Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-05

} ent and w Tracy Smith Just below them
at the representatives desks were ex -Gov.
/ Dillingham;, ex-Leut.-Gov. Fisk Hons. G.
: G. Benedict Elias Lyman. Robert Roberts
and Cassius Peck of the board of trustees
: of the University of Vermont, Treasurer
T.. II. Powell and Profs J. l.. Hills and
, II. A. Storrs. Other prominent Vermont.
ers present were ox-Govs. Pingree, Orms-
bee, Page, Hendee and Stewart Gen. j.
, g. Mccullough, Gen. J. J. Estey, Judges
Rowell and Tyler Hon. c. w. Brownel,
Collectors DIN Merrill and 2. Nj. Mansur.
The scene was an impressive one. Never
before had public funeral been held in
this hall Of legislation. There were pres
ent some of the best known members of
the national law king body, and many
Of The most distinguished men of this
state from all parts of the commonwealth
"a notable and representative gathering
all assembled to pay last sad tribute
to Nermont's best beloved SON
A double quartette consisting Of A. j.
Phillips, Charles r. Lowe, r. NJ. Shepard,
George Knapp. Mrs. Frank H. Puffer,
Mrs. F. !. Ptkn, Miss Anna Phnno y
and Miss Folsom sang that old and ia =
miliar hymn, Nearer MY God To Thee"
in an effective manner. President Buck
ham read appropriate selections from the
Scriptures and offered prayer. He then
delivered the following able and eloquent
sermon:
PRESIDENT BUCKHAMS SERMON.
This day Is for Vermont a day of sad
mess; 1t Is also a day Of pride. In this
great nation of ours, theatre of great
events, of events ever greater and great
er, on every day somewhere a great event
takes place which draws to it the eyes
of all the nati~. To-day Vermont. geo
graphcalt' small, in all her history hui
manly greas. bespeaks and receives the
respectful and affectionate attention of
our whole people. To-day this entire ma
ton is sympathetic with our sorrow-is
sympathetic also with our pride. Tell me,
you who have come from maryland distant
States to minSle your memories and tears
with ours to-day-you who have seen Rim
sitting among the elders and the wise
men of our land. himself the most vener-
able and peer of the wisest among them,
tell me If the State which gave him to
YOU and to the country does not deserve
at once the respectful sorrow and the
fearful congratulations of our whole ma
ton because Of one whom she loses hence
forth from among her living sons, but
who is still to be vital part OF her dea r
est and most cherished life forevermorc.
1T has been often said, and will be said
often again. that Mr.. Morrill, was a ty-
pical Nermonter. and 1t may be added,
trust without offence, that because he was
a typical Nermonter he was the remark
able man he vas. To say this is not in
men typical Of other States our gencr-
Gus and resourcaful American blood breeds
many types of American manhood all
equally American, and all claiming and
deserving the admiration Of all Americans
without stint or envy Neithec doe; this
statement mean that our commonwealth
has by one supreme effort produced one
man in whom all our virtues arc gathered
and has therein spent her energies and
can henceforth produce only men IF medi-
ocre quality. Vermont has had in he
past, has to-day and we trust will con-
tnue to have many sons who fairly typi-
~ her public and private virtues. But the
Vermont type has been so often misunder-
stood and misreprescnted that 1t Is graft
tying to pardonable State pride to be
able to present 1t to the world IN such a
man a. Mr.. Morrill-to be able to Say--one
typica Nermonter Is man born of plain
parents In country village; receiving
limited educational advantages but dis
paying an Unsuitable thirst for knowledge
ana 1ndomitable energy IN acquiring It 4;
reading widely in the works of the great
maSter-statesmen of the formative and
critical periods Of our history; adding
thereto rs leisure afforded-ieisure stolen
from sleep-the best literature In The Eng
lish language; schooled in political dis
cussion in that primary parliament. pro-
Eenitor of all Anglo Saxon legislatures
which debates grave questions OF state at
! 'lt country 'dNeTH OF store, or IN the
church yard OF Sunday afternoon: gain
ing the respect of his neighbors as hav-
ing the superior qualities which plain men
appreciate and admire and trust, and
therefore their man to send to Congress
when the time came; representative
first, then as senator, industrious, stud
louS or great questions, especially in the
domain Of finance wherein he became an
acknowledged master: sound in judgnent
judicial rather than Brilliant not eloquent
in speech and yet conciliatory and per-
suasive, relieving a dry financial state
ment or turning the tables on an opponent
In debate by sally of good humored wit
learned of his shrewd country neighbors;
always courteous, good party man hut
respected by his political opponents be-
tween whom and himself there is on rec
ord not a single angry word during all
his long career; in presence remarSa bly,
commanding and attractive hospltable in
his home, genial as companion, faithful
as friend bameless and pure and h gh-
minded In all the relations of life-but
stop, lest you should think that ] am
drawing an idea picture instead Of giving
you the portrait Of the man as he was
And yet everyone of you who knew Kim
VIII corroborate every word of the de-
scription and will upbraid me rather for
my omissions than for my excess. But
what right have l to say aions with all
this that he was a typical Vermonter?
Perhaps in addition to other reasons the
best is that although he was "A broad
minded American who claimed every part
of the country as his own and deemed no
remoteSt corner of IL alien to him, he
loved and cherished in his heart OF hearts,
the green hills and woods and streams of
his native State, her homes and schools
her heroes and heroines, and not least the
plain men and women. whose admira ton
and love and trust were, as he well knew,
the source whence all his honors came.
If In this rapid enumeration of admir-
able ard noble qualities anything were
missed for the equipment of an American
statesman, it might be that special high
| breeding of intellect and taste which
comes with liberal culture. But in men
of native refinement there is often seen
this beautiful compensation--that the con-
seriousness of this lack and the modesty
and Difference and idealism 1t breeds are
almost an equivalent for the omitted Gull
ture. The lack OF 1t was not conspicuous
ly felt in Mr., Morrill,. Few men without
so much of the spirit OF learning and let
ters from books, from the society OF cul-
tivated men and women, from the study
OF great national and cosmopolitan ques-
lions. No man ever knew him to betray
a morbid sensitiveness OF deficiency by
undertaking the value Of training in 9TH
ers. But certain sense Of lack he GER
tainly had and the outworkng OF this
feeling, and the expression OF it to the
world, Is at once a most beautiful mani
Hesitation OF the fine spirit Of the man,