Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-07-31

committee of arrangements, | sendyou copy
Of my Address delivered on the 9Th instant, in
commemorative of AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE,
for publication
Very respectfully,
Your obcdient servant,
NICHOLAS HANSEN.
Edtoarasvile, July d, 1919.
FELLOW CITIZENS,
a nations jubilee" the feast of
reason and the flow OF SOUL" is spec
tacle grand and august. Ours is the
festival of freemen--the altar, our coun-
try--the presiding divinity, the Genius
of Liberty. At her shrine devoted
people offer ,up annual rites; not the
burning incense and bleeding sacrifices
of pagan Greece and Rome, but the sim
cere homage and profound alteration of
their hearts. To Americans it must
afford inexpressible delight that the FOR
TY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY oftheir country's
Independence meets votary III each
generous bosom, an ardent friend in eve
ry patriotic citizen. Go on. and
-.----" cry, remembrance sadd. ming DER each
brow,
How had the brave who fell cxulted now 20
The spontaneous accord OF millions
proclaims this day the anniversary OF
American freedom. Here the ingenuity
of man. has no occasion to invent, or the
imagination to magnify suitable theme
for nations eulogy. We commence
rate no longer the birthday of a dotard,
or the martyrdom of some tabled saint,
where the terrors of the law and the
anathemas of the church are arrayed IN
their support, and courtly batteries, and
venal applauses, and ignorant crednlity,
constitute their only eclat. The choicest
dispensation of Providence, the highest
attainment of human exertion, LIBERTY !!
we celebrate.
Your speaker on the present occasion
will not interrupt your sympathlzing
feelings by recurrence to the past tor
examples for your imitation. When,
fellow citizens, you can contemplate un-
moved the history of this day, it is time
enough to enforce the observance OF it,
from the less illustrious examples OF ma
tons who have gone before US. At best
they were but superstition, or If real,
they soon degencrated into the llcentious-
ness of passion, and became mere excu-
ses for the most vulgar debaucherics,
the frantic orgies Of bacchanals, and the
bloody arena Of gladiators. Pour forth
the full illusions of your hearts 1t IS
Justly due to God and our country. ]
call on your gratitude, ] invoke your
PRIDE, ] assume the right of freeman,
and demand of every one within the COM
pass of my voice, his tribute OF respect,
his mite OF applause, his libation Of JOY.
Though the struggle sounds no longer
in our ears, and the rains of heaven have
washed away the blood of the brave, and
the war-worn veteran moulders in his
tomb, they all yet live in memory, and
will be prolonged by history to time
remotest period, for the worlds Joy and
admiration. Then let us remember,
whilst We can, our prowess in war, laud
our deeds to the skies, point to Mon
mouth, York, the .Cowpens, and Sara
toga, and, with the ardor they inspire,
welcome the day which gave nation
birth, liberty, and independence.
The Declaration OF our independence,
contains the long catalogue ofou griev-
ances. The despotic policy of the king
Of Great Britain seemed like the vindic-
tiveness Of monk, whilst it .partook of
all the atrocities of tyranny. All the
blood and treasure we had spent for him
in his Indian wars, and in the expulsion
of the French from the Canadas--though
we had bled under Braddock, and con-
quered under Wolfe-could not avert
his malice or limit his upboun1ed en-