of that conflict the
strength OF the American Union is proof
against all social, foreign and civil strife.
Let me also add that, if neither political
nor military power can burst this Union,
neither can society. 1t is the people that
is absolutely free nov, and absolutely equal
now Ii l. the people that knows its rights
and that will protect them from all invasion
Of the hostile foe and jealousy Of hatred,
and the wrath OF this people, with its thun-
Ter bolts, shall strike in the name of the
v hole people. Mr.. Evarts closed his epeecb
ly referring to the fact that had been |
brought 10 the notice of the American peo-
DE by distinguished writer (Artemus
W ard), who had declared himself willing
o sacrlhce on the altar of his country all
us wlle's relations, but John Stark went ,
arther than that. and declared himself
Wiling to sacrifice his wife's husband.
COY. PRESCOTT, OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 3
Gov. Prescott, Of New Hampshire, was
hen introduced as the representative of
bat State, and responded as follows: Mr..
resident, ard fellows citizens Of the
'nt'd States: We have come a long
'urrey TO join with Vermont and
Massachusetts, in this great demonstration.
Of one of the most decisive
sttles Of the Revolutionary war. in which
tell TO the lot Of New Hampshire to bear
part. How well she acted
~ year ago today on yonder field has
zen already set forth by the distinguished
ator. Vermont had her heroes on that
emOrable day. Massachusetts, As usual
as at the front, to ward of tho common
e to the colonies, and then, do not say
~, fee to popular liberty anywhere.
has never happened that the soil Of Nee
anr'hlre has been stained in bate by
. blood oiour OVID citizens or tbrt ofour
uniTymen, but the blood Of our citizens
: been freely shed in other fields Win
ih'ldIous comparison . will make the
-ertlon that no one OF the colonies in nroo
rtion 10 her popG) alton and resources
niS"'u moie' nfaV er or truer men in the
'ulutiohafy VT than New Hampshire.
ey were at Bunker Hill under the same
mani !eaoS' John Stark, who led so sue
eIuI'S % citizen soldiers on yonder field
~ "er present at Trenton, and unninch-
ny " ened the fight. They served with
'i~ uishod ValOr at Princeton. under the
u -diate command of Henry Dearborn.
y wire UrSt 10 lCaQ on and engage the |
envy al Saratoga. They were first present at
e surrender OF Burgoyne They were at
nbbardton and New YORK and Monmouth.
icy itJud together at Yorktown. when
cir great work had been accomplished.
d the scepter of George the Third faded
I'm our soil. You delight to honor your
lens, your Chttendens, your Warmers
d your tays, and a host of others, a. you
ght. whose names We heard Yesterday.
d we honor our Stark. our Scammell, our
or. our Sullivan, our Cilly, our Dearborn,
r Whlpple. our McCleary, our Resdee'
ARE. Matthew Thornton. Josiah Bartlett, r,
patriots, and John Langdon, who
dyed all he had to pay the expenses Of
friend Stark on tins expedition When ce
suse Is supported by such material there br
i be no failure.
HON. +. W. sTOUCHTON. O. NEW YORK. ~
Mr.. StoughtOn, said Nothing but that =,
lieious disposition which induces LAWYERS =,
put their professional brethren in Dayk
I'd rredlcamcnt has led nv Brother '"'
n n fsaI.