Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-06
YHE F0URTH Ar DoVER.
A Good Old-Fashioned Celebration,
with Good speeches, Good Music, -
Good Dinner and ~ Good crowd.

A Coed OId-FashIoned Celebration,
with Good speeches, Good Music, -
Good Dinner and ~ Good crowd.
Thirty seven years ago, on the Fourth day
OF July, the patriotic and public spirited peo-
pie Of the good town of Dover successfully
carried out very enthusiastic celebration of
the anniversary of our National Independence
at the centre of the town. On that occasion
Rev d. IL. Ranney and Lucian Sherman,
Esq, were the chief orators, and Mr.. Laban
Jones, VINO now enjoys n hale old ago in his
Wost Brattleboro home, read the Declaration
of Independence The years that have inter.
vened have brought many changes to the
town-changes that the generation OF to-day
neither realize nor take note Of Death has
been only too busy among the men of 1916,
and many of the farms and farm houses OF
that day are among the things that were, but
the broad old common, with its beautiful and
slightly location, still remains, and here on
Wednesday Of this week the men and women
Of the Dover OF o-day emulated the spirit OF
their fathers, and successfully carried out the
first Fourth .of-July celebration which the
town has held since the occasion which we
have mentioned.
The day opened with weather of the tradi.
tional Fourth of.July type, sunny and hot,
with clouds in the horizon suggesting the
possibility of showers toward the end of the
day. AT sunrise II cannon on the hillside re.
minded the country round of the observances
to which the day was set apart, and at an
early hour men and women from every part
of the town we're busy with preparations for
the bountiful midday dinner which was to be
servedin the great bough -house that had been
erected on the common. Throngs OF people
poured in from every direction, and at .
o'clock the exercises began in the church with
Nla 81 1. Al.
mington cornet band An address of well
come was given by Rev. l.. Kenney of f. DO.
yer, the Scriptures were read by Rev. w. N.
Barber of Wilmington, prayer was offered by
Rev. q. Il. Arms, and quartette of voices
sang Tho red, white and blue" At the
close Of these Introductory services process.
sion was formed, headed by the band, and the
line of march taken to Ryther's grove, where
seats had been provided and stands had been
erected for the speakers and the band and
singers.
The exercises in the grove opened with the
reading OF the Declaration of Independence
by Mr. Laban Jones' jr., who acted as prosi-
dent Of the day, performing the duties of that
responsible position in very happy and eff
Gent manner. Mr.. Jones introduced as the
first speaker of the day S. T. Davenport, of
Wilmington, who recalled the changes which
107 years have wrought in our Republic, al
luded to tine progress which has been made,
and pointed out some Of the dangers which
threaten us. Education, he said is our bull
wark. The strength of the country lies in the
school-house and the family circle. The
young must be taught political economy,
there must be greater care in the selection of
our rulers woman should have the ballot our
religious liberty must be jealousy guarded
choir of voices sang THE Pilgrim Faith.
ors," after which Hosea Mann, ir., ESQ,
of Wilmington was called ont, and spoke
briefly of the bright promise of the country.
Much might be said of the dangers that
threaten us, but it was a glorious thing that
our national birthday should be thus celebrat
ed, and while the spirit Of true patriotism re-
mains among the people all is safe.
After a selection by the band Mr.. c. NJ
Russell of Wilmington was introduced Re
peating the exclamation of the patriot Adams,
"What glorious morning." Mr.. Russell re.
ferTed 20 the wide and universal character
which our national birthday celebration has
taken, finding in every civilized nation under
the sun men and women to do honor to the
day. The men of the Revolution and the
principles they fought for should never be
forgotten, and not the less should the men and
the principles of 'Gl 90 be held in endur-
ing remembrance The spirit of liberty is
working among all the nations of the globe,
and the day is soon coming when republican
principles shall everywhere prevail
Following Mr.. Russells address the choir
sang the spirit of Freedom" and then the
chairman called out Hon. o. +. Buttordeld of
Wilmington. Mr.. Butterfeld briefly alluded
to the wonderful growth which the country
has made within the present century both in
area and in numbers, and to the remarkable
march of invention and improvement The
reason why this onward march is seen, he said,
is because our government is planted on the
principles of civil liberty. The heather wor-
ship toward the rising sun and the Jews tow
ard Jerusalem, but in every land the poor and
oppressed worship toward America Every
where the American flag is the emblem of
universal freedom. To the young he would
say, as the word of the hour, never forget
that this nation was born out of the agony
of the Revolution, and that it was cemented
IN one, stronger than ever before, by the blood
of her patriot sons. Maintain equal rights
forever, and never forget that eternal vigil
ance is the price of liberty.
At this point the president announced an
adjournment for dinner, and the line of march
was taken back to the common, whore
bountiful dinner was served to all who came,
under the great bough-house Plates were
laid for upward of 400 people, and the long
tables presented a most inviting appearance
Three several times the tables were filled dur
ing the hours set apart for dinner-not less
than thousand hungry mortals finding
their every want supplied" and still there
was food for more.
The band gave several selections on the
common, and meantime many old acduain
tances were renewed and many scenes Of the
olden time recalled. At two o'clock the pro-
cession marched back to the grove to hear
the address of Col. Kttredge Haskins, a ma.
tive md Iay,ap,I ,,,Fo
chosen orator of the day.
Col. IIaskinss Grafton.
In beginning his address Col. Haskins
quoted from letter written by John Adams
to his wife on the evening of the 18th day of
July, l77G, in which he predicted how the
day would be celebrated in the long years
then to come The speaker said, from that
period to the present hour there had been
almost a literal fulfllment of the prophecy.
He then briefly sketched some of the princi
pal events which followed one after an
other from l76j to April 10, l775, and
which provoked an appeal to arms on the
part OF the colonies against the mother coun-
try, leading up to the PRONUNCIATION of their
declaration of independence, the eight years
war, and the final acknowledgement of their
independence and of their right to be recog-
nized as separate and independent state
among the nations of the earth.
Col. Haskins then went on to show that.
while the people of this country for period
of nearly eighty years, had, with but few
slight Interruptions, apparently enjoyed all
the blessings vouchsafed to them under their
new form of government, had increased in
population and wealth, yet during all this
while the two antagonistio elements-slavery
and free-labor-were continually struggling
for the mastery. Each was contending for
new territorial acquisition upon which to
plant and extend its forces. The partition
wall was the border states The discovery f
gold and silver in California, and other of the
Pacific possessions, led to a strong reinforce
ment of the friends of free labor by the i'm
migrants from foreign nations-and thus it
was that much of this new territory, which
had been intended, when acquired, for slavery,
became dedicated to free labor. The first
successful step taken in behalf of freedom
was in November, 1850, in the election of
Abraham Lincoln, President of the United
States, thereby securing an executive pledged