St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-04-24
PATRIOTIC SERVICES.
Interesting Exercises and a Large
Crowd at Grace rIethodist Church.


The seating capacity of the Methodist
church was not sufficient to accommodate
all who wanted to hear the patriotic
services held there last Sunday evening.
A crowd was anticipated by many, for
as early as six O'Clock people commenced
to enter the church and at 7 every avail
able seat was occupied and standing
room was at premium. Over 700 pro-
grammes were distributed at the doors,
and if there had been room for all who
came the number would have reached
800 or more. 1t was patriotic service
from beginning to end, and the way the
audience joined in singing the Battle
Hymn of the Republic" and America"
indicated that they felt they had coun-
try to be proud of and that deserved
their love. The church quartette rem
dered their programme in an excellent
manner and Miss Margaret Gorham's
imitation on the organ Of fife and drum
corps as an introductory to the Battle
Hymn of the Republic" was surprise to
all and much enjoyed. This hymn was
sung in a most pleasing manner by Miss
Ethel Abbott and the audience helped
her out on the chorus in grand style.
The readings by Mrs. Anna Spencer
Frost and Miss Mabel Hamilton were
finely rendered.
The address of the evening was deliv-
cred by Wendell P. Stafford, Esq, on the
topic, "Can we pay. our debts?" The
fact was impressed supon all that the
debt owed to our Maker and to our
country was much more than we could
ever pay We bring nothing into the
world and carry nothing out. For
the first 1S years of our life we scarcely
earn our salt, and yet men think that
the world owes thema living. Does it ?
Man is in debt to the world for the
progress he has made; for even the coat
he has upon his back. If it wasn't tor
the progress made in the past he would
be wearing coat of untanned leather or
else living in a country where they went
without. If left to own individual re-
sources man could sadvance but little
from the day of Adam. For this reason
we remain in debt to the world TO the
end of life and the balance on the debit
side is big one. We meet tonight to
recognize the debt we owe to the found
ers of our country.
Mr.. Stafford then briefly and in an in
teresting manner told the story of the
battle of Lexington and Concord. How
Paul Revere and William Dawes rode
through the country spreading the alarm
how the brave men gathered on the
common and refused to obey the com.
mand of Pitcairn to "Dsperse, We vii.
lains," but stood like sheep to be saugh-
tered, waiting for the British to fire,
They knew that to obtain the sympathy
of the other colonies they must let the
British fire the first shot. He spoke ol
the battle of Concord and the disastrous
retreat of the British from that town
followed by the minute men who poured a
constant fire upon them from behind trees,
fences and barns. When the British
reached stopping place they laid down
on their backs to rest, with tongues
sticking out of their mouths like dogs
Thirty-one towns had hand in the bat.
tie of Concord. The news that handful
of farmers had stood up against the
flower of the British army spread swiftly
from Maine to Georgia. Shortly after
10000 men commenced the successful
siege of Gage in Boston.
Mr.. Stafford spoke highly of the old
town meetings, saying that to them was
due a good share of the wisdom and
bravery of our revolutionary fathers. A
time comes when we want to change
from town to city government. A boy
would rather be called mister than bub
but it doesn't make him any bigger, and
large village anxious to be called a
city is in about the same position as that
boy. The American colonies had beer
exercising sel-goverment under the town
system plan long before the revolution
and when Great Britain attempted to
force upon them acts that were unjust
trouble began and independence followed
Is our independence worth anything
Look at Canada with territory greater
than ours, with its vast mines, forests
and great resources. 1t shows popula
tion of S 100000 against our 70, 900, 900
Its resources are not in many respects
equal to ours, but there is not nearly
enough difference to correspond to the
difference in strength between the two
nations. The reason is that Canada is
a colony and the United States nation
In alluding to the Venezuelan matter
the speaker said that Great Britain
might buv piece of her but she couldn't
steal it. He spoke few minutes on immi
grafton, saving that Pat had no right te
shut the door on Fritz, but that tht
door ought to be carefully guarded ii
order to keep the government pure. Mr.
Stafford plainly showed that the debt
we owed our country was an enormous
one, and that the only attempt we coult
make to pay it was by being good citi
zens, loyal and patriotic in it's support
The debt we owe our fathers and moth
ers can be partly paid by being such to
our children as they were to us. TIL,
debt we owe to our God is the greatest
but we can pay back something by pass
ing our blessings on to others.
Mr.. Stafford closed his address by
doing little preaching, saying that this
was the first, and probably the last
opportunity he had to get into pulpit
and he wanted to improve it.
The address was delivered in Mr.
Staffords usually eloquent and interest
ing manner, was about three-iourths o
an hour long and every bit of it instruc
tive. 1t left all much better informed
concerning the battle of Lexington ano
Concord, fought 121 years ago that day
| and ought tn have convinced all tha-