The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-12-26
FOrefather's Day.
THE CELEBRATION OF ITS ANNIVERSARY
IN MIDDLEBURY.

]
IN MIDDLEBURY.
The forty-second consecutive celebra-
ton in this town of the anniversary of
the landing of the Pilgrims was held in
the Congregational church on Monday
evening under the auspices of the Mid
dlebury Historical society. Though it
had rained all the afternoon, the audience
was quite large. Hon. John W. Stewart
presided. Mr.. John II. Engels of Bran
don was the organist. and the music was
rendered by Il quartet consisting of Mrs,
j. W. Pitts. Miss Elga Stewart. Miss
Hattie Cady and Mr.. Samuel Sheldon.
The exercises opened with Berthold
Tours anthem, Gloria in EXcelsis,' -
\ which was followed by the Invocation
and reading of Scripture by Rev. Mr..
! Speare. Mrs. llemans ode, The break
| ing waves dashed high" was sung. Rev.
Mr.. Palmer offered prayer, and re-
sponse was sung.
Rev. DIR. Cyrus IIamlin, president of
the college. made the address. He an
nounced as his subject French Protes-
tants or the HuguenOts.' MIR. Battell
and L. he said "are descendants of the
Huguenots on the one side and of the
Pilgrims on the other. The influence of
the latter is well known and fully ac-
knowledged; that of the former is not.
Our idea is to show what the lluguenot
| part of our ancestry, in connection with
the Pilgrims, had to do with the founda-
ton of this republic Before entering
upon his subject the speaker wished to
correct current wrong impression, that
! the people of France were all of one
race. This is not the fact. The miDori-
| ty, who made up the lluguenots. were of
| hot ntpo
class than the majority of the inhabitants
of France in their day. The word
Huguenot-of uncertain derivation was
first applied to the French Protestants as
term of reproach. 1t still survives and
serves to distinguish the French Protes-
tants from others. The speaker review
ed the history of the period and mention
ed the events which led up to the massa-
! ere of the eve of st. Bartholomew in 1872.
and the subsequent flight of the llugue.
nots from France. They founded st. Au-
gustine, Fla. II years before the English
settled jamestown and 81 years before
! the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
but the Spanish destroyed their place
The celebrated edict of Nantes. issued by
Henry of Nayarre, temporarily checked
the persecution of the Huguenots. but it
was renewed after his death They were
prevented from holding civil or military
Office and so turned to agriculture and the
arts. in which they soon eXcelled all
Europe. The tortures which were short
ly afterward inflicted upon them, to
make them recant, We're referred to.
OF 1000 of their pastors, 600 escaped to
other lands, 100 were put to death and
the rest are supposed to have recanted.
Thousands of the Huguenols fled to Ger
many, to Switzerland and to England.
In lGS5 Louis XIV formally revoked the
edict of Nantes. 1t is estimated that
France lost one million of her best inhab-
itants. The effect was to deprive her of
those who had contributed most to her
commerce and industry. England, Ger
many and Switzerland received them
and in these countries thee grew up in
dustries that have proved of lasting ben
fit, such as the working of gold and sill
yer, iron-mOngery, the manufacture of
porcelain, etc. Up to this time the Cath,
olic powers had been in The ascendant in
wealth and commercial standing Now
the scales were tulled; and it took
France 100 years to recover from the loss
she then sustaine d; and what she lost
the nations named gained. DR.. Hamliu
then took up the subject of lluguenot
settlements on this continent. They were
generally in connection with English EN-
igrants. HuguenOts bore prominent
part in this nations history. Marion
the noted Revolutionary commander
was one of them; and of the same race
were Laurens and John Jay. of the early
period of our history. Huguenot found
ers of colleges were mentiOned-.james
Bowdoin. who gave lands and books tc
the college that bears his name; StepheI
Girard. whose gift now yields 90J zoo
dollars annually for the education of or.
phan boys; the merchant Faneul, who
built the celebrated Boston hall and pre-
sented 1T to the city. and Christopher
Robert of Westminster county, \. Y.
who provided 100000 to endow Robert
college at Constantinople. Whatever po
sition the Huguenots have occupied, they
have shown themselves honest. patriot,
and useful citizens, worthy co-worker,
with the Pilgrims and their descendant,
in making our country what it is. Tn,
foregoing is. of course. but a meagr,
outline of the address, which was eX
ceediDgly interesting and was listened tC
with close attention.
The exercises in the church closed
with the singing of the doXology, anC
the benedictiOn by Rev. Mr.. Speare.
| SONioi Pbitg was hNltA III Wv
chapel, which had been prettily decorat
ed for the occasion with Chinese lanterns
pictures and draperies. Among the paint
ings was very good portrait of Presi
dent Hamiin, the work of Mrs. Bltcheld
er. Tables were set about the room, anC
to these the guests sat down. After tn,
viands had been discussed to the grea
satisfaction of all concerned, Prof
Brainerd called the assemblage to order
and Mr.. Engels rendered brilliant selec
ton on the piano. The first toast wat
this
The day we celebrate: Grateful for the lane
we live in, for the kindred spirit ot the people
Tor the freedom and unity of the faith, We keel
Forefathers day
1t was responded to by Rev. Mr.. Car
penter in happy manner
Mrs. Pitts next sang solo. which wa,
received with applause.
The second sentiment proposed was
The Huguenots of France and America, ideal
lied ami assimilated and SO pleasant to take.
DIR. Hamlin and Mr.. Joseph Battell re
sponded to this.