St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-27
Sons Of American Revolution.
IMMENSE ASSEMBLAGE.
Mr.. DEPEW'S GRAFTON.

MR.. DEPEW'S GRAFTON.
The members of the Vermont Society,
Sons Of the American Revolution, held
their anniversary exercises at the Armory
this afternoon. Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew
of New York, president of the Empire
Society, S. A. r., orator Of the occasion.
arrived on the noon express in Dr. w.
Seward Webbs private car The line was
formed att the State House at half-past
three o'clock. Members Of the Society
and the several chapters of Daughters Of
the American Revolution, invited guests,
the judiciary, the governor, lieutenant
governor, and other members of the state
government, the senators and represent
tatives, formed the procession, preceded
by the Montpelier Military Band and
Differed by Gen. Y. S. Peck, Sergeant-at-
Arms Y. G. Phinney, Maj. 0. ID. Clark,
Major j. II. Mimms, and Captain A. G.
Eaton. detail of twenty-four officers
and men in uniform, from Co. III, V. n. g.,
served as ushers. Fully $500 people were
assembled within the spacious walls of the
Armory.
After prayer by the chaplain, Hon. w.
p. Dillingham; introduced Hon. Mr.. Depew
in the following words:
Ladies and Gentlemen:-It has been the
custom of the Vermont association, Sons
OF the American Revolution, since the or
ganlHatlOn Of the society to hold all annual
meeting and TO have Il banquet, with
speeches by various members. But this
year, meeting lis they did early in the
summer, they thought they would admit
the public to the fat things which they
have been enjoying for many years. They
accordingly sent out Invitations and it
looks rs though all the invitations had
been accepted. bid This magnificent au-
dience welcome. and without further re-
marks take pleasure in presenting the
Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew, president of
the New York Society, Sous Of the Aneri-
can Revolution.
ADDRESS by MIR. DEPEw.
Mr., President and Gentiemea!
In no state of our sisterhoOd of Com
mOnweaths can II celebration which re-
calls the glorious memories of the Rev
dictionary period be more appropriately
held than III Vermont. Nowhere is Il So
ciety of the Sons of the American Rev
olution more at home Vermont is us
unique and original in her history as her
, mountains and lakes. She was never a
, British colony, and yet maintained Il sep
arate government against the great power
of New York on the one side, and New
Hampshire on the other. and the orders of
the English King. Her life began in re-
bellion against arbitrary authority and re-
sistance to royal orders and colonial courts
,l.I. .i.r ,,f
They were trained like the border clans of
Scotland in the school of perpetual war for
the responsibilities and duties which were
ultimately TO dCYOlve upon them
In the French aud lnCan wars New
England and New York could only be
reached by long tedious Marches but the
scattered settlements in the wilderness of
Vermont were the easy prey of the merci-
less savages and their French allies
Every boy grew to manhood trained to
woodcraft and to arms. He learned the
methods of Indian warfare, he became
familiar with the tactics of the regular
aoldiery at Louisburg and Quebec, he was
taught 10 build forts ana construct de-
fences, and he knew how to build boats
and navigate them upon Lake Champlain
and the st. Lawrence River. This people,
thus Injured to every hardship and familiar
with every form of danger, learned diplO-
macy and statecraft by resisting the
claims of New York to their lands. and
appealing first to the British government
and then to the Continental Congress for
:. recognition of their rights. The early
chronicler says tat when sheriff and
posse from New York came to dispOsesS
the inhabitants of frontier settlements
aud met face to face three hundred of
these determined men fully armed, that
they returned to New York because they
were not personally interested in the dis
pute. This description always character
lied the authorities of my state in dealing
with these dangerous malCOntents of Yer
mont, The same chrOnlCler narrates that
the sheriff subsequently discovered III one
of these houses, i'll Il corner, two of the
guns which had frightened him and his
posse from the field. one was loaded
with powder uhd bullets and the other
with powder and kidney beans. But
when, following the defeat of the sheriif's
posse, the royal government of the Colony
of New York threatened to levy war upon
the Vermont settlers and to drive them
into the Green Mountains, then was
formed THAI most patriotic, daring and
noble band Of the revolutionary period
the Green Mountain Boys. They, with
their leader, Ethan Allen, occupy II singu-
lar and IaVorlte place III the story of the
origin of the American Republic
On the 10th of May I'D, Il committee of
correspondents was formed in the city uf
New York to communicate with the differ
ent colonies respecting the increasing az
gresSiOns of the British Government upon
popular rights. While little attention was
paid TO this communication for year, in
most parts of the country, ii was taken up
Immediately by these fighting SONS of the
Green Mountains. They resolved ut once
to make common cause with the other
colonies, and, to maintain their rights, rs
they had always maintained them, with
their lives. To prevent prosecution by
royal authority for this patriotic resolve,
they seized the court house at Westminis-
ter aud held it against the Judge and
royal officers. They were farmers intent
upon such vigorous measures us would pro
tect them in their liberties until I'M appeal
could be made which should receive IL
favorable hearing from the Mother COlm-
try, or end in Il union of the colonies for
sell-defence. They were armed only with
sticks and cudges. While they were as
leep, in the dead of night, the enemy came
upon them, fired into them without notice
or parley and two SONS of Vermont were
killed. The first blood of the Revolution
was not shed ut Lexington, but ut West
ministers the first patriot farmer To die
was not the son of MASSACHUSETTS, but the
son of the New Hampshire grants which
became subsequently the State of Yer
mont.
1t is only on occasions like this that we
can embalm in speech and place upon the
records of patriotic organization the for
COTTON names of William French and Dan
iel lloughton, the first martyrs to Amer-