St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-08-17

thoughts and SenS1 b1l1tieS, no less than
the physical beings, of those of US
| who return for participation and re-
neWaI of acquaintance and friendship,
| to revert to hill and dale and woods
/ and running brookS--to the home that
was and ever shall be. And our little
state has always been SO rustic and
| shy. and her children continue to this
| day so modest and retiring, that 1 feel
at times that both have been deprived
| OF the recognition which is rightfully
| theirs. Unless you have changed the
construction of school histories since
my association with the educational
system of Vermont, a youth taught
here would grow up under the impress
sion that Massachusetts, and Virginia
and New York constituted about all
there was of this nation in it's early
days, and that all other communities
merely trailed along behind. The
truth is-and I weigh my words in all
seriousness and am prepared to up
hold the contention-the truth is that
the record of Vermont as a resolute
champion of individual freedom, as
a true interpreter of our fundamental
law as a defender of religious faith,
as an unselfish but independent and
uncompromiSing comm onwealth of
Hberty-loving patriots, is not only I'M
surpassed, but unmatched by any
other state in the union. That sounds
like an exaggerated statement put
forth to meet the demands of self
complacency Tt is really no more
or less than a proposition of plain
fact capable of easy and conclusive
demonstration. Not even the major
points of differentiation could be sum-
married. in the few moments available
for such a purpose. But let us note
few. The essence of the demands
of the Pilgrim fathers was individual
freedom, from which was expected to
issue and did issue religious liberty
and political equality as represented
to this day by the free state, the free
church, and the free school But they
comprised vastly more than that.
Those were not only God-fearing men.
but lawabiding, law-respecting, law
UNFOLDING men. Second only in i'm
portance to the divine worship was
human statute. Second only to the
Almighty in heaven was the judge
upon earth. And they linked the two
together from the very beginning.
You know" wrote John Robinson to
the Pilgrims when they saifed-'you
know that the image of the Lords
dignity and authority which the mag
istry beareth is honorable in how
person" There was the
code of their creed Liberty first and
always, but liberty under the law
Upon that rock the fathers laid the |
foundations of the mighty nation of
to-day and yet the mightier nation of |
tomorrow. Many were the times, |
even III ll1C carly WI6n the
fidelity of the people to this vital |
principle wavered in some of the col |
onieS before inherited craving of the |
pomp of rulers, but never fer an in
slant was there such Wavering in Yer
mont. Here she stood unrecognized |
even unnamed, in those dark days |
preceding the Revolution, beset on all |
sides by enemies who should have
0een her friends, fighting for her very
the individual freedom of
Ter people and for the protection of
he property they had wrought from
he unwilling earth and builded with
heir own tireless hands. And when
he war was over, back to the axe
Ind plowshare went those sturdy,
silent men, only to be compelled to
themselves against the neighbors
whose freedom they had helped to
vim
The story Of Vermont during the
ucceeding l. years is the most fascin-
ting ever written of any state
surely history does not record an act
more audacious than that of those
etermined men who not only set |
themselves up as a free and indie
endent republic, but successfully
Maintained the integrity of their
oVernment against Congress, New
ork and Canada by force of arms |
here was good fighting in those days.
hat we can understand. But how !
an we account for the Sagacity mani
7sted by those untutored men who
-rote into their fundamental law an
ternal edict against human slavery?
oWhere else upon this continent ,
ad such statute been enacted or
ven suggested. To Vermont, not as {
Vassal of Great Britain not as a
art of the United States. but as an Q
dependent republic, fell the honor
nd glory of lighting the torch of
n1versal liberty. Fourscore years later
large group of powerful states tried
hight their way out of the union to g
iench the burning of the fame and +
lied. But little Vermont, single
anded and unaided, raising the
andard of political right and human q
stlce, tried to fight her way into the -
non, and succeeded.
AND when the first test of the new :
'Vernment took place over the great | n
lest1on which subsequently plunged ~
e nation into civil war, whence came | y
e clear note of liberty and | =
non blended and indivisible? We | -
ay we'll believe that an administra- a.
IN grown so strong under John Ad-
rs as to venture estoppaI of free IL
eech became indeed a peril and ~
7rlted stern resistance. We can even q
w feel the indignation of our fore %
ars when their representative in a. a.
ngress was arrested, tried, convicted, e
ed, and imprisoned for violating :.
2 hateful Sedition act. We can q
npathize with the spirit which in ~
ced them to re-elect Matthew Lyon
Tile he was still serving his term in w.
son. We can recall with satisfac- ",
n and pride the eagerness with a. a.
1ch> 1000 citizens contributed one Tx
LAR each to pay the fine imposed Of
her than accept proffers of money O. O.
m all parts of the country. We e %
1 revel in the picture of that long ~
e of sleighs stretching along the -, ~
eat Otter all the way from Vergen- III
) to Middfebury as an escort for the Ct
eased patriot. All this and all else 81
It they could do within the law to
wv their resentment they did. but MI
more Not a step fell over the line br
rked by John Robinson in his letter
the Pilgrims we
IN the contrary, when Kentucky in