St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-07-07

possession of the continent during the
French and Indian Wars. Nor do l
mean its immediate effect in antagoniz-
ing the most powerful aboriginal family
in America against the French. But for
| history, for civilization, dropping all
| questions of mems policies, what is the
| tale?
Does it not mark the meeting place of
civilized and savage types of culture in a
most dramatic way? Vermont was the
last of the New England states to be
settled; decade after decade was to roll
by until actually more than century
| had passed after this event before a
white man planted foot permanently in
our wilderness. Yet here on the shore
of yonder lake, in the days of Shaks-
peare when Milton was but a year-old
babe in his mothers arms, IL years be-
fore the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply,
mouth, did these splendid types of saw
agery and civilization confront each
other In the heart of the American
wilderness.
Mark Twain has given us, an er ter
tanning picture OF the juxtaposition of
two stages of society 10 centuries re-
| AiCNNdJ Dhb liz SOhnCNllNul duhCC III
King Arthurs court, who picked off with
his revolver the finest specimens of chiv-
airy as they came charging down the
lists enjoyed no more dramatic moment
| than did our gentleman of France,
! single figure clad in doublet and long
hose, as he stepped forward toward the
front OF the mob of bowling redskins,
armed with a breastplate and thigh
pieces of steel, plumed casque on his
head, his sword hanging by his side, and
his arquebuse in his hand. Imagine Cap
tain John Smith describing such an en-
counter. Yet so little does his personal
Importance stamp itself upon Cham
plain that he simply says, This place,
where this charge was made, is in lati-.
| tude 43 degrees and some minutes, and |
named the lake Lake Champlain." He
heaped no taunts upon the enemy. He
besought his Indians to spare the lives of
their prisoners or at any rate to end
them quickly and without torture. He
sought no personal gain. His cause
was everything; he was nothing
Civilization and savagery must meet.
Our world grows oppressvely small.
Ne are meeting uncivilized people today
in Africa, in South America, in the
frozen north. in the isles of the sea, and
we are even having them brought to our
own shores We call ourselves the civil
lized; but do we always go to the inevi-
table conquest in the spirit of this 18th
century champion of God and his King?
The conquest is inevitable, for savagerv
can never match civilization.
And because the victory is to the
strong, in these days at least, the re-
sponsibility rests heavily upon the
victors. | call Champlain a prophet
because he carries the standard of civili-
zation against barbarism in the name
of his King and his country; and l call
him an ideal American because in dealing
with interiors he reflects the spirit OF his
| Master. He stands out clearly in adj
vance of his contemporaries, of Raleigh
Drake, Hawkins, and the crowd OF
Spanish freebooters, in his conception of
mems relations to each other. Unlike
the Puritan and the intolerant rehgionist
of his own faith, he was so much in sym
pathy with those of different beliefs and
PHILOSOPHERS that he could do them
good. Champlain could carry Hugenots
| and priests on the same ship and be
decent to both Moreover he could
lament their chickering's, A good Catho-
lie at heart, he could discuss with the
Indians their notions of Deity No seeker
after selfish pleasures, he was respecter
| of personality. No seeker after wealth,
he respected property rights. Scrupu-
lous in his pledges, he became quickly
known to the Indians as the one man on
whom they could rely. He radiated
absolutism through a perfectly demo-
cratic personality
These are indeed simple homely virtues
which he possessed; but he applied them
in his living. And they made him what
he was,-this possession of few simple
honelv traits. With the best opportu-
mites for personal ggrandizement; for
the Indians were all his friends and
would obey him to the letter in the fur
trade, he kept his course clear. His books,
| Parkman saws, mark the man. Allfor his
theme and his purpose, nothing tor HIM
| self De Chastes died before entering up
on his fondly contemplated voyage; he
had found in Champlain a worthy sue
cessor, one who could, like himself, de-
vote his DAYS to the service of God and
His King, and in working up to his
highest ideal, with pure soul and a
strong heart he could actually serve
countless generations in the new land
long before it's forests became cleared or
busy throngs sought the shores OF his
lake to do him honor.
| Champlain entered upon his task with
a clean heart, an adequate preparation
for great work, with the noblest aims
his age could furnish, with dauntless
courage, unwearied patience, and a
gentle heart. These qualities lifted him
beyond his weaknesses, ignorance. and
superstition. and made him great. He
| had an ideal, dream, an aim which he
kept steadily in view. He was never
diverted from his main business. He
never yielded to opportunities for per-
sonal qualification or graft. He adopted
a sensible and Christian, tolerant and
broad attitude toward the savages, and
won their respect, confidence and love,
| He was fearless and strong, tempered
! Justice with mercy, forgave injury to
himself freely, never took life wantonly,
/ urged the Indians constantly to moder-
alton, sought to Christianize and teach
them, but always nationally. He sub
| iected himself to life of hardship rather
than life of ease which might have been
his, in order to carry out his purpose.
| Sharper contrasts can hardly be
imagined than those offered by the
| French court and the Indian wigwam;
1 l..