The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-06

ECONOMIES Idu anu bht bANAhNHNNN
efforts and sacrifices that had been re
quired to remove them.
"The story of the Revolutionary wal
. of its victories, defeats and final tri
umph is most interesting portion 0
human history, but to us still more in
teresting and useful ought to be tn
story of the esta blishment of our consti
tuition. We shall never fight the battle
of that war over again. As lessons II
military science they have ,1iminishe,
value in view of the methods OF moderi
warfare. But the contests that accom-
panied the establishment OF the constitu
tion did not all pass away with its adop
ton. Those contests in the old or q
new guise will continue to arise. This
or that provision will be attacked, this
or that change proposed.
81 can make no more useful sugges'
ton to the young men who hear me to-
day than that they should read with
care and diligence the story Of those CON
tests. The public schools of our state
have prepared you for such an under
taking and you will miss one of the
great purposes of our schools if you ig-
more such study. Let me give you a
| little concrete advice. Read the sixth
volume OF Bancroft's history of the
United States. Read it slowly. Fifteen
minutes d day is better than an hour,
and in few weeks time you will bet
ter comprehend the great work that our
forefathers did in establishing the con-
stituton. You will understand the
causes that led them in the path they
trod; the evils they sought to avoid;
the difficulties they mastered; the preju
dices they subdued; the interests they
reconciled; the boldness they exhibited,
where boIdness was required; and the
masterful adaptation of their work to
a great federal republic. Such study
will guide you in performing the duties
of citizenship, stabilize your judgment
in the midst of political agitations, and
give you more confidence in the compass
Of experience whose needle is ever true
to the eternal star.
"But parchment is not government.
Behind the paper must be a people.
Many have copied our constitution but
none have had its peace and prosperity.
Some have had as many revolutions as
we have had elections. The finest con.
ceptions of liberty have been pearls cast
before swine. On the 9Th OF May, 1880,
Washington was sworn in as president
Of the United States and Louis the XVI. |
opened the states general in France. |
The presidency was an untried office |
the throne had stood for a thousand |
years. In the opinion of all the chancel- |
leries OF Europe, one was a temporary |
of backwoodsmen; the other |
was ordained to God TO last while there /
were men to be governed But Wash
ington had hardly completed his first |
term before Louis was beheaded, his
throne destroyed and a republic erected |
in its place. And what difference was
IN store for the two peoples! In a hum
lred years France would have nine revo
utions; America. nine. Both were to
sxpand. one in the glory of peace, the
,ther in the glory of arms. One was
% retain its new acquisition; the other
% shrink beyond its ancient limits
left a name and influence
hat generations will hold sacred; Ma
,oleon, a memory of human vanities
linked with useful code. And why
his differencef It was not altogether
matter of two-m men. Other causes
must have operated. 1t is difficult to
isagree entirely with the judgment OF 7
napoleon. When | acquired the SUI j
rene direction of affairs he said, 1T |
Fas wished that might become Wash
1gton. Words cost nothing; and no Q
oubt those who We're so ready to ex
ress the wish. did SO without any /;
nowledge of times, places, persons, or /
hings. Had ! been in America, would ,
-illingly have been Washington. +
hould have had little merit in so be- !,
~, do not see how | could have act !
! otherwise. But had Washington been u
France, exposed to diseord within and :
ithout. he would by no possibility have
zen what he was in America. Indeed, =
would have been folly to attempt it, !,
Certainly he was differently circum-
anced. Only one in 30 Frenchmen
uld read and write. while Americans
assessed those elementary accomplish =,
ents and added thereto practical ex-
'rience of self-government under colo
al charters. The common people of
rance for long ages and even the no. h,
lily since the days of Louis the XIV. Al
ID been excluded from public affairs in
ID even private enterprises that called h,
r concerted action. The revolution had a,
ven them equality and freedom but n
d not taught them the lessons of pub n,
and intelligent concert for the com m
On welfare Napoleon did not destroy
publican liberty, because it did not r,
ist The sudden emancipation was not 90
with the experience and Al;
actice of republican suffrage and gov. W,
lment. The electorate could not dis RI,
lguish between assignats and sound
rrency; between the demagogue and a wi
ltesman; between a law and popu- hi,
fat. In the moment of sudden emsn- do
alton everything seemed possible, even On
! extravagances of an Etzler. lis
: 1T is not from the character of their NJ,
said Carnot, the greatest OF on
statesmen that survived the French n,
'olution. that great republics have on,
ked stability; it is because, having 7
N born in the breasts of storms. il Inv
always in a state OF exultation that n
" are established. One only was the 70,
or of philosophy, organized calmly. for
at republic, the United States OF pe
lerica. full OF wisdom and strength, in
iibits this phenomenon, and each day sea
ir prosperity shows an increase which tro
onishes other nations col
The success that our constitution has Lv
ieved is due. not only to the wisdom car
its provisions, but to the character roa