The Litchfield County post., 1826-07-04
COUNTY POST.
TUESDAY, (MoRNING,) JULY i.

FOR THE COUNTY POST.
 ' Ihe present dnniUerS0ry anticipated in 76 by. the authors of tke declaratiop of in.
 dcpendence. g
 Adams, Jefferson, and Carroll, of the
 authors of this instrument, alone survive,
 to witness the present anniversary. A pe-
 riod of one half century has now elapsed, since these distinguished individuals united
 with their associates, in performing an act
 of moral courage, unexampled in the his-
 tory of the world. To survey the past, to
 contemplate the present, but not to know or investigate tho future, was in the power of each individual, as he stretched out his hand to subscribe the instrument, which was to separate us from Great Britain for ever. In the past and in the present, he could see his country weak, unconnectcd, without supreme controlling authority, without an army or navy, without military experience, and the implements and muni- tions of war, without an adequate revenue, and in short destitute of nearly every thing necessary to success, except ardent gioUing hearts and firm uayielding ncr0es embar- ked in a conflict with an immense em- pire, possessing great wealth and abundant resources, numerous and well appointed armies, navy that whitcncd every sea, conducted by brave, experienced, and sci- entifc men, q nation, which guided by the counsels of the elder Pitt, had recently fought nearly the whole of Europe with success, and which was resolved to put 1 forth all her energies to crush the cOlOnies Co atoms.
 The past and the present were before them in all their fearful attitudes; but what the future contained it was impossible for them to determine. Perhaps the concen- trated powers of Britain would sweep over the continent, "the bosom of destruction - 1 perhaps the resources of the country would prove entirely inadequate to the conflict i; perhaps the zeal and energy which then existed, would turn out to be only tenn porary' efFervescence; perhaps the frnl- ness, constancy and perseverance of the people would fail; perhaps fields devasta- ted, cities conAagrated, friends and rela-
 tives slaughtered, fnancial resources ex- hausted, and armies dispersed and dlsor-
 ganized, would compel submission; per- haps trcachcry would invade the sacred cause, and Britain effect by fraud tha, , which she could not accomplish by vio. lence and perhaps, amidst the multiplied hazards of war, some untoward accident , might happen, unanticipated and unprovi. ded for, which would enable the enemy tc t extirpatc our new born liberties. Then despotism being triumphant, death, confs- cation, and all the evils of successful tyr amy, would follow in her train. Notwith- standing these possible (if not probable| , events, the bravo men above mentioned dared to break asunder the link that bound r us to foreign empire and to stake theiI y lives. their fortunes, and all that is deal . and sacred among men ,supon this momen 3 tous issue. @ mt
 If it had been permitted them, at tho s moment of performing the act of authen s tication, to draw aside the veil, which y benefcent providence for wise and jus 9 purposes, has thrown over futurity, the, s would have seen moments, during the strug l gle, in which the storm assumed an alarm 1, ing aspect, calculated to shake the firines nerves, and appal the stoutest hearts ]; bu 9 they would have seen it gradually dispel , led, that the energies of our country wer, 2 irrepressible, that the spirit of liberty pos l sessed an elasticity which repelled ever, n blow with redoubled force, and that upol D every disaster multitudes of brave men ral 9 lied round their country's standard till a 2 length our great benefactor who was equal Q ly conspicuous in the cabinet and the field . succeeded in conducting the conflict to . most suspicious result. @.
 If it had been in their power to dray
 the curtain further, and to pursue their in
 vestigations, they might have traced tn - history of our country for the period c ', fifty years; and would have perceived sha e providence had ordained the gratifcasio