Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-10

For the greatness of an action on land
or sea does not consist in sacrifice brav-
cry and death but in it, r'sulis upon his
. tory. This Drinclr ... Ilr-d by
Hugo when he said that !. was not with
! in the province of the 18th century for
/ Napoleon to have conquered at Water
loo. II was equally not within that prov
ince for the British to change the growth
and Influence of the United States by
victory on Lake Cha mplain 100 years
ago Viewed by consequences, Bennlng-
ton In 1776 and Pattsburgh in 1914 we're
dominant and controlling factors in two
great wars. the first for independence
and the second for political, commercial
and Industrial expansion under the indie
pendence which had been gained
! Macdonoughs victory ended the war
The control of the lake considered in
| dispensable by Wellington to a SUCCESS
from England and with that loss. the
! land forces at once retired to Canada.
! The bars he'd been successfully built
against Enslsnd's possession of the north
eastern corner Of Maine Estoppel had
forever been formed against all plans to
take over the great Louisiana purchase,
out of which - great States have since
been carved, while the wonderful water
way Of the Great Lakes, including Cham
plain passed for control into the perpet-
ual possession of the United States Their
commerce has since grown beyond that
Of the Mediterranean and the Baltic COM
bined, while on their southern shores
have sprung up the rich and prosperous
cities OF Burlington, Buffalo, Cleveland.
Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and
Duluth.
The battle Of Pattsburgh and the great
naval engagement off It's shore have a.
further interest for the people of Yer
mont Its distinguished Governor Chit
tenden, for reasons satisfactory 70 him
self, had in the early part Of 1918, by a
proclamation recalled militia men from
Vermont. Subsequently, when New York
was Invaded. the old governor was most
intense and active in supplying support
against the invasion but In answer to his
original proclamation Vermont officers
made this reply; I'VE are not Of that
class who believe that our duties as cit
liens or soldiers are circumScribed with
in the narrow limits of the town or
State In which we reside but that we are
under paramount obligation to our COM
mon country and the great confederation
of States We further conceive that
while We are in active service and dur
ing the period for which were order
ed into service your excellency's power
over us o. governor of the State Of Yer
mont is suspended" This was the mos
of
preferred the works of peace and the ser
vice of God to war and thus hold upper
most the growth and perrnanency OF the
United States-with the use Of the sword,
II necessary. yet still! more through the
practice Of forhearanco and equity in all
their dealings with mankind.
on this OCCASION we honor Commodore
Macdonough for his great services and
also for his noble character and We ded-
icate memorials to his victory with rev.
erence and in the hope that they will be
perpetual
SECRETARY DANIELS.
The final address of the day was
given by the Hon, Josephus Daniels,
secretary Of the navy. The theme of
Mr.. Daniels address was hero wor-
ship and It's Importance in the Ameri-
can home. He said that now when
we are apt to put much stress upon
material things, 1t is we'll for us to
pause for few moments and call to
mind and to the attention of our young
children the fact that all those men
who live in history are men who have
tried 10 lose themselves for their
country. While we do not know the
ho
Lake Champlain. we do know the man
who tried to find immortality In the
cause Of his country If people will
come into hero-worship. the worship
of such men as Macdonough, then
these same farms and villages along
the Champlain valley will to-day pro-
duce such men as were Commodore
Macdonough and his men Now in
the days of big ships We are apt TO
underestimate the men who made pos
eible the very things we are doing.
There are people who sometimes think
that the nation is going backwards
and is not worthy of the deeds of our
ancestors. In order to be worthy OF
the deeds Of our ancestors and to pay
the debt that we owe to them, we to-
day should go out and do greater
things
Mr.. Daniels added that what We
need to do is to take hero worship into
our homes.
Tell me-" said he, the man your
boy loves TO read about and I will tell
you the kind of man he will make"
In closing the secretary said, Il am
indeed proud to come here to-day In
honor of the foremost naval fighter
America produced in his day or gen
Grafton"
The naval procession then returned
TO Vergennes where luncheon wa.
served in honor Of the Lake Chsmplain
Yacht club and invited guests