Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-05-31
Fitting|y Observed Yesterday in the
Granite City by the Veterans
A SOLDIERS monument
Project Was Discussed By Citizens After An EIo-
quent Address by T. G.. Fleetwood Of MoIrisv||e

congress, Wearled Dy prolonged SeS
sions, exhausted by arduous labors, sat
ia listless expectation. Outside the
people swarmed in dumb anxiety,
waiting the call which should sum-
mon them into national life, for it
was known that on that day the Con-
ventipn would take it's final action.
From the early morning hours the old
bellman, with locks whitened by the
troubles of three scorce years, had
ctung with nervous hand to the cord Of
the bell which was to proclaim liberty
to the world. TO HIM, as the speed
ipg hours gave no response, despair
came. His heart sickened by the de-
fe1ring of that hope for which he
longed SO ardently. He had placed a
young messenger at the entrance to
the Convention hall to make instant
proclamation Of the result OF the de-
liberations. As one hour melted into
another with no word from the young
boy, the old man sorrowfully shook
his head and said: "They will never
do it, they will never do it,"
"But see" There with fleeing step
comes the boy. With flashing eye and
and beating heart he cries in exultant
tone, "ring, ring" In quick res
ponse the tongue Of the bell broke its
|n.l1-si4ence and animated by the soul
OF the Old man sent forth peal on peal
to echo to distant lands the new song,
''liberry throughout all the land and
unto all the inhabitants thereof"
T"Tnat 4th day OF July 1915 marked
the close Of period Uf doubt and hes
itation which had perplexed the colo
nies for years. Then first, the petty
jealousies, off. prings of colonial pride,
yielded to the universal demand for
comm protection, and the states,
local in thought and feeling, were
merged in the United States, national
in impulse, federal in relation.
"The process of freeing themselves
from each Otht r was none the less diff
cult because they had freed themse Ives
from another power. The Articles of
Confederation, under which the young
states were governed, formed no bul.
wark against foreign aggression, mol
prompted any patriotic pride in COM
mon country. Under them the Con
gress had n power to liquidate debts
incurred in the war but cJuld only
recommend payment thereof to the
states: it's advisory p,wers were nu
merous, it's executive powers nominal
it might declare war but had no powel
to compel the states to raise troops: il
was a government of fiction, not fact
it could desire but not enforce.
"From this impoverished source o
national life blood, the people turned
to a stronger body. Under the lead O
Washington convention Of the state
was called at Annapolis to conside
the best means of removing defects II
the Federal Government. This bod
recommended that all the states SEN
delegates to a convention at Philadel
phia. Congress too, concurred In thi
recommendation and urged the state
to send delegates. On the secon
Monday in May 1887, this body as
sembled. The fabric of the old art
cles had become so torn that it wa
thrown aside with no compensatin
tear to console its rejection. The ne'
Constitution took it's place, who's
fundamental idea is to preserve th
sovereignty Of the states in so far q
that sovereignty does not conflict Wit
the federal supremacy.
"Yet one more lesson in self gorverl
ment remained to be taught Amer
ca and the world. Although the nj
tional feeling found expression
these two instruments, it was rath'
the assertion of that sentiment whe
brought into conflict with the &C
+ Of foreign powers than the utteran'
i. of a deed which rooted domestic b
a lief. The inclusion of two separa
governments under one has alwa..
n been attended by difficulties. II
danger consists Of this, either th
4. the larger will greedily absorb Il
smaller or the smaller will petulant
throw off her allegiance to the large
: Here, the enslavement Of race
forded pretext for a decision of th
y tremendous issue.
II have often wondered wheth
without slavery sectional war cou
" have occurred. No doubt that iSs