Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-07-13
AN ADDRESS

Pronounced on the 4th day OF July, 1872, at
the request of committee of the citizens
OF the town of EdwardsVlle.
BY IHEOPHILUS ". SMITH
FELLOW CITIZENS,
T he birthday of a nation of freemen
has again dawned upon our hemisphere
Dree centuries ago, the untutored
savage and the wild beasts of the forest,
reigned uncontrolled masters of this wes-
tern world. Then alike to Europe and
civilized man, the continent of North
and South America was wholly un-
known; and had il not been for the as
piring genius oi Columbus, whose intre-
pid spirit led him 10 attempt discovery,
thai for nearly hall century had occu-
pied the utmost atenl ion oil Europe, with
OUT success, years, nay centuries, might
have rolled around, leaving this fair por-
ton OF nature, instead of being, as it now
is, covered with millions of treernen, the
haunts fthe monarch of the forest. His
en,erprising genius, led him to reject the
decisions of his predecessors, and to dis
dam 10 follow fancy i'll the tracts OF
those, who by sailing around the southern
extremity OF Africa, hoped to find pas
sage by sea to the Indies. Believing it
to be reasonable and necessary that there
should be in the west another continent,
to form counterpoise to the great body
oil land, which was known to be in the
east. he considered it an accusation
against the wisdom and goodness of the
great Author of nature, to admit for a
moment, that the space yet unexplored
was altogether an Improbable waste OF
waters. His genius was of that kind,
which by reasoning is the more quickly
impelled to action. His daring and lofty
mind had no sooner satisfied itself on
the correctness of the position it had
adopted, and of which the spherical figure
of the earth afforded the most convincing
proof, than he resolved on the execution
OF his plan, the result of which added
immortality to his name, and opened to
the civilized world a new and immense
region for the extension of science, COM
Merce, and the boundless enterprise OF
man.
The adventurous spirit which charac-
terized The discoverer of America, was
not less distinguishable in the character
and actions of our forefathcrs, who, dri-
ven by religious intolerance and perse-
cution from their native country, deter
mined on seeking an asylum in the then
wilderness of America. They preferred
to the most luxurious ease, the hardships,
sufferings and wants, incident to the for
NATION and settlement of colony, in a
distant and uncivilized region of the
earth; where they could worship God
according to the dictates of their own
consciences, and assert with freedom
their own opinions. To enjoy the liberty
of conscience, they willingly abandoned
the country in which they first drew their
breath; believing that on the shores of a
new world they might adore, without
fear or danger, the great Author of their
being. Astonishing, therefore, would it
have been, il they had not, on their mi
grafton, brought with them opinions high
ly favorable to civil and religious liberty.
And as astonishing would it have been,
if the germ of liberty, which eventually
spread its branches over our nation, had
not sprung from the descendants Of those
inflexible men. The extraordinary and
arbitrary proceedings of the British
crown, which had been exercised against
them with most determined and unrelent-
ing severity, doubtless produced a spirit
of inquiry, and induced them to dispute
the equity of those powers, which were
SO unrighteously usurped. With them
it was easy to discern, that tyranny, whe-
Their in church or state, could under no
pretence be vindicated by reason, nor
revelation; and that although by the hand
Of Heaven, it might be permitted for the
accomplishment of some great end, still
it was nevertheless unjust. Nor is it
matter of surprize, that those who had
thus fed from persecution, should at the
instant Of their settlement, have entered
into written compact, wherein they de-
clare, " that finding as free-born subjects
Of the state of England, we came hither
with all and singular, the privileges be-
longing to such in the first place we
think good, that it be established for an
act, that according to the rights and due
privileges of the subjects aforesaid, no
imposition law, or ordinance be made,
or imposed upon them at present, or to
come, but such as shall be made and i'm
posed by consent, according to the true
liberty Of free-born subjects Of the state