The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-08-21


severance gave life and ipdepende nee to
her, greater safety and strength to her
sister States, and to our common cOun-
try bright page in its glorious his
tory.
"Gladly l bring to you from the old
Bay State congratulations and her love
as the unanimous sentiments of her
sturdy and patriotic children. This
sentiment is but the natural spontaneous
feeling between States whose relations
have always been those of amity, good
will and support from the early days
when those green hills had but begun to
develop the life which century ago
matured in a free and independent
State.
SIN her struggle with her nearest
neighbors, who loved her quite too much
to give her up, Vermont had all the
sympathy Massachusetts, could give
without herself becoming embarrassed
in her family relations. Long before
Ethan Allen bore to astonished Ticon-
deroga the command of the Continental
Congress and the great jehovah, yes,
even before the days of Wolfe and Mont
calm, Massachusetts, looked to the brave
sons of the Green Mountains as an in
superable barrier between her and her
foes, barrier tried and found true a
little later in the victory we justly COM
memorate as the turning point, in the
dark days of our revolution; and again
tried and again true a generation later
in McDonough's gallant victory on Lake
Champlain.
shoulder to shoulder stood Mass
achusetts and Vermont in those days of
struggle and suffering; hand in hand
have they walked since, sharing each
others joys and sorrows through and
the clouds which have broken over our
fair republic.
Massachusetts has deep interest in
this commemorative monument. 1t re-
calls the valor of her sons; the union of
all, heart and hand, for the common
veal; the sarifces of the fathers, for
the liberty of the children; the begin
ming of great nation; the courage, pat
riotism and struggle that wrought its in
dependence and formed free institutions
that would insure to its people happiness
and prosperity and lead the world to a
truer. nObler life. So the mother States,
as together they shared the labor of the
victory, so together, generously, CRATE
fully, they erect this monument, that
the struggle and victory may live forever
The acts of State, rather than the words
of man, are the fitting tribute to brave
deeds bravely done for love of country.
Wut's words to them whose faith an
truth
On wars red techstOne rang true metal;
Who ventured life an love an youth
For the great prize of death in battle?
But to-day we commemorate not one
event alone, A century ago Vermont,
first of the great incoming sisterhood,
took her place among what the poet
calls the stars of glory Not large in
territory, not significant in population,
yet she has ever maintained in our Union
a position of stability, influence, patriot
ism and power which has made her po-
tent factor in the well-being and progress
of our continental republic.
"To-day we think of her not alone as
the Vermont whom Stark and Allen
made famous, not alone as the pleasant
land of hill and valley, but as the greater
Vermont who has sent her children forth
from ocean to ocean to build up the ma
ton and to stamp upon it the sterling
virtues of sturdy New England life.
''The statistician will tell us that Yer
mont Is stationary, that her population
does not increase. Yes, she is stationary,
as the family home is stationary, because
those who have been born into it have
gone forth from it in obedience to the
great law which God gave man to subdue
and replenish the earth. Her children
have made her influence felt throughout
the Union. because they have carried
forth from the home the mothers teach
ing, the courage, strength and character
that seem to be bone of her bone, and
blood of her blood. 1t is her life rather
than her size, her virtues rather than her
riches, that have made her permanent
and powerful. Here in this rugged, typi-
cal New England State have been exem-
plified the glowing words of our liberty
loving, undying, Lowell:
"'Before man made us citizens, great
Nature made us men,
$50, as we stand to-day beside the
rushing river of our prosperity and strive
to trace its sources, we find one of its
clear and sparkling fountains amid the
green hills of Vermont.
'In their life and work, their character
and virtues, their purpose and influence,
Vermont and Massachusetts, stand close
together.
With mutual love and esteem each for
the other, Massachusetts, has never
failed in her interest in Vermont, and
especially in Bennington, from the day
when Stark sent to our Commonwealth
the trophies of his victory (still rever-
emily preserved), and in return she voted
him her thanks, suit of clothes and a
piece of linen, and again century later
made her generous contribution to this,
his monument.
"Our affection for our sister State is
none the less If we do not settle within
her borders, but cling with tilial love to
the old Bay State, and there, as here, en-
joy the beauty, simplicity and vigor of
our New England life.
SIN 1882, when John Adams was min
lister at The Hague, his wife in his alb
sence purchased lands IN Vermont and
suggested removal there at some future
time. Our gifted minister, broken in
health and worn in mind, wrote in de-
spair: What is to become of the indie
pendent statesman, one who will bow
the knee to no idol, who will worship no
thing as a divinity but truth, virtue and
his country?' And then he exclaims:
oh, peace, when wilt thou permit me to
visit PENIS hill, Milton hill and all the
Blue hills? love every tree and every
rock upon all those mountains. Rowing
along these will be the amusement of
my declining years. God willing, / will
not go to Vermont; I must be within
scent of the sea-
$50 to-day, as the children of Vermont
cherish with special love and reverence
their native State, we, TOO, cannot forget
our native hills and valleys and rock
bound coast, our Greylock, our Wachu-
sett, our Berkshire and our Blue Hills,
around which are nestled so much of
comfort, prosperity and happiness, and
to which we longingly turn for rest and
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