Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-09-05

To add to the pleasure Of the occasion most
excellent music was furnished by the St. Al
bans Brigade Band and the Milton band
Shortly after l U'clocI. came the address hy
the Rev Henry Ward Beccher Mr. Bcccher
had passed the previous night in the cars.
making the trip from the White Mountains
hither and besides the necessary fatigue OF
such II Journey was laboring under an at
tack of his old enemy, hay fever, but never
thcless looked excclently well and his address
showed no falling off from his old time stand
arl of eloquence.
His subject consisted of a general consid-
Grafton of the present condition of the coun-
try. and included in his address was an elC-
Hucnt vindication of the principles of Repub
lean government. 1t was listened to through
out with the closest attention on the part Of
the vast conroursc of people, and at inter
walls and at the close the speaker was warmly
applauded On the platform with the speak
or were Mrs. Beecher and the other members
of his party: His Honor Mayor 10 d. Hatch,
Hon. John y. Pomcroy, Hon. Daniel
Roberts and Others.
Mr.. Becchcr was introduced by Hon. f.
d. Mason and spoke substantially as follows;
ME-. BEECHER's Address.
Ny friends: | am happy To meet you in
any relation and under any title. | don't
know under which title can sail the best
editor, clergyman, captain or farmer but |
think it is ~ Il clergyman that ! make
al Al tn#n
classes of farmers those who farm to make
money and those who farm 10 spend money
and am afraid that | belong in the sec
ond order When am asked if my farm
paws, answer, YES, everybody on it eX-
ccpt myself" In all Westchester county |
suppose there is no better farm than mine in
richness undertaking and stocking, ana
none that on the whole has more that is de
lightful in it. But to me it is one of the mys-
tcries Of nature in farming, how the bills
| grow. That is matter that ispast my COM
prchcnsion. If | was asked whether knew
enough about farming To support myself, my
answer would be that would be inthc poor
house within five years if depended on my
farm for support This is probably due to
bad habits contracted in a city, in conse-
quencc of which need more to live on than
most people. If | should tell all know
about farming it would take about half an
| hour hut if were to undertake to tell all |
ought TO know, hut don't, it would take a
month
| do not, ihpp appear as an instructor, and
nv subject will he on another theme than
agriculture. There is nothing in which we
are more interested than in the general con-
ditiOn of the country, and this | will briefly
discuss, avoiding anything that divides men
! il poli,ics. There - large erhcrc common
| to both parties and to all, and to this | will
confne myself. 1t is now more than one
hundred years since our government was es
/ tablishcd-and Il hundred years are longer
! now than thousand were in ages gone. The
! world moves faster and the events of a CEN
| tuTy are compressed into five or ten-year
period aud in the time 10 come things will
| move still fasteT one hundred years have
seen the trial of the experiment of the
power of masses of men to govern them
selves and make the community happy. Has
. the experiment been a success? What is the
| attitude throughout the world of the differ
| ent governments? What has absolute mon
| archy to boast of: I.oEk at Russia - is
there ANYTHING in the happiness. intelligence
| and power of its people to make us ashamed
Of our own experiment Its very vastness
tends 10 crush it. lis peasantry is an clc-
! Hcli Of weakness. Austria is rccuperating.
I German, s not an absolute monarchy, and
can not lie Ia reekGncd In France repub
lican form of government prevails, and in
Italy y constitutional government. The
/ government Of Great Britain is as Rcpubli-
can as D,iT own, and not the less 81 that It's
ruler il calird Il Queen and ours President;
only the names arr different What has
Their, been in the history ri our country that
iustitirs our belief in s,.f-savernmcnt 1t
/, No wonder that on a close criticism many
d Ia, 4. /
The .rcat ,lhcs.iJEs # the constitution, the
laws. the judiciary, iha finances - what !
special adaptation have the people pt the !
nited States to settle them 1t is only one |
gu, 8f hundred that studies these ques-
lions and the other ninety nine don't care |
for them l0U would not think forty mil |
lions Of people the hrlt tribunal TO settle |
thrst. questions The country il filling up |
with immigrants from all parts of the world. !
and some even from Ireland Laughter |
We have eight millions of immigrants and /
their children, from every nationality and |
four millions of slaves to pepper the mass.
The latter, 10 he SURF have the right of |
suffrage. but many Of them don't use it TOR
reasons known To themselves Laughter. |
But il may be said We are not an absolute
democracy. Wevote for representatives. But
is the Wsdomoi the people in this matter such
rs to ensure us that it is the best way Our /
representatives ought Ia IN picked men,
skilled IN public affairs intelligent upright.
having single eve 10 the public good. In
treat emergencies We choose such men, but
not Otherwise And our magistrates s"drpcnd
for thrif ti,rtiun 81 much On the votes OF the
Ia;.cr Glasses tint oGr restraining laws are
moi ,u;,,rced But after all This government
il fine best on earth and the best thai lIa ever
existed Let us see what kindof people grow
then l
can tell what Kind Of a government They
have Good government makes good people
4 ,sr,.lt community is Ike mile one II
learns everything it knows. Those who .
have learned the process Of government are /
thinkers and scholars. our American habit
of goipr oui Of mans little sphere into tod
and Nature is bringing our people up. ,
Little Ly liula W. gain and every year ad'is !
To the number 81 lhiGEs thIl We ,
do well. !
Now let us consider The condition ot the n
country and its interests In New England :
there never was Il time when 81 many OF us 1
people were 81 well OF ~ at present. Mr
nrrrhcr then spoke of his hoyh2od expert
tncc ON Il New England farm, and sad L
was one Of the best things that ever happen
rd /" him 1t is a great thing 10 he able TO
turn "a thought into potato. An idea Is
worthless until yuti incgfnaic 1t. The larmcr
is not the drudge Ia uS.d h. ho. On the
farm We used tn send what was NJ L. &C.: ~ /
market feed thu. second hest To the cattle Y
and PIGS and cat what was left.
But to-day There is more generous living,
larger cheer The immigrants are making
good citizens Tiny aye becoming Rundown
FRS and if J vas emperor ! would decree
hat every citizen should "wha pilfe 81 llnd,
and il hr wouldn't own one the State shGIild
Ia, of ttf
Connecticut an old Puritan ncighborhood .
whose orthodoxy was sharp enough to cat (
steel WIS invaded 10y the Irish. They car
rcd ihr town meetings and inauguratCd the :,
l,st school +, stem ever known i'll the town.
don't say, as 10 SOM Fourth ni July ora
IuTs. come hiihrr " oppressed o., rNrry ia
ION and then damn I'm hut ! would give
he immigrants n cordial welcome and not Il
make it II matter at rhetoric. look with W
pride and gratitude on the steady material "i
If New England Its original II,
'rnps were ice and granite. hut il has made e.
uprr Of them than many richly favored OF
ocaiit, ia. With ihr choicest gifts of God m
In schools and co,lc-cs and chur.hc New %
England has brrn steadily g,jIpS up. Rens,
iIS dognrl4 are modifying, Tor God Is an n
tcrnal Rtvtlatnr Theology must change r
Is forms But never was there So profound o.
, religious spirit in New England not even n
\ hen the Pilgrims sIncIIlied Plymouth Rock II,
Never was II So GOOD place to live in or To 4
Mitigate from. Laughter. This may he ~ "a
opposed to the "rrri.b;l theory that We are "
Itadily running down, hut 1t IL iiu. Gc.cr 4,
hclcss. .,
The same things are substantially true ot ha
he Middle States Thad,leus Stevens is best
uownns sinlwarl leader in Congress, hut he NJ
vas greater man than thai would indicate