News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1912-01-31
Lecturer Crocker's Address

| LECTURER OTOCRef S dress, r6Ie1rCtt e.
above, was as follows:-
MEMBERS OF THE ORDER 1t Civ,
me great pleasure to know that the tro.
ply for which you have worked and
looked forward to is here for presenta.
ton tonight; although [ am sorry tlat
1t falls upon me to present it, for | am
thoroughly unprepared, even if it were
in my power, to bring it to you with
words befitting the occasion.
believe it impossible for you to over
estimate the meaning of this victory In
the first place you have won this prize
at the head OF three classes. Again, you
stand at the head of the list on programs;
and the program stands for education.
You have not won this victory from a
small area-as from two os three towns,
but from the state of Vermont. When
L say vermont I do not mean the
largest state in the Union, nor the most
populous; but | do say that it is state
hat has a record of which we may all
feel justly proud.
That we may better understand the
| character of the people we have been
contrasting with, let us briefly trace their
history. In the early history of our ma
ohShA w i1Aiu Jul ouCbUO u-Ou as al lOOb
path for the French and Indians against
the English i'll their struggle for suprem.
acy. Our forefathers had no easy time
in establishing for themselves homes,
schools and churches They had but
little money and they needed but little,
for with the never wearying hands of
the fathers and mothers all those neces-
stiles OF life were made and provided for
as soon as they were needed. Then we
find what is now Vermont in the debat-
able land question with New Hamp.
shire and New York. AS we follow
this to the close we see the Green Noun
tain Boys come out victorious.
Taking into consideration our devel-
opment at the time of the American
Revolution, what state can show better
records IN bravery. loyalty and patri-
otism Although at that time Vermont
was not in the Union. Notwithstand-
ing these sacrifices Vermont got more
out of the Revolution than she put into
it, for it gave to her that power of organ
ization and development which is nee.
essary for the formations of statehood.
We next find Vermont for fourteen
years an independent nation, exercising
full powers of sovereignty, coming
money, naturalizing foreigners and do.
ing all those things that any nation is
called on to do.
Vermont took an important part in
the War of 1872
When we get to the Civil War we
must pause just moment Vermont
sent to the war ten men out of every
hundred of her population. She has to
her credit nearly thirty four thousand
volunteers out OF thirty-seven thousand
eligible to military duty. None of her
colors were ever surrendered in battle
while in proportion to her numbers her
troops took more rebel colors than those
of any other state in the Union. What
did General Sheridan say of the Yer
mont boys, in our State House in 1857
These are his words :-"When L saw
these old flags thought L ought to saw
as much as this: l have never COM |
manded troops in whom l had more con.
fidenCe than [ had in Vermont troops.
and do not know but can say that / |
never commanded troops in whom L had |
as much confidence as those of this gal. |
liant state"
L just allude to these points in Yer.
mont history to freshen your memories |
that you may better understand the early |
that has made her the fair state |
which she is to-day. AS result of this
strenuous training for generations, when
the sons and daughters of Vermont get
down side by side in friendly contest,
t does not mean ''pillows of fowery
ease" for the victors.
You have won this Cup from your
brother and sister Changers of the State |