The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-07-31

On the 10th Of August 1893, the citi-
zens Of Bennington gathered to cele-
brate the twenty-second anniversary
Of the famous old battle which took
its name from the town. From an
old pamphlet printed in 1899 by Anth-
ony Haswell, we quote part of the re-
cord Of that celebration one hundred
and nine years ago.
The orator OF the day was that same
Anthony IIaswell. first printer west of
the green mountains In Vermont;
founder and editor OF the Vermont
Gazette first paper west OF the
mountains; first postmaster general
of the new state of Vermont; who lay
in prison for months, sentenced under
those Infamous laws of our early his
tory whicn sought TO muzzle the free
| dtm of the press; man of note from
| the time he came to Bennington in
1888. until his death in 1916. His
tomb can still be seen just east of
the old Congregational church in Ben
nington Center.
The Grafton as a whole Is too long
| to quote here, but few paragraphs
from 1t are interesting. and some are
most fit and applicable to our own
day, and our present national situa-
| ton.
Never, o, never can Vermont for
get her brave allies from Berkshire
Never can all the darkening shades Of
time erase the memory of the gallant
Stark from our minds. They rushed
with open bosoms TO oppose the foe, to
check his progress, or to share our
fate. Heaven smiled upon their eff
forts: of them II is scarce 1attery to
say: "They came, they saw. they
conquered"
The fate Of America at that time ap-
peared suspended with an even beam.
and this the pivot on which all must
turn. The defeat of Baum, under
providence decided the fate OF Bur,
goyne, and the surrender of Bur.
goyne the fate of America. Thus rs
u Jonathan and his armour bearer. by
divine assistance smote Philistine
garrison, and changed the aspect of a
bloody war, so the intrepid Stark near
this devoted village, discomftted an
equally impious host. and firmly held
by the Almighty hand, laid the faii
corner stone of American freedom In
Vermont
4 an lat ~ oh n,.l
with careful but scrutinizing eye
Wisely we have left a means. even IL
the constitution itself. to amend IL,
errors on discovery: let us touch 1
cautiously. hut II occasion arises lie
MS do II resolutely-'The youth of ma
tions,' says n celebrated writer, is tn,
ago most favorable to their independ
ence.' lt Is the time of energy an,
| vigor. Our souls are not yet surroun,
| cd by that apparatus of luxury whic'
, serves as hostage to tyrant God gran
! they never may he, but that we ma
! cautiously guard against the incroac
ments OF the great. the follies of tn
| weak, and the designs of the wicked
correcting their errors by the force G
reason, and thus avortlng the dir
necessity of an appeal to arms. Bu
, II at any future time, by the insiduou
: wiles of wicked and designing mel
, our Independence should be ondange
|, cd, our property rendered insccur
= and our substance lavished on cou
!, tiers, sycophants and tools of tyrann,
may the spirit of 1777 reanimate ou
zeal, may we seize the sword as III
dernier resort, and live respected {
expire at freedoms shrine. establish
I, Ing the doctrine with our blood, thu
an oppressed people have the right ,
q resisting the oppressors; and thu
d resistance to tyrants is obedience
}. God"
. Following the Grafton. as printed
this report of that day, are "Ode