Oxford Democrat., 1907-07-09
The Fourth at Paris i1lll.
THREE DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS. "A
PATRIOTIC AND EDUCATIONAL cELE-
BRATION,

THREE DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS. = A
PATRIOTIC AND EDUCATIONAL cELE'
BRATION.
Rarely If ever has Paris Hill audience
had the opportunity of listening to three
more distinguished speakers, than those
who faced them on the village common
on the morning of July 4, where gather
ed together to observe the day fttingly,
they listened to remarks by Rev. @. A.
Knickerbocker of Arlington, Mass,
pastor of the Paris Hill Universalist
church, Rev. Charles Gordon Ames, D.
D., of Boston, pastor of the Church of
the Disciples, and Rev. Alexander Mann,
D. D., Rector of Trinity Church of Bos-
ton.
The day was everything that could
have been desired; not too warm and
not too cold. At half past nine the Nor
way band, which was engaged for the
morning arrived, and gave band con-
cert upon the common until the Begin
ming of the exercises at ten thirty.
Seats were arranged in circle before
the steps of the Baptist church and be-
hind a table, upon which was draped the
American flag, the three speakers were
seated. George NJ. Atwood acted as chair
man, and opened the exercises. Rev. DR..
Ames delivered the prayer. AS the first
number, Mr.. Atwood introduced Mr..
Francis G. Case of New York, who read
the Declaration of Independence. Rev.
Mr.. Knickerbocker was the first speaker,
and he was followed by DR.. Ames and
DR.. Mann in the order named. The
speeches were all of high order and be-
low we print abstracts of each.
It can readily be understood that with
our limited space such abstracts as we
are able to give, cannot do justice to the
speeches themselves.
Between each speech and after the ex-
ercises the band rendered selections, and
lemonade was served to all by some of
the young ladies.
REV. C. A. KNICKERBOCKER.
There are some who have 30 far for
gotten the days of their youth as to
wish that all the noisy enthusiasm
which marks the celebration of this day
might be abolished, but am sure that
the very clamor of the day helps to
differentiate it, to set it apart, giving to
the thoughtful the opportunity and the
suggestion to study its deeper meanings.
| am equally sure that If We kept the
boys and girls wholly within bounds and
banished the ringing Of the bells, the
footing of the horns, the firing of crack.
ers and the booming of cannon, our own
indifference would let the day slip back
to the dead level of the year and all its
inspirations would be lost. On second
thought, / shall be willing to suppress
the horns. They are suggestive of
nothing unless it be that some OF our
ancestors sold fish. But in general our
ear-splitting observance of the day is
genuine aid to the emphasis of its pat
riotic significance.
What does it signifyP The preserva-
ton of our traditions. True, we may
not name them; we may not fully under
stand them; but we do feel them.~ Each
recurrent Fourth of July deepens our
confidence in the future of our country
because it increases our reverence for
its past.
Our fathers called the day Independ-
ence Day. l wish the name might be
preserved. 1t stands for the independ-
ence of the United States and for the in
dependence of its free men, united in
the bonds of a common memory, CON-
mon interest, and a common hope.
The men of '76 fought against the
tyranny of the English government that
the spirit of the English people and the
traditions of English liberty might not
perish from the earth.
The memory of their deeds carries
with it the two-fold obligation of our
citizenship: To see to it that we are
fifty represented in town and state and
nation; above all to see to it that we are
fit to be represented.
But this is Paris Hill. We, too, have
our traditions. We are proud of the
great men who have gone from this hill
top to administer large affairs and do
their part in shaping the nations his
tory. They have been many and con-
spicuous.
As Il look into the faces of these boys
before me, l see great men in the max
ing. Great they shall be though their
names be unheralded beyond the con.
fines of their native town, as shall
millions of others In our rich land of
promise, if we, the common citizens,
maintain the integrity of our traditions
that minister 80 surely to the beauty
and the certainty of our hopes.
If we are thus true in ourselves to the
heritage of our fathers, then shall our
nation be as strong as the great mount
aims that watch us from the west and as
pure and invigorating as this glorious
air that blows across our hilltop upon
this more glorious day.
REV. CHARLES G. AMEs, d. d.
Mr.. Ames expressed his full symathy
with all noisy demonstrations which are
the sign of natural and rational joy, but
he was especially glad to join in a cele-
bration of the nations birthday which
recalls US to the principle of equal God
given human rights, so making our holi-
day holy day. He quoted Ibsen's say
ing: "It is the task of Free Society to
make a noble of every man." No base
people, no tribe of Hottentots, can have
republic. Our system is only safe and
sound as it rests on intelligent virtue
on the convictions and affections of a
constituency too intelligent to be fooled
and too virtuous to be corrupted.
A friendly Frenchman, M. Laboulaye,
has told us that "What kills republics Is
ignorance. Enlighten the people, If you
fear despotism. Satan's true name is
ignorance. No doubt ignorance is one OF
the powers of darkness; but the prince
of all the devils is unprincipled intellect.
The untaught and the thoughtless may
easily become the tools of the demagogne,
but the most dangerous public enemy,
the most poisonous anarchist, is the cum
ming monopolist, the shrewd and self
seeking man of affairs, who sets his traps
and spreads his nets, to gather for him
self, his partners or his party, the pow
ers and resources, the benefits and ad.
vantages, which belong to all.
For the security Of our institutions we
must therefore work steadily to the top
of their bent, all the agencies that may
improve the quality of the population;
we must raise the standard of intelli-
gence and virtue in the family, in the
church, in the school, In social life, in
politics and in trade.