Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-12-24

eral sessions he was Chaplain of the
House of Representatives. The first
men of the nation were proud to own
him as their adviser and friend.
Many men now living remember the
brothers Hiram and Charles Marsh
Mead, who graduated in 1850 and 1856.
Both were theological professors, men
of great ability and power, the latter
the executive officer of the American
Bible Revision Committee.
Leaving the ministry and coming to
lawyers and statesmen, the two great
names are of course those of Solomon
Foot and William Slade. Both were
graduates of Middlebury College, the
former in 1926 and the latter in 1907.
Doubtless by his contemporaries
Senator Foote was regarded as the
greater man, as his career was more
steadily progressive and more dis
tinguished. Teacher, college instructor,
lawyer. five times representative of
Rutland at Montpelier, three times
speaker, representative in Congress
two terms, and United States Senator
for the fifteen years preceding his
death, he was one of the greatest men
Vermont has produced and justly ranks
with the great men of the nation.
Courteous, dignified, urbane, conserva-
tive in temperament, lover of peace
and defender of justice, Senator Foot
was one of those who created the fame
of Vermont for the high ability of her
public men. Like most New Englanders
he opposed the Mexican war as I'M
warrantee aggression in the interest of
slavery. Unlike some from this Sec
ton he condemned clustering attitude
toward Great Britain at the time of the
Oregon boundary question. Despite
the lack of a worthy biography, his
name will live long to reflect honor upon
the State and town which bore him.
In referring to Senator Foot and Gov
ernor William Slade | have said that
doubtless the former would be judged
the greater, and yet in one. invaluable
labor | am not sure but that Governor
Slade performed more important SER
vice to his native State than any act of
craftsmanship of Senator Foot. l re-
fer to the compilation of SHADES Estate
Papers" The book was printed in
Mlddlebury in 1923. 1t includes the
records and correspondence of the con-
troversy with New York over the New
Hampshire grants, the journal of the
Council of Safety, the early constitu-
tons, the journal of the first General
Assemblies and the laws therein
passed, lists of early State officers, and
other documents and official papers re-
lating to the early history of the State.
1t is the one indispensable source book
of Vermont history, the mine whence
every writer on Vermont history since
the day of its publication has quarried
his facts and citations. The compilation
evidences the author as an accurate,
pains-taking scholar, of infallible sense
for the significant and important, and
of an historical appreciation far beyond
the standards of his time. To this book
scholars will turn long after we of to-
day are gone to determine authorita-
lively and interpret anew the early his
tory of Vermont. 1t is safe to say that
without this book Daniel p Thompson
could never have written THE Green
Mountain Boys" the masterpiece which
painted the likeness of Vermont for the
world. lido not hesitate to say that
this book is Cornwall's greatest gift to
the State of Vermont.
William Slade was born in 1876, son
of Squire William Slade, who settled in
Cornwall in 1884. The father was an
extensive land owner, tavern keeper,
and sheriff of the county, a man who
had been sent to the Jersey prison ship
during the Revolutionary war and lived
to be seventy-three years of age. The
son graduated from college in 1907, was
lawyer, editor, judge, member of Con-
gress, Governor, and at length Secre-
tary of the Board of National Popular
Education, an organization which did
pioneer work for education in the West
ern Reserve. He made some notable
speeches in Congress and delivered one
of the most eloquent addresses at the
fiftieth anniversary of the College, but
predict that he will longest be remem-
bered as the editor of SHADES State
Papers.
When the history of Vermont's con-
tributions to medical science is written
and it will be proud story-no small
space will be found for DR.. Frederick
Ford. He was one of the settlers of
1874 and with others acquired large
tracts of land at low cost. But his
medical practice soon engrossed his
time. He is known in the history of
m o. cip.. ac ono of tho n;oooo.o &c H.,