The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-02-28
NUMBER 8.

toms Iime," Kate Smith; essay, " Compar-
ison OF Washington and Lincoln, !" Raw Hnse.
Ihe exercises closed with singing Amer
ica."
NOTWITHSTANDING many counter attrac-
| tons, an audience that comfortably filed
the Grand Army hall gathered last Thurs
day evening to listen to exercises held un-
der the auspices of Brooks Post commerno-
ratlve OF Washington's birthday. T. l.. Cas-
! savlant, commander of the post presided
and excellent music was furnished by the
glee club of Vermont Methodist Seminary.
| w A. Lord, Esq, was the first speaker.
He said that such assemblies we're not
necessary TO keep alive the name of such
| man as Washington. Mr.. Lord spoke of
| him as an example Of patriotism and virtue,
| and made some pertinent suggestions as to
what patriotism means to US to-day. The
safety of the people is through the ballot,
which is the voice of the people. Capt H. G,
| Lull made bright and entertaining remarks,
and General Stephen Thomas was loudly
applauded as rose to speak. He eloquently
referred to the flag that hung over his head,
whose stripes are more red than in Wash
| ington's time, made so by the blood of 400
900 heroes. The story of Benedict Arnold
was referred to as a lesson against proving
traitor TO anything that is good. The gen.
eral urged that the children of the state be
educated at the expense of the state, be-
| cause in time of danger they were ALWAYS
ready to die, II need be, in its defense Ina an
admirable address of fifteen minutes, Rev.
j. Edward Wright suggested some things
that Washington was not He was not
! smart as that term is used among us to-day:
| he was never popular among his associates;
! he was not a scholarly man; and yet, with
out these, he got along very well, and long
years after his death the people of this
country commemorate his birth Whatever
! Washington was not, he was a thoroughly
| conscientious man, willing to sacrifice any
| thing for the general welfare. He took
command of the army and the presidency
from sense of duty, and because it was
| almost a necessity. Mr.. Wright read ex-
tracts from his first inaugural and farewell
addresses, and drew therefrom interesting
| and impressive lessons. Hon. w. 7. Dill
| lingham was the last speaker. No abstract
| OF the eX-governor's eloquent words will do
| him justice. He referred to the fact that
this government rests upon the intelligence
and unseltshness of those composing it. AS
| Neal Dow stands to-day as the representa-
| tive of temperance legislation, so Washing
ton stood in his day as the exponent OF
liberty to mankind. He was reverent and
unselish man. and so strong was the speak
er's love and admiration for him that he
never wanted to hear his name mentioned
| lightly. Washington was the embodiment
OF the best thought of the people, his name
deserves to be revered and his birthday
commemorated. What Washington stood
| Tor in those days, the veteran soldiers of
this country stood for in the civil war. The
! speaker, in this connection, paid glowing
| tribute to General Thomas who sat lust in
front of him, that struck responsive chord
in many hearts. The post is to be congratu-
lated upon their choice of speakers on this
occasion and upon the success that crowned
| their undertaking.
INTENSELY interesting was the talk on
Professionalism in Italy" given at the
Church of the Messiah last Sunday evening
by Rev. j. Edward Wright, it being one of
the series he has been delivering on occa-
sional Sunday evenings during the winter
| from material gathered during his years
stay abroad. Mr., Wright referred to the
| generany accepted idea that tho d!spro-
portionate poverty and immortality of Italy
! is due to misgovernment, and this is
due to papacy, and said that we can point
to no country where the authority has been
so prominently ecclesiastical as in Italy. In
no country have there been so many
churches and theological institutions, and
all OF one sect, as in Italy, and the conclu-
sion is irresistible that something is wrong
in the religion of the country or in its adj
ministration. To be sure, there are out
and-out Protestant churches in Italy; but,
unless the traveller searches for them, he will
not find the little out-of'the way chapels in
| which Protestants worship. These are ex-
otics, and do not affect to any appreciable
extent the native population OF the cities of
Italy. Under present circumstances, one
cannot be patriotic Italian and good
Romanist. 1t is evident that in our day the
ROmish church has lost its hold on millions
Of its own people in its own land. The
speaker here referred to two or three hun
dred Protestant churches and missions
| under various auspices existing in Italy,
especially noting the work of Count Cam
pello an ex-priest and former canon of
st, Peters. Efforts like those of Count Cam
pello are needed TO save the millions in
| Italy who have turned tn ir backs upon the
church and priests. The speaker referred
to some OF the changes wrought by the
work begun by Victor Emmanuel as pro-
noting essentially Protestant ideas. Excom-
municated by the Vatican as he was,
his work went on during his life
time, and is continued by his son, King
Humbert. Marriage is made civil rite,
aud is performed in a municipal office. Ed
ucatiou is secularized, and the teachers are
necessarily civilians, teaching from text
books authorized by the government: nun
neries and monasteries have been sup
pressed throughout the land and more re-
cent legislation has taken out of the hands
of the church the distribution of charities,
which is done now by government com
mission of which priest cannot be mem
Der; all churches are government property,
and the law will support parish in the
choice OF pastor, be he Papist, Protestant,
Pagan or jew. When the government of
/ Italy IT cords its verdict OF distrust and con-
demnation OF the church, there is little need
| or reason for Protestants to seek for argu-
ments against the papacy. However highly
we may respect Catholic priests as men, and
| whatever we may think of the private char
acter OF the pope, entirely estimable as II s,
| we find that the Italian government has
| discarded and repudiated his authority.
/ ms 10 the speaker seemed the strOn geSt
| argument against permitting such wonder
full ecclesiastical mechanism to gain control
in any other land.