The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-31

at once and forever the leading indus
try Of the South. A new impetus was
thereby given to the importation of
slaves and to slave trade, the most
iniquitous and disgraceful industry In
which human beings have ever en-
gagged, so that in 1903 when the con-
stitutional prohibition took effect the
number of slaves had vastly increas-
ed.
From then on slavery became the
basis of great political struggle. 1t
was then that the talk OF secession
began. The Southern leaders threat
ened disunion. Compromise after
compromise was made but each one
In the end was broken.
But Providence was preparing the
Moses who should lead the nation to
the promised land of liberty. This
man was Abraham Lincoln. Unless
slavery was wrong he believed moth
ing was wrong and the states must be
all slavery or all free. He held that
the Declaration of Independence re-
lated to all men and this was
the principle that carried on the war,
once begun, to finish.
You already know it's gigantic pro-
portions, that slavery, which had div
ided the nation from its birth and
again and again threatened its very
existence, was finally put at rest for
ever and that the union was saved.
The war was a grim necessity, the
outcome OF it was right, and am glad
that they who dared so much and dis
regarding the sting of defeat joined
hands with the North for the common
good, were Americans and belong to
us
If Vermont had nothing but her
record in the Civil war, she would
with that alone have a valid claim to
a high and honorable place in history.
OF her total population, one in every
ten enlisted. OF her able bodied men
of military age every other one enlist
ed. The state expended close to $780,
100000 for war purposes.
When Lincoln entered office In
March, 1861, and took Office, he was
in desperate plight. Did he falter
or stoop in despair? Not for an in
slant Lincoln was quiet, efficient
and steadfast through it all. At the
end when success had crowned his
work, he was crowned with a mar
tyrs crown.
There are other forms of slavery
than that which the war destroyed
There is the slavery which makes
men toll for an unfair wage with no
hope OF advancement. There is the
slavery to party which prevents
man from being a good citizen and
which brings him to vote for the par
tvs candidates and principles regard
less of whether the candidates are
honest and competent or whether the
principle is right or wrong. There is
the slavery TO the past and its stan.
dards which keeps a man looking
back when he ought to be looking
ahead. What would Lincoln have
done? Let us avoid, and do what we
can to wipe out these forms of slay.
cry. Let us try to face our problems
and duties as the men of the war
days faced theirs, let us be politically
and mentally honest and free, let US
stand by our homes, our constitution
and our country which exists because
men have fought and died for it.
In conclusion | leave with you one
thought which | obtained from an.
other 1t is this--they praise our
heroes best who keep this dear land
free"
After the ceremonies in Benning-
ton some of the Veterans, Co X, of
the Vermont National Guard, the Boy
Scouts and the Pittsfield Marine drum
corps left on the 3:40 o'clock train
for North Bennington. The train
was run as an excursion and many OF
the local celebrators took advantage
Of the special rates and accompanied
the veterans. Upon the arrival at
North Bennington the parade was
augmented by about so school chill
dren and proceeded to the cemetery,
where the address was made by Rev.
Charles S. Clark.
Memorial day was observed in the
public schools Monday. At the exer-
cises in the high school, where they
were held in connection with the de-
votional exercises, Principal Fl. B.
Dickinson spoke Col. n. NJ. Puffer
addressed the pupils of the eth grades
on the Battle of Cedar Creek" In
the 7th ward school the patriotic pro-
gram was combined with an exhibit
ion of school work and was attended
by the parents of the pupils.