Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-03


| colony Its character. I suppose Ne should
| not readily consent even today to be-
come county or two Of New York,
swallowed up and lost In her sew, n.mil-
lion population, and Individual traits
and traditions surrendered, Our indepen.
dence a thing Of the past. Yet all that
might happen today with smaller loss to
| us and to our children than that which
threatened our fathers when they dcclar.
cd their determination to be free. This
is the view which gives dignity and elc-
walton to our theme. The quarrel be-
tween New York and the Hampshire
Grants was not mere question Of bound
airy. 1t was not a great lawsuit conccring
land. II was not merely resistance to
unjust and arbitrary acts that threaten
| cd ruin To u thousand homes. You can.
| not rightly estimate the strngGlc-you
cannot even understand it--until you see
in it a grnrple between aristccracy and
democracy, --bctween tho crown and
| commonwealth. rho principles ana
practices of government that marked
| the sway of Golden and Clinton came
| down through that school OF k'ngiv
prerogativc 10 George the Third IRON,
Charles the First; while the strength OF
Allen and Warner. CT Fay and Chttcn-
| den. was drawn from the ideas that set
tied Plymouth and trumphed ut Naseby
| and held I'M tho hands Of the long Parlia-
mcnt. ideas that prompted the rcn or
| Milton. the tongue of Vanc. tho htnrt
NJ Hompdcn the sword of Cromwell.
ana finally brought the head OF the first
| Stuart to the block
| GENIUS OF THF. AGE POLITICAL"
| rbc peui,is of the age was political.
| .,thcr ages have surpassed 1t In other
wnys-in letters, in art. in science III
| conquest in discovery. But now the
| ,,;r,,. of mon were stirred AS never DC
| far. uvcr the principles OF government.
| pho domination OF civil and sacred ~
st;,u,ions were being searched as with
| candies rho shirt of the time lowered
and fruitcd in the Declaration OF 'hde-
| rcndcncc tho statute or religious "or-
| ~ for VIRGINIA., the constitution OF l'S7.
| aud tho luminous exposition of the FED
| cralist 1t was not alone anon" 'he
.r,., and learned that these questions
were ovcrhauled. Every tavern ana hrc'
| side was alive with debate. Every pup
lie assembly WAS stormy with discussIoh
| " here two or three were gathered 'o'
Gather in tho name of tho people tnere
was liberty in the midst or thcm. ne
long argument against British encroacn'
mont had taught every farmer ana me-
c,,nic the essentials Of free INSTITUTIONS
"Jf God spares my life" said Tyndaie
"I will cause the boy that DRIVEN 'n'
n,ov TO know more Of the scriptures 'nh'
the popc does" So Jefferson ana fr"h"
lin. Otis and the Adamscs. had cause'
,ho hoy that drove the pillow IN the coio"
ics to know moro Of tho basis ot socla
order than the rulers Of Europe. Inc
sn,nc causes that tore America Iron
Creot Britain tore the New Hampshire
Grants from New York. You canno
limit tho application OF pr'nc'P''
Emerson. YOU remember, bad" tr' ""'i'
Ioo,, ont for itself when God shoHld turi
lnosc , thinker upon tho planet. inc ne
voIution gave Vermont the principi's '"'
justified her own revolt. IL ans" EaN
bcr time to make her declaration s"'''
who knows what might raw p''h u"
cr1 If New York had been f"ec 10 'u'
hor whole attention to us: \'r''""' -
, bcr yea, in tho general caus" put U
shame the batting, tagging pohcE
Nov York and made hcrsci Ir''"'
among the other COLONIES Nhe" w
way was over she had behaved so ea'H'n'
IT, and grown so strong that nor 'h"'
nendcnco was beyond peru. FUR
roors she held her own against the Wo''
. and then she took her place IN 'h' "'''''
The first Of the great sa'h'r.is "
states which haze come |" S"''
might and majesty OF tho 'hco'''p"'''
republic.
TRIALS OF THE PROVINCES.
: W. ,ook about us on fertile fields. ol
comfortable, quiet homes, on happ'
faces Of men and women, ON ch'ldreh VIII
shall live their lives, as we l'Ne ours II
j freedom and security. and th"h' II '"
; bavc hearts to feel the touch OF Srat'
tude we think what ii has cost. we -
the dark rrimcval forest with the brlsh
st,rs overhead. We hear the hlGht-w'h
blowing in the trees. We near IN
screcch oe ranthcrs and the howl
wolves. and here and there anid IN
vast for,,idding solitude VIC see IN
watch fires of the pioneers. We see whi'
winter over all the lard. We reel IN
. hiring cold in cabins that Will harui
kecn III. snow outside. We lie upon III
,afters and sec the frosty stars shir
I throuph the roof We see the settle
crouching by his hearth where the las
faint cmber has expired trying with III
Nnitc pains 70 bring the BIRTH OF nrc fror
the cold marriage Of the fint ana stcc
S Wc soc the boy upon hts fathers hors
=. winding through forest ways, GONG
\ miles to get q little grain ground INT
Z four for his mother TO make bread. W
= 500 the fcvcr-stricken household ia
A from HUMAN hcip.-the lonely burial III
n der the dropping bouehs. we see III
4 woodman leaning on his AK hesiic III
: holfcut tree, his tanned face drippih
J, with thc rain of toll, his muskct lean
ing on tho log close by. We sec the III
Tie clearing he has made IN let tnc SUI
. light in upon the virgin soil! the narro'
$ match of potatoes or of corn that moan
n lie for tho coming year. We 500 IN
: rude hut where he lives, tine brook tina
: brings his water and the slender ira
h that leads back to the safety he has lef
= we 500 his wife about her honely tasks
: his it'll, children at their Tlay We hca
c n gun sneak from the woods. We So
L him fall. We hear the wild wnverin
e war-whoop' and then VIC shut our eye
Il to the horrors that We know must com
q We sec the clcarings grow. tho crol
increase, the dwellings mnde tight an
:. | warm, ana here and there bed {
:, lowers beside tho door. n vine that clan
!, hers mp the wall-u touch OF beauty an
a sign of peace. We are there who
. news comes that the land they ha,
bought and paid for. the home tho