Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-04-19
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
IERHONTS MINORITl.'

| interesting address with the above title,
rend by Rev DR. @. s. Weaver before the
| Providence, X l., association Of "Sons Of
| Vermont" at their last annual meeting
| The address recites in an effective way
some Of the leading facts and incidents in
the states early history and in closing pre-
sents certain conclusions taught by these
facts, which we reproduce in full
have thus hastily sketched the outline
Of Vermunts history from l124, when the
| first settlement was made, to l19l, when
| she came into the Union as state, to en-
able us the better to understand the train
ing through which her early settlers passed
in producing this mountain state. Here
are sixty seven years Of experience with
the tolls, trials, dangers and discipline Of
settling and developing new state. The
| forests had to be disposed of, the soil titled
farms. roads, buildings, tools, furniture
schools, churches, laws, courts, govern
ments, produced In those sixty seven
years our fathers had everything 70 do to
put civilized society in the place of mount
ainous, resisting nature 1t was an i'm
mense work They were plain, honest
working people, who had had no experience
in the great work of society building. But
to think and study They were away from
cities, colleges courts, libraries, in the
heart of rich rugged country but its
riches were to be developed and the insttu
tions Of civilized society to be founded.
Their first public work was to organize
town governments They had had some
experience in this in New Hampshire, Mas
sachusetts, Rhode Island aud Connecticut,
from which they had come but their ex
periencp had been slight Most Of them
were comparatively young men, who had
gone into this new country 10 found homes
and rear their families. But it was time
in this new American society when the
principles Of civil government were being
studied. In the first settled regions of the
country there were many profound students
Of political science, who read the writings
Of Locke, Sydney. Montesquieu and others
! The works Of the masters found their way
! into Vermont. One Of their books would
! nocculate IA whole town and set all the
embryo politicians to studying and improv
| ing upon its teaching. Political science be
came the study Of our fathers. Their ne
cessties compelledit. No great leaders hal
! gone before TO found society for them. No
| Pilgrims Purtans, reformers Roger vii
! iamses or VIM Penns had sought the wllds
Of the Green Mountains to inculcate their
doctrines in safety But they we're plain
solid men ~ hu we're not afraid Of the forest
the wild animal, or the Indian, but were
willing tu face them all for little farm t."
! till for "A home Their isolated and leader
less position forced them 10 study and ex
pertinent in their attempt, at government
| Mud 1t was Just SO in starting their school,
aud churches Originality Was prolific in
| those Vermont wilds Not always were
| they wise IN what they did but they had
1 their reasons for it and learned something
| hy their trial And this studiuus. original
experimenting quality was developed in al
most the whole community It's import
unrr in developing self dependence, thought
/ fulness aud the courage of conviction. can
scarcely be over estimated Here was Il
rugged school Of sefhoOd that could not but
produce strong character and earnest life
Then the iiurS came in 10 give mighty
| vigor u this mountain school Of young life
| The last half Of the eth century in Amer
lea was intense and powerful in its appeal
to the best there was in the souls of the
| people They were casting off the effete
things Of the past. They were putting Eu
| rope and its feudalism and aristocracy be
hind them They were planting the germs
| Of II new civilization in this new world
| Vermont was growing, forming her char
acter, improving the years of her minority
Just in the time of the Revolution. The
| principles at the bottom of that struggle
struck as deep into the heart of the Yer
mont people H. any in the country. The
Samuel Adamses and Benjamin Franklins
grew thick all over the state. The great
est prin, pies were discussed rs freely in the
vernacular Of the hills as the manufacture
/ r h.a h,,tlit
and burning log heap the men talked of
their rights the power and limits Of gov
erument, the sources Of authority, the uses
of taxation, the trial 10y jury, the educa
| tion Of children, and the doctrines of re
| ligiun Every day life in Vermont in those
days was "a sort of country lyceum in which
| all questions great and small, were freely
discussed There were no sleepy hollow
| nelghborhOOds in our brainy young state.
| The whole Of il was alive with the spirit of
the times Under these circumstances it
could scarcely he otherwise than that a
community Of intelligent and conscientious
people should be produced, as well as one Of
energy and independence Of character.
But there is another thing to 20 into the
estimate Of character which resulted from
the early life of our state that is, the stock
Of rhich he peopie rcrc composed 1t was
settled chiefly by people from New Hamp
shire Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Con
necticut These states had been settled by
people from different parts of England
mostly from the middle ranks of society.
| They had been improved and vitalized by a
! generation Of American life Those whu
went to Vermont were mostly children OF
those who had come from England, and
were protestants Of protestants--aS good
/ - .,
not cousins who had intermarried for gen
-rations and grown weak 10y their nearnesS
If relationship, but had come from sound
European stock and settled in Vermont to
mngle strains of health, vigor and spirit
| Then there we're the freshness of new
soil. the vitality of "a mountain climate, air
and water, aud the vigor that comes from
new enterprises All these things entered
| into the ancestry that founded our state
But thus far we have only considered the
per od of Nermunt's minority in which she
struggled to make herself worthy of place
among other independent states. Such Il
minority carried mighty propelling forces
into the adult life of the state 1t gave
character to all she has since been. IL made
her " hat we have reioiced ina state that
has honored freedom, intelligence, and all
good principles. She has now had almost
"A hundred years of state life, and has she
| not justified all reasonable expectations OF
what she was able to do Her secusor
among the hills has been good for her peo
pie. The vigor of her climate has given
them robust health The beauty of her
scenery has quickened aud elevated theil
taste Her excellent schools have educated
her children and what other children have
had such safe and enterprising surround
ings Her academies and colleges have
made thoughtful and enterprising scholar
of many of her youth. Her adoption, Sc
many years ago, of prohibitory Law
against traffic in Intoxicating drinks, has
given her a sober community and a nam,
for wisdom and worth Her patriotism
made her friend of her country in every
time of need, though that country wa.
slow to give her place in the sisterhood o
states So consistent ana honorable hai
been her career, and so prolific and credit
able has been her production of men anC
women which she has scattered with gen
erous missionary zeal over all our states
that two years hence she may celebrate tn,
hundreth anniversary of her statehoo,
without a blush for any neglect of duty
and with "a just pride in her fruitful lifl
among her magnificent hills We, her loya
sons, give her IAN hail. in her matronl'
glory, and mean to take an affectionat'
part in her centennial celebration in 1891.
A Prevention Of Railroad strikes.
When the great strike on the Missouri
Pacific system WAS in progress Charles Fran
ris Adams prepared and distributed anon
/ his fello,y directors of the Union Paclii