MR. PRESIDENT: No man thinks more
highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very
worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men
often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope
it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining
as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak
forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve. This is no time for
ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this
country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question
of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject
ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we
can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfil the great responsibility which
we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a
time, through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty
of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the
majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man
to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against
a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she
transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a
great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the
number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not,
the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my
part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the
whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my
feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of
judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish
to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for
the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have
been pleased to solace themselves, and the House? Is it that insidious
smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not,
sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be
betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our
petition comports with these war-like preparations which cover our
waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of
love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be
reconciled, that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us
not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and
subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask, gentlemen,
sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to
submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has
Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all
this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are
meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind
and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so
long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument?
Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything
new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in
every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall
we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find
which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir,
deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done, to
avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have
remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before
the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical
hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted;
our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our
supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with
contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may
we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer
any room for hope. If we wish to be free² if we mean to preserve
inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long
contending²if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which
we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never
to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained,
we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to
the God of Hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so
formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the
next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed,
and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we
gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means
of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the
delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and
foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which
the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people,
armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which
we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against
us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just
God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up
friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the
strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides,
sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now
too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in
submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be
heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable²and let it come! I
repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry,
Peace, Peace²but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next
gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of
resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we
here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life
so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains
and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may
take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
VASSAR President Art Batten's Message
at Annual Meeting Banquet - Feb 16, 2008
Ladies and
Gentlemen, I believe very strongly in what I’m about to preach and
that’s why I stayed on the Executive Committee through some interesting
times over the last four years.
Our Virginia
Society has been in the forefront of National SAR news for over 18
months now – first with the Yorktown 225th affair – then the
Congress – and concluded with the elevation of our own native son as
President General - and I dare say we have come through all this rather
well. Saying you are a member of the Virginia Society does indeed
carry some weight now and it is a well-deserved reputation.
But I
believe it’s time to shift back a bit, if you will, and refocus the
spotlight on what has been the foundation of that reputation for many,
many years. It’s certainly not hard to identify what that is – it is a
synergism of active, engaged chapters each moving at a different pace
perhaps, but all working towards promoting a solid PROGRAM that advances
the ideals of our Society.
I
believe that we should open a new chapter in our focus as a Society.
Not entirely away from the National scene of course, but a different
focus – a focus that goes back to including the fundamental units of the
Virginia Societies’ strength – its’ chapters.
In
fact we will call this new chapter The Year of the Chapters. How’s
that for originality! A year when our efforts will be focused, whenever
possible, on helping all the chapters reach their potential.
I’m
going to start by setting what I think is a somewhat novel tone to
things. I’m going to be one of the first Presidents who is not going to
hammer you or your chapters about membership drives, recruitment
efforts. I’m not going to scare you with statistics about the
aging of our membership. You will not receive reprints of articles that
say the Generation X crowd are not joiners so go out on the street and
grab everyone you can. In fact, I’m going to suggest you move that
long-standing effort to the back burner of your yearly program for a
year – that’s right for one year. Mind you, don’t push it off the
stove, but lower the heat a bit. Why would I speak such heresy?
Well, as you may know Virginia has the fourth or fifth largest
membership in the National Society and for years we have been bringing
in a nice steady flow of members. In the last two years or so we
have chartered several new chapters. So we’re doing our part.
Instead, I want Chapters to free themselves to concentrate on PROGRAMS –
build up your involvement in the various National programs or even
better yet, develop some exciting programs of your own.
It’s been proven many times over – members will join a
group faster if there is a GOOD program in place. And the opposite is
just as true. Lose the program and you start to lose members.
Am I
preaching to the choir? Of course I am, but you’re all I got. And even
though I shudder at the thought of all of you actually singing at once,
I wouldn’t mind it if you all hummed a few tunes of this message back in
your chapters.
Last
Fourth of July I joined the Williamsburg Chapter for their annual
service at Bruton Parish Church and as is sometimes the custom, a
chapter member was invited to deliver the service message. This year the
speaker used as his theme the phrase:
Patriotism is
not Enough
And
although he used it in a wholly different context that day, the phrase
has just stuck in my mind. Four words that to me seem to be very, very
powerful and sum up what I think needs to become the motto for all our
chapters. We all understand the concept of patriotism and I dare say
many of us could talk a snail to death about it. It’s a beautiful word.
But the words and thoughts that describe what may have motivated our
ancestors are not enough – they weren’t then and they aren’t now.
What
is required is Involvement – no, even more than that - ACTION is
Required.
It is
time to think of the role of chapters in a different light. Visualize
the word P A T R I O T and then follow along with me.
P A T R I O T
P
certainly is for that old fashioned patriotism.
Promote it. Come-on. Our Flag program is just about the
easiest program we have and yet, year after year, we struggle to get
half the chapters to make a single presentation – That’s right; a
single, one, uno, eince, presentation. Here’s my challenge. 50% of the
chapters reporting completion of that minimal, that measly, that easy
requirement in six months. But focus on your neighbors, those
individuals who day after day get up every morning and raise the flag in
yards or on their porches and do so properly and proudly.
A is Obviously
Action – I hear a lot about the fact that kids don’t learn history any
more, etc. etc. And you are probably right – but what are YOU doing
about it? Is your chapter offering to teach even a one-hour block on
even one small section of American history? Something. How many
chapters are supporting the History Day program? At the semi-annual
meeting I sat with a table full of middle school kids and their teacher
who had participated in the History Day program. In fact VASSAR had
donated money to support their travel to the regional competition.
Now these kids could have cared less about sitting with an old fossil
like me, but once I got them talking about their projects – whole scale
transformation. I actually had to call a halt and tell them to go get
seconds on the ice cream! Amazing energy, interest, and
enthusiasm. About what? About History. Challenge – bug John
Sinks, he’s the History Day Program Chairman, on how your chapter can
participate. Participation can be as simple as volunteering to be a
judge.
T is for Teaching.
The SAR has been trying very hard to re-cast itself as a teaching
organization. Question. Has every chapter in Virginia distributed
the free material to the schools in their area or let the teachers know
what’s available through Louisville? Our Teacher of the Year program
has become so convoluted that it takes a computer genius to un-wind the
many circuit paths. We will look at it again and try to stream line it.
But you have to make it work. You have to look for and identify
good teachers – it’s easy to say to a school board, “tell me who you
think is the best teacher” – and sometimes thats OK - but that’s not
what we want.
WE
want to recognize and say thank you to the BEST TEACHER OF AMERICAN
HISTORY and you need to go and find him or her. Challenge – a real
honest competitive Teacher of the Year contest this year with at least 5
competitors at the state level. We’ll re-look at the rules first and
see if there are things that are preventing competition – you start
looking for the candidates.
R Is for Reading –
now this one is really, really personal. Over the last few years I
have been dumbfounded by how many superb new books have been published
about our area of interest, the people, the causes, the results. It’s
amazing, it’s wonderful, it’s overwhelming, and I love it. I just
can’t keep up with it. Every time I go off shopping by myself, my wife
meets me at the door and asks how many books did I bring home – I of
course reply none – then she says, “Oh really “Barn’s & Noble” just
called “you left your credit card there again.” My Challenge to everyone
- Read two, three, four, five NEW books on the Colonial era this year.
Ok. You can re-read a good book or two and I’ll even allow a
book-on-tape to be thrown in – just expand your knowledge of what may
have gotten you interested in the SAR in the first place.
I is for Interaction.
Interact with others and inspire the young. Sounds like a perfect
Chapter motto for the year. Bring what ever program you can to the
attention of the public, be it a grave marking, a picture in the local
paper of a guest speaker, a full scale dedication of a monument, or one
of your own members speaking before another group. I’m sure you
get the picture. A little bit of self-promotion never hurt anyone
and a whole lot is even better. And whenever the opportunity arises,
inspire the young – walk in those parades in those woolen uniforms, go
into those schools, read stories to your children, and grandchildren (or
great grandchildren). What yet another challenge – find out what the
initials C.A.R. mean and when you do get involved. Hey, our very own
Treasurer, Jeff Sweeney, started that way and see what he has done for
VASSAR. No, I don’t mean the fact that he straighten out our account
books. I mean the fact that he and his charming wife, Carrie, are
bringing up two, not one, but two beautiful future members of first the
C.A.R. and then the SAR. I might add that James Monroe Sweeney joined
the world only a month ago.
O Is for Outreach –
bring the SAR to others. Set up a speakers group. I am constantly
amazed at the expertise on Revolutionary War topics many of our very own
members have. Please, don’t hide that talent – polish up your stories,
practices your speaking style, then organize a Speakers Bureau and go
tell the story. Just as your chapter sometimes struggles to find a good
speaker, other groups do also – so offer your talents to any group that
will listen to you. Outreach can be in other forms. The folks in the
Thomas Nelson Chapter still host a bingo night for the Vets in the VA
center in Hampton. Outreach occurs every time you get involved in any
one of our youth programs. Yes, I know the oration and essay programs
are difficult, but the JROTC and Good Citizenship ones are not always
that difficult.
All I
ask is that when you are out in public, please be sure to wear your SAR
Tie, and Tie Tac, and Shirt, and your SAR socks, and have you SAR emblem
on your blazer, and have your SAR baseball cap with you, and keep you
speech in a SAR folder, I don’t want you to be pushy just promote the
cause when you can.
T is for Together.
I’ll admit it – I’ve just past 45 years of age and every now and then I
like to sit down with some of you real experienced folks and listen to
your tales of what it was like in the early days, the old days – when
pilots wore white scarves and flew in open cockpit planes, when ladies
didn’t sweat –they just felt the heat a bit. When the minutes of a
VASSAR meeting were taken with a quill pen. In other words I like to
socialize, talk, and let some one else do some of the heavy lifting.
I just like your company and that’s as valid a reason for a chapter
function as any.
Now,
how am I going to inspire you to try out my approach? I can’t offer you
any vast amount of wealth for sure. I doubt if any of you are
swayed by oratorical prowess. But I can offer you a challenge.
A challenge you and your chapters can accept if you so desire.
Each
year the President can offer a Special Chapter
Award to those Chapters best implementing portions of his
visions.
Here
it is: A chapter can earn this award if they support VASSAR in three
ways:
First). By promoting and getting behind our new campaign to build the
base in our Trust funds. I would really like to see the time when
VASSAR could undertake a big project or perhaps make a substantial
contribution to something that is important to us. Possibly taking
advantage of a naming opportunity in our new National Center. To
aspire to projects like this we must continue to build a solid source of
wisely invested capital. This can best be done through the expansion of
our existing trust funds. We are off to quite a remarkable start, but I
also know that there is often a flash at the start of a long-range
campaign, and then the effort starts to slow down. We cannot let that
happen.
I
believe we need to make The 1st Virginia Regiment a permanent
way of supporting our organization. Jim Bayne and Joe Dooley gave us
the idea and the mechanism, now we need to keep it in motion.
So
the first challenge to the chapters is to create a Company of the 1st
Virginia Regiment in each Chapter. A company consists of two officers
(any rank) and three enlisted members from a small or medium chapter or
three officers and five enlisted members from a large or very large
chapter. Starting tonight – sorry past donations don’t count. Everyone
who has already donated is being considered for a position on the
Regimental staff.
Second. I believe there are still a lot of opportunities to say
thank you to individuals and groups in the Commonwealth who are striving
to either preserve, protect, or promote our Colonial or Revolutionary
era history and I believe we should say thank you for their efforts.
Some time
back, the Nation had it’s Points of Light program which was meant to
point out to a broad audience that there are many, many ‘simple or
quiet’ people if you will, who do wondrous things. Well, I don’t
envision something of that magnitude, but I think each Chapter can
probably find one individual or group who may otherwise go unnoticed to
say ‘thanks for helping’ protect a bit of our heritage. Therefore, I’m
offering each chapter, if it wishes, the opportunity to present one
VASSAR COMMONWEALTH AWARD this year. There will be only be 29 of them.
It will be a plaque with the medallion of the VASSAR seal and a plate to
be inscribed.
It is
not meant to be a competition of any sort. Each Chapter determines
who should be so honored – or they can chose to ignore the opportunity
all together.
Finally: I think a few chapters will attest that some form of old
fashioned project often brings, at least for a time, a chapter together
in a common cause. So I’m encouraging each Chapter to take on
something NEW this year – something it can be proud of. Whether it
is something substantial like a monument, or simple, like re-energizing
their support of the History Day program. This is a project you will
describe in your end-of-year chapter report.
Three
challenges – First - Chapter Support of the 1st Virginia
Regiment, Second - Your Chapter saying thanks to someone for keeping
history alive through the presentation of a Commonwealth Award, and
Third coming together as a chapter to work on a Chapter project.
During this year of the Chapter in Virginia I am asking
all of you to think about my modern day definition of the word
PATRIOT
Arthur D. Batten
