St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-27


and growth.
The hundred and seven years since
Washington was inauguated may De Oh
vided into three periods. We are now en-
| tering upon the fourth IL IL remarkable
| that each Of these periods begun with
/ threat against the Republic as created ny
the fathers. The nation has come safely
ont Of each Of these trials has emphatic
ally asserted lis faith in American liberty
ms understood by its founders, and stands
to-day the only Government in the WorlC
which has been substantially unchanged
in one hundred years.
The first period was one OF constructor
and hero-worship. Washington IN hi'
farewell address left n legacy for The
guidance and instruction of his country
It's first duty was 10 create q system DJ
which the revenues Of the Government
should always be equal TO its expenses
It's next duty was to establish system o.
weights and measures, and n standard o.
value in harmony with the commercial
nations of the world While recently TIM
standard has been the subject OF violen
partisan controversy, the leaders OF the
great parties, radical and conservative
into which the young republic divided
Washington and Madison, Hamilton anC
jefferson, met together to adjust the
question, which was one Of inquiry, OF
knowledge and Of scientific calculation
and not of politics nor Of partlsanshll
II was the period for the adjustment OF
our relations with foreign countries, ano
they were arranged upon the broad truth
that the United States would be sensitive
energetic and defiant upon every attempt
not only on itself but on other parts OF the
Western hemisphere which would i'll any
waV peril the rights of the United States
our fathers believed they should avoid Ell-
ropean enlanglcmcnts. All the same time,
the JAY treaty with Great Britain has laid
down the principles upon which with skill,
dignity and patriotism, Secretary Olney,
has ended the Venezuelan dispute. ii
was the period of heroism and intense
patriotism. The Fourth OF July was
real celebration. The eloquent descrlp-
ton of what it should be, which Daniel
Webster put into the mouth of John
Adams, was realized in every hamlet and
at every crossroads III the land. IL was
,lshrred in with the booming of cannon.
The day passed with professions and
0rutiOns; and il was rulg out with the
changing Of HE church bells and with fire
works and Examinations. AS they sue
cessively passed off the stage, Washington
Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, the Adamses
JAY and others assumed heroic proper
tons.
They lived in the peoples eye, not as
demigOds Ito arouse slayish homage and
supelstiliOus fear but as patriots so pure
| in their devotion TO liberty and indepen-
dencc that they were examples, not only
for their collntrymen, but for struggling
people all over the world and i'll all times.
The second period began with the NULL
ii "a ion OF the Fed raj revenue laws by
south Carolina. ] was rude awakening
70 the possibility of the dissolution OF tho
Union. ii was a shock to the continent Of
American nationality. The hero worship
I lhe time gave tremendous authority TO
wing Ii Ad is who possess d the p ople's
love NJ man in the crude conditions
Which then existed more conapcu )usly met
his reIuir mont than Andrew Jackson.
The whole nation heard his threat, I" By
he ernal, the Federal Union must and
hail be preserved" and Was instantly
with him II in the troubadour period Of
our race the philosopher might trnly say,
" Let me " ute the songs OF people and
care not who makes their laws" in our
history it has not been the lyric but the
p rdse which has proved potential power
This utterancc Of Andrew Jackson became
part of every political and patriotic ora
ii 1t was suppltm- nted later as the
question became an acade me one in con-
r ss, by Websters sonorous declaration,
v,
uow and forever This was printed in
tue school books and acclaimed flom the
platform of every academy and school in
the country. 1t was imbedded in tue biaiu
aud blood OF every American. IL broke the
crust VI 1IIatcIiaIi1ln and Lighted tho f Az nf
patriotism when the f.so gun was fired
upon Fort Sumter. AS tie second period
was closing the Four Ii of July had become
a farce III the cities, often frowned up)n as
vulgar and i'll the country the orator was
laughed down as "spouter." The genera
ton which came upon the stage between
1850 and 1860 knew little or nothing of the
Revolutionary War, its principles OF its act
OTIS. Slavery, more as an Investment ard
business than as q sentiment, held the re
public by the throat and constantly threat
cned its dissolution for further protection
or further aggret sions. Ont-half OF the
cJuLlry was enriched by the product which
the slaves brought from the soil, and the
other half was enriched by supplying from
a manufacturing region the wants OF
purely agricultural community. The purse
is the mother of towards Northern senti-
meut at that time is happily illustrated by
story which one of your distinguished
United States senators, Senator Collamer,
used 10 love to tell He said, being at home
during the recess of Congress, an old farmer
on his way to market hailed him aud said
TO him, Judge, slavery is sin, and 80
long as it exists 80 are all sinners. We
must get rid of this curse somehow. We
don't want to dissolve the Union to get rid
Of III why not buy these slaves and free
them?' " Well" said the judge, that is a
worry good id a Now let us See how it will
work. 1t will cost lis three thousand mil
lions of dollars. This will be distributed
among the states to be raised by taxation;
the tax on Vermont will be 50 many hun
dred thousands, the tax on Essex county
will be 80 many thousands. / think, neigh
Dor, I'll try and pat that through In the
afternoon the old farmer came along late
I'D stopping at the senator's office said,
Judge, reckon that just at presen, az
things are a little hard with us, would
not bother about those niggers," AS be
tween truth and falsehood, as between lib
city and slavery, compromises inevitably
come to au end and beta cen them 1T is the
battle to the death. Thus this period,
which had forgotten the Revolution, which
had become sordid and surrendered ever,
tlDg to profit in its rlde reckoning sacri
fl ed millions of lives and billions of treas
ure to maintain the Union upon the founda-
tons where the Revolutionary Fathers had
placed it.
We then entered upon third period. 1t
was the period of reconstruction, OF in
vcnion, and OF eX raordinary accumulation
Of national and individual wealth. BY leaps
ard bounds the nation advanced along the
path of progress Inventive genius slim
utated prosperity and prosperity stimulated
inventive genius, Enormous fortunes were
amassed by farsighted and daring men, see
ing The opportunities in new conditions and
the development of new territories. AS the
tjlces of the water and the air, as the I'M
tanned powers OF nature were brought into
the ervice Of man. they added incalculaby
to production and gave unlimited opportu-