St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-07-26
A TRIBUTE TO BURNS.
MIR. Stafford,s Address mt Barre.

Friday was notable day for Barre
especially and for all Vermont in general
for on that day the Burns Club unveiled
a $4,000 granite monument to the
great Scotch poet. More than 10000
people were present, including Gov.
Smith and his staff, Senator Ross and
Congressman Grout and the members of
the supreme court. President Inglis of
the Burns Club presented the statue,
which was accepted by Mayor Gordon.
The monument and statue of Burns is a
true work of art in Barre granite. 1t
was designed by Barclay brothers of
Barre and cut at their plant. Mr.. Bar
clay gave the statue free of cost. The
statue of Burns was modelled by ]. |
Massey Rhind of New York and was
carved by Samuel Noveli of Barre. The
panels of the die were modelled by ]. B.
King of Milford, N. H., and sculptured in
Barre by Eli Corti. The whole monu.
ment is Of Barre granite and so far as
known is the only granite statue of
Burns in existence, all the others being of
marble or bronze. The monument is 33
feet four inches above the foundation.
Wendell P. Stafford's address was one
OF those scholarly and appreciative
efforts which few men in this state could
give and which none could do any better
than our own townsman whose selection
as the orator of the day was because he
was a native OF Barre, a brilliant
speaker, great admirer of Robert
Burns. His closing paragraphs are as
follows:
What did this unhappy man leave US ?
To speak only of supreme excellence, he
left us the best satire in the language
"Holy Wilie's Prayer" the best tale in
verse TamO Shanter;" the best descrip-
ton OF Scottish life and character-"The
Cottet's Saturday night" the best drink
ing song-"Auld Lang Syne;" the best
battle "Bannockburn; and the
best love songs, perhaps, in any language.
This was man who toiled like day
laborer all his life, owed nothing to the
schools, and died at thirtv-seven. Thank
God, it is not for us to judge; it is for us
only to be grateful
'"Then gently scan your brother man,
| Still gentler sister woman;
| Though they may gang a kennin' wrang,
To step aside is human:
One point must still be greatly dark,
The moving why they do it;
And just as lamely can ye mark
How far perhaps they rue it,"
What is our debt to Burns? Not mere
ly the verse he left us, although that debt
is great indeed. He redeemed common
life from its vulgarity. He dignifet
labor, he made home sweeter, and low,
more precious, and threw over this work
aday world an immortal charm. Burn.
stands for that spirit of manly indepen
dence which was the very breath of lit,
in the nostrils of the New Wcrld. H,
was the great Democrat of Europe. H,
walked the strait paths of that feuda
land in the spirit of the new age-abso
lutely free-and hailed afar the coming o
a brighter day. He felt the terrible in
equalities OF the human lot:
mot but hae richer share
Than mony ithers
But why should ae man better fare,
And all men brithers?" ?"
This is the question that staggers Il:
today, and will continue to trouble every
noble and tender heart until the great
levelling processes OF liberty shall have
done their perfect work. He taught us
the true value of manhood:
"Is there for honest poverty
That hangs his head and a that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a. thatl
For a. that, and a that,
Our tolls obscure, and a that,
The rank is but the guinea-stamp,
The mans the gowd for a. that"
He has impaired to us his own serene
faith in the coming of the better time
"Then let us pray that come it may
AS come 1t will for a. that
That sense and worth, DER the earth
May bear the gree and a. that;
For a. that and a. that,
It's comm vet, for a. that,
That man to man, the world DER,
Shall brithers be for a. that!
If somewhere in the other world, that
spirit-land which may be nearer than we
think, this great soul is looking down
upon our doings here today, believe me,
nothing in them all has touched him
more than that his form was wrapt
about with the stars and stripes-the
glorious ensign of that young republic he
saluted from across the sea
You, men OF his own race, who cherish
his fame, and out of the love and sacrifice
of loyal hearts have reared this monu.
ment to his memory-you shall be better
Americans for being true Scotchmen.
You have cast in your lot with us, in a
land dedicated to the very principle for
which Burns sang his earnest song. We
have great task before us still. and you
must help us. We must see that the SUBJ
lime ideal OF our fathers is realized better.
year by year, in wide and wider spread
of those blessings of liberty which they
intended to secure for themselves and
their posterity. The stream of national
life must be the richer for your coming.
Bring us of your thrift, your energy,
I your loyalty. We need them all. But
bring us your finer gilt, bring us your
poet, too. He is too great for Scotland
he belongs to the world at large. We
will teach our children to stand before
his statue and say with yours: This is
Robert Burns, the great peasant-plough-
maj the most rarely gifted son of the
Scottish race-the sweetest singer of the
common joys and sorrows OF mankind
the world has ever heard.
Lynd0nville Camp M Getting.