BBOCE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION COLONEL GEORGE l. DENISON
Toronto
h i .it satisfaction t<> dm t<» be here to-day
- iik1 !•» know that so many patriotic Societies and
organiiatioill have clubbed together to roinmem-
orate so splendidly the one hundredth anniversary of the notable victory gained upon this field.
The great, virile nations of the world have always commemorated the brave deeds and victories of their fathers. The Romans did everything in their power to Inspire their young men with love of country by relating Btories of their glorious past. Borne of them were evidently Legends, bul they all
tended to create and instil ;i pure national spirit.
\'<<v Ave hundred years after Marathon the Athenians commemorated the glorious victory won Bgainsl overwhelming odds. The Spartans never forgot the death of i.eonidas and his three hun- dred brave, unflinching followers, who died for the honour of their country at Thermopylae Pausanias
the historian was aide to read six hundred years after upon a eoluinn erected to their memory in Sparta, the names of the three hundred Spartans who had died with their king in that fight
In Knssia also the same spirit Of reverence for
their great heroes has always shown itself, i timitry
Saved Knssia by a great Victory OVer the Tartars
in 1380. Over live hundred years have elapsed,
but still the name of Dimitry Donakoi lives in the memory and the songs of the Russian people, and still on " Dimitry's Saturday," the anniversary of the battle, prayers are offered up In memory of the
brave men who fell <»n that day in defence of their country.
Switzerland is another example Of the patriot- ism of a free people. They won their freedom by three gr ea t victories won against overwhelming odds at Iforgarten, Sempach and Naefels. Naefels
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