Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-08-06

American Union of States.
/ MI. Crockett then sketched the life and
achievements of Baker and Allen, and
continued:
After somewhat careful study of the
history of this State. have reached the
/ conclusion that the greatest of the group
Of great men who were in the forefront of
affairs in this early period, the man who
more than any other made possible the
erection and establishment OF the COM
monwealth of Vermont and it's admIs-
sion to the Union as the eldest daughter
or the original thirteen States, was Ira
Allen IL Is not too much to say that
without the genius the tact the diplo-
macy the resourcefulncss of this remark
able man, It Is at least matter of grave
doubt whether there would have existed
/ at least for any considerable period anv
state of Vermont.
1t Is one of the pathetic facts of history
| that this man, detained for several voars
| in Europe by litigation over a cargo ~
arms purchased for Vermont. should have
! lost his fortune (his land holdings Mt one
! time being it is said 200, 600 acres. valued
! at one million dollars) and have bcon
compelled to seek refuge outside the state
| his genius had made possible. in order
10 escape debtors prison; and further
that no man to-day can find his last rest
ing place, which Is supposed to be in some
old cemetery In PHILADELPHIA.
| The memory of Ethan Allen has b..n
honored repeatedly by the state and the
Nation. over his grave in Green Mount
cemetery at burlington rises an imposing
cd h,-
| of burlington, once part of the farm
owned by the hero of Ticonderoga, a noble
stone tower In public park. pcrpotuatcs
'he name OF Ethan Allen His statute
Is to be found in Statuary Hall at Wash
| ington and on the portico of the Vermont
Capitol at Montpelier Important and
varied as We're the services of Ethan Al
len to state and nation, it is no disparagc-
| ment of these services to say that Ira Al
| lon contributed more to founding and nro-
serving the Green Mountain common
| wealth than did his elder brother. and II
| Is time that some official recognition
should be made of the record of Ira Allen.
the statesman.
| STATUTES OF ALLEN AND C1t1TrEN-
DEN.
II Nould nc hitting If the State of Yer
mont, or some of her generous sons and
daughters, would contribute sufficient
money to provide for the erection on eith-
er side of the terrace at the main en-
trance, below tho portico of the state
capitol, Of statues of Ira Allen and Thorn
as Chittondon, the two mon who contrhu-
ted more than any others to the establish
ment of Tho State Of Vermont.
The Sons of the American Revolution
| do not meet here to take ia themselves
/ the exclusive glory of these great mon
| This organization does not set itself nv a.
an exclusive ORDER priding itself upon
an aristocratic lineage It's members
trace their descent, with fow exceptions
/ from pioneer farmers. from homes where
arduOus toll was the daily routine. and
whore the pinch Of poverty was a famil-
| lar sensation. Among the soldiers who
| fought the battles Of America during the
| Revolutionary war were men in whose
veins flowed not only the blood Of Eng
! land. but of ireland, and Scotland. and
/ France, and Germany. and Holland and
! Poland and hungary. and othrr nations
As sons Of the American Revointion we
/ boast no superiority over the sons and
! daughters Of patriots who IN other lands
! have battled for the cause of human free.
dom But we do feel that descent from
the men who braved so much and suffer-
. ed much to establish this nation Is hcri-
+ tage to be priced that II imposes upon us
tho duty OF chorishinG the memory Of
those who won for rs our Independence
that their names and their deeds shall
not be lost in oblivion.
TASK FOR VERMONT SOCIETY.
8. A. r.
| Therefore as n Vermont soclctv we have
set for ourselves the tn SIX Of erecting his
toric markers IN many places similar tn
the one dedicated here to-day. in order to
perpetuate the memory OF brave deeds
and brave mon. Believing that in the per
| Torrance of these duties we promote a
love of knowledge and intensity the pat
riotism Of our people, We invite the co.
operation of Vermonters everywhere. and
urge all those eligible to membership to
affiliated themselves with us and assist
US in our patriotic work
Almost century and half have pass
ed since tho goodly trees along this river
We're felled and fashioned into the timbers
house fell into decay, or its logs We're used
for some purpose more peaceful than
forming n refuge against British or In
dian, or Yorker. So far as we know It's
lportholcs never were used for purposes
of defense or offense. Why. then. should
we erect a marker here?
| Because this little fort was one Of the
| outposts Of our pioneer forcfathcrs in The
conquest Of the wilderness: because they
were prepared TO defend what they had
won from the forest from roval or colonial
aggression; because tho men who built
this fort We're also builders Of a state. We
need to be reminded of the desperate ma
turc of the conflict wasod by the found
ers of the little mountain republic Of Yer
mont; OF the tremendous odds AGAINST
which they commended; of their courage, of
their tenacity of purpose. Of their re-
sourcefulness, of the splendid and endur-
ing victory which they won against nu-
merous and powerful enimies.
Here beside this busy highway We raise
n tablet of bronze, that the passer by ma,
be reminded % the faith and the courag
which heWed at the river side tho first
opening In the forest In a region destined
to be such an important center of COM
mcrce. of industry and education In our
commonwealth. II will tell its story. not
yet unborn, Let us hope that in all the
years OF Gods great future the message
that this tablet carries may be honored