The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-11

Men learn by others losses and failures
how to succeed.
read the other day: "Only few CEN
turtles ago the liberty of thought was UNI
known. All lips were padocked. The
public criticism of baron meant the con-
fscation Of the peasants land; the criticism
Of the Pope meant the dungeon; the criti-
cism OF the King meant death. Now all
are free to think for themselves, to sift all
knowledge and public teachings, to cast
away the chaff and to save the precious
wheat But to buy this freedom blood has
flowed like rivers and tears have been too
cheap to count. To achieve these two prin-
ciples called liberty of thought and liberty
of speech, some four thousand battles have
been fought. In exchange, therefore, for
one OF these principles Of freedom and hap.
piness, society has paid, not cash down,
but blood downfall treasure for staining
two thousand battle fields. To-day the
serf has entered into citizenship and the
slave into freedom, but the pathway along
which the slave and serf have moved has
been over chasms filled with the bodies of
patriots and hills that have been leveled by
heroes hands,"
And why is it that Curtis says that there
are three American orations that will live
in history--Patrick Henry's at Williams
burg, Abraham Lincoln's at Gettysburg
and Wendell Phillips at Faneuil Hall2 A
thousand martyrs to liberty lent eloquence
to Henry's lips; the hills Of Gettysburg, all
billowed with our noble dead, exhaled the
memories that anointed Lincoln's lips, while
Lovejoy's spirit, newly martyred at Alton,
poured over Wendell PHILLIPS nature the
full tides of speech divine. Vicarious suf-
fering explains each Of these immortal
scenes.
And you, my young comrades, will soon
be called upon, probably this week, to leave
your homes, to go forth to defend your
country, and perhaps to sacrifice your lives
that tyranny may be crushed, that Spanish
barbarities may be stayed, and that Amer
ica's torch of liberty may tighten the isles
of the sea. And l want you to remember the
State that sends you FORTH the State that
gave to America Ethan Allen and his fear
less band of followers, the State that played
such an important part in the civil war,
whose troops were often placed at the front
and led the march because of their long and
steady tread Mrs. Livermore says, mo
soldiers performed more valient service in
the war of the rebellion than did the Green
Mountain Boys. Not single flag did they
surrender to the enemy during the four
years of the rebellion" And / am per-
suaded you will so conduct yourselves on
the field that the future historian will say
the same OF you in the present war, whether
1t be long or short.
Why, / feel proud of the part which Yer
mont has already played in this great con-
troversy. 1t was the manly, impassioned
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practiced by the Spaniards, and the terrible
sufferings of the Cubans as told by our own
Senator Proctor which awakened the sym.
patty of the civilized world and aroused
this whole continent to action. And this
was followed by the stirring, passionate
speech of another Vermonter, Senator
Thurston. His speech, unlike Proctor's,
was like bugle call to arms Upon these
two men and the description of what they
saw, more than upon any thing else, be,
lieve was our nations policy decided. And
she whose heart was broken at the intense
suffering of that oppressed people and who
was the first martyr to the cause-I refer to
Mrs. Thurston-was a lady from our own
Green Mountain State. And General CIRCUIT,
has been sent for by the President and has
given his advice again and again in this our
ceuntry's emergency. Thus 1T may be said
ent war is Vermont's voice against tyranny
and cruelty.
And Commodore Dewey, commander OF
the eastern squadron, and now bearing
down upon Manila, and who at this very
moment may be fighting. his Trafalgar. is
the battleship Oregon whose arrival is 80
anxiously waited for, and who may yet
whip, single handed, the whole Spanish
squadron, is a Green Mountain boy, nay
one who was reared and trained in our own
town. Besides these our town has given
on the roll Of honor before the war 10 end
ed. 1 refer to George B. Evans, command
or OF the Tecumseh, now at Key West, and
Henry Wilson, grandson Of James Wilson,
in command Of the Vermont, now In New
York Harbor. Yes, Vermont will play her
part in this great struggle for liberty, and I
feel assured that you, my young comrades,
will not disgrace your State.
1t has been insnuated by the Spanisrd
that we lack patriotism, that we have no
flag, no fatherland, none OF that peculiar
spirit which fires the Spanish on the field of
strife. What a libel! The spaniards will
learn that we have a flag. The world will
learn that we have flag, and that it must
be revered. It's a young flag but it has
1t is flung over nearly every.
school house in our land, that American
youth may not forget their allegiance to the
government it represents. 1t is beautiful
spectacle to stir youthful hearts with 10y.
atty to their native land-the stars and
stripes floating over the temple Of knowl-
edge wherein they are trained for useful
ness and honor. 1t is glad omen for them
to hail it with speech, songs and cheers as
they do. And in this noble instruction in
loyalty and patriotism believe America is
leading the world. Therefore I fling back
the libel to the place from whence it came
and where 1t more properly belongs.
A hundred years ago an Englishman,
Fren0hman and an American were dining
together. Inc tr6nCnmAn gave bnlb JOaSt:
France, may she be like the moon, dis
Polling darkness by her benignant light"
The Englishman gave this; England, may
she be like the sun, the joy and strength Of
the earth" Then the American, who was
our Benjamin franklin, being called upon
said: America, may she be like Joshua,
who commanded the sun and the moon to
stand still, and they obeyed him." This
was the witty and intensely patriotic speech
then, and it has not diminished single bit,
by the march of hundred years.
Let me advise you, comrades, to carry
your religion with you. 1t will not make
you towards, but all the Drawer and better
soldiers. Nelson's Methodists were the
most trusted of all that hero's crew. Henry
Havelock, Captain Hedley Wears and Gen
eral Gordon were men who were true to
God and equally true to country. Do not
give way to swearing or to unclean CONVEX
sation. Remember always the mothers and
wives and sisters whom you are leaving
behind, and who will manifest higher,
truer courage and costlier sacrifice in let
ting you 60. Do not say or do anything
when you are away from home which you
know will pain them, or make them blush
on your account. Be men, clean men, men
of whom your town and State will be proud.
Write home as often as you can. 1t will
seem to break the distance, and every let
ter will send a CLEAN of sunshine in the
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