296 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



is to Hie an air of sadness over it all. Returning to these 

 old associations, those that are gone are more missed by 

 me than by you who have constantly remained here. New 

 associations arise with you in regard to the old places. 

 With me these old places are constantly associated with 

 the old faces. "We miss Professor Baker, who, I believe, 

 was the first person who ever addressed a Fourth of July 

 audience on these grounds. 



I miss the sound of many a kind voice of the old time. 

 I miss the touch of many a friendly hand. As Tennyson 

 expressed it, as he stood sadly by the sea thinking of the 

 days that were gone : 



And the stately ships go on 



To their haven under the hill, 

 But for the touch of a vanished hand, 



And the sound of a voice that is still. 



Break, break, break, 



At the foot of thy crags, sea ! 

 But the tender grace of a day that is dead 



Will never come back to me. 



The friends of those early days I see around me. Many 

 are gone to newer homes in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, 

 Dakota, or the golden shores of California. But many 

 still remain and it is a delight to me to see them together 

 once more. 



Every nation has its holidays, but few of them have 

 such a written history as to enable them to celebrate 

 their birthday. This we are permitted to do. 



On the 4th of July, 1776, only a little over a hundred 

 years ago, this nation first became a free and independent 

 government. By the accident of the colony system, sep- 

 arate and independent states became united under a gen- 

 eral government, with complete local self-government re- 

 tained in the separate states. This feature in our organ- 



