Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1919-07-11

! traditions of Woodstock; traditions
which tell the story how IN the begin
ming the Apostle Elliott in his old age
toiled his way thither through the will
derness and here preached the word
! of life &c the oenighted savage; TIRE
ditions which tell the noble record of
the old Woodstock families, the Bow
ems, the Chambers, the Holmes, the
/ Lyons, the Mays, the McClellans and
all the others. Were 3 TO name them
/ all the recital would be as long as
Homer's famous Catalogue of the
Ships, which in the DAYS of classical
training was the bane of many acade-
my students.
The soHs and daughters Of Wood
stock, in all the generations since the
very first settlement, faring forth to
every part Of this broad land, have
been among the master builders of
the nation. In American history are
treasured few expressions as typical
of the best American spirit IN the re-
spective crises when they were utter
ed Those are such as Lawrence's
Don't give up the ship or Pinck-
ney's Millions for defence but not
one cent for tributew or that of Gen
eral Bundy Of very recent date, my
men wouldn't understand the order to
retreat"
Among those gems of American
thought and expression one and by
no means the last was contributed by
that famous son of Woodstock, long
time generous patron and at least
twice the actual savior of this school,
the late Henry c. Bowen. When, in
1850, as a part of the noted eompro-
mise upon the slavery question effect
ed by Clay and Webster, theeinfamous
Fugitive Slave Law was passed by
Congress attempting to make slave
catchers of our ancestors here in the
North, the merchants of New York
City, anxious to placate the South
and to save and promote their south
ern trade, issued a call for mass
meeting in Castle Garden to approve
that law.
Mr. Bowen for his firm, almost
alone of those merchants, refused to
sign the call and was by many of his
fellows severely criticized and con-
demned for his refusal. In response
he published, on October IS, 1850, in
the journal of Commerce, the spe-
eial organ of that class, card in
which he said of his firm, eve wish it
distinctly understood that our goods,
not our principles, are on the mar
kat" Sometimes the expression is
quoted as Our goods, not our prin-l
ciples, are for sale" The times and
the circumstances considered, that ex
preston was as heroic and as notable
/ as exhibiting the best American spirit
as was the celebrated telegram by
General John A. Dix decade later,
IF any man attempts to haul down
the American Flag, shoot him on the
spotW That saying of Henry c.
Bowen ought to be engrossed in large
| letters and framed and hung upon
these walls as an ever present inspira-
tion to students to patriotism and the
highest conceptions of civic duty.
repeat that it must be lasting in
SEPARATION to all that is good and noble
to have studied and lived these
months and years here.
Forty and nine years ago, at an
other ancient New England Academy,
I stood where now you stand at this.
Back over the years my mind goes
and | love the old school and cherish
its memories still, as you will love
this and cherish its memories to your
latest conscious hours. Your feet are
now entering upon that long path
way-may it prove to be long for
each one of you-upon which my feet
are nearing the far other end God
| be with you, one and all, upon your
onward way.