Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-12-20
PRES. THOMAS GIVES ADDRESS
Before Sons of the Revolution at
Montpelier.
From the Burlington News. }

the Revolution at Montpelier Wednes-
day evening. We print brief alb
stract of the address today. The pres
sure of legislative and other matter
needful to the hour, compelled up to
this late printing of modest abstract
of the admirable address of President
Thomas.
We and some others are wondering
why our contemporary excluded from
Thursdays edition any mention of the
distinguished orator, and his Grafton,
All other participants in the occasion
were printed at length.
The abstract follows
PRESIDENT THOMAS ADDRESS.
President Thomas took for his sub
ject "The Worth to Nation of Sense
for its Past"
DIR. Thomas used as illustration the
fact of the erection of historic memo
rails such as are familiar to Vermont
ers. 'To the most unromantic man of
affairs, the least imaginative toier in
work shop or NINE" he said, 1.-THE ruins
of Crown Point are almost sacred.
Such universal instinct can hardly be
in error. 1t is founded upon something
deeper than admiration for the ancient
and picturesque.
1T is because of true instinct of
the value to the nation of sense for
its past that we seize upon every mound
and stone of those ancient fortresses
and bind ourselves in pious obligation to
hand them down to our children's child
rem in the grim severity in which they
have been given over to us.
GAS Americans we have small APP
probation of the age of the world and
of the infinite patience of the God of
righteous progress. Our ancient days
are only yesterdays. We shall not
make all things perfect in our day and
it makes for reasonableness of spirit,
for cautious wisdom of action, to be
reconciled to the necessity of bequeath-
ing a few problems to posterity. Hon
esty is not new virtue nor is thievry a
new vice, and neither shall we promote
the one nor destroy the other by a
whirlwind of vengeance. The nation
which has awakened to feeling for its
past will move steadier to its goal, with
fewer blunders, than people whose
visions are limited by the life-t time of a
few generations.
patience is not laziness, nor pro-
crastination; it is the counsel of ambi-
ton tempered by wisdom, of resolution
which is not satisfied to make a stir,
but only in achieving its aid with
strength left for the plentiful tasks
remaining.
1.-THE old momentoes of carnage anC
war by the waters of Champlan bid US
be of good courage and of a patient
spirit. History is the search for the
significant in the life of the past. II
differs widely from what is called the
intellectual business of the anti
quarian which values all things from
the cradle in which some great grand
mother rocked her baby to the silver
box in which a country gentleman
carried snuff.
THE sense of the past for which
plead is feeling for deeds of conse.
quence, appreciation of events which
had successors, and some measure OF
knowledge of the course humanity has
travelled on its way to its present
estate.
1.-THE curse of life is commonplace,
the same old sound of petty employ.
ments, pretty thoughts. The glory
of life is a sense of movement, con.
seriousness of mighty process in the
rolling suns, thrill from the enginery
which thrusts the world forward to q
nobler day.
Imagine the mental calibre of one
whose only reading is the small items
of local news from the village CORE
spondents of a weekly newspaper anc
contrast it with the stature to which
he would arrive who stepped himself il
yam, Motley and Mommsen. Yet the
, village paper is the faithful transcript
of the common life of our towns. 1t i!
a sense of the past we need to impart 4;
realization of the worth of life, the
meaning of the world.
"By the placing of the Champlair
monument we have wrought deed FOL
the nation. We have perpetuated M
local tradition; we have made secure
for the future the preservation of I
site unique upon this continent, the
most striking and significant relic o.
the contest by which America won it,
treasure. If that treasure is to be-
guarded, if that contribution is to be
preserved, it will be through the
preservation in the heart of the nation