Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1838-07-21

are sufficient 10 convince us that the Declaration Vas
merely formal assertion Of that which existed Va 4
the bosom Of the wings OF l776.
=, 'Lether OF not cur fathers were jUstiiiabc IN ]
ulfu"'.- Oft the woke of Europesn thradOm aI The |
ti'e they d'1 IS VeSuon not doubted by aay but |
tbs most incredjAOis N,en,;r The bir1ted blood |
MOUNDS OF tytanny boated high priests OF egti-
macy have on tins account hurled their ILLUMINATING
analhmaS against us Eut they have fallen harm
ieSSiy and quietly tour ieeL without ever exciting
our contempt They say tia, we were nurured bv
British care, and protected by British arms; that
debtwas contracted in protecting MS irom the III
greSslons of the Indians and Canadian Frenchmen
that we were Teloiced to bear some vi the hurlhenS
Of taxation imposed solely for the purpose OF de-
raying the expenses OF war carried on solely for
our benefit and our protection and for this alone we
took up arms against our kind and benehcent moth
or The story told by the uiuion OF legitimacy is
not strictly and correctly in conformity with the
principles OF truth. We were willing 70 hCag MI The
hurthens ota taxation levied on Tor the ptsnosc of
l~i'e1 ipsg ae ~4vrenseS e war carried ~ for oar
protection and benefit Bat we were ahle,o MO
tcct ourselves, at least we were the best Judges of
when we required that protection. And we wished
tohaye some agency in directing tie mode and ex-
tent of that taxation 1t was very plain 10 the sign
erS OF the Declaration, that to allow the British Par
lament 10 tax Us even for our own benefit was mere
~
sve rciEns at government; that ii made but little
difference whether we were taxed for the benefit Of
British Colonies in NORTH America or in the East In
dies, if the extent of that taxation was 10 be meaSuT
etby those who love none OF Us hur'henS and by
those who knew nothing about the situation OF our
country That under such circumstances we WE'RE
the mere slaves and task masters Of the European
Aristocrst
Let US my ieiIow-citizeus, transport ourselves
back in imagination 90 wears. Let us place cur
selves IN the city Of Philadelphia. Let us enter hat
spacious hall where the immortal sentiments con-
tanned in the Declaration you have Just heard read
Drst reyerheracd IN the deep toned and oracuar
voice of the sage Of Monticello Let us look upon
the brigttnIng counenauce of that grave body when
they heard the prophetic voice OF Thomas Jefferson
u'terthe deep accented phrases Of eternal liberty
Let Us look upon their determined brovs when they
threw down tie gauntlet ofmortal combat,aad swore
eternal hostility to the principles ot slavery.
Perhaps there never was in any age or any nation
body oil men assembled together superior TO that al
Philadelphia, at The tilhc the Declaration was adopt
ed. Net even the Roman senate with Cicero and
Cato, or the Grecan Amphictionp council with their
immortal sages and awgivers. We can see the
calculating sonof Y. England aIIxng to the dec
aratoa bus name with countenance whose gravity
ana iIrmhess indicated that his rancuSlnls Vi the
ns'ness Of MS cause was arrived at by the unerrnr
process OF mathematical demonstration The Vr-
oman with dignity and feeling of high toned hon
or winch spoke the sentiment Of the noble Roman,
mat he loved the name of elderly moro than he
feared death" The high hlooled and fiery south
ron whose conceptions of right and wrong, out ran
tne deductions OF logic, affixed TO the Declaration
ms name with countenance heamng with patriotic
prlde, winch showed to the world that lie babe de-
ilance to the thunder Of the British Artillery.
Lei us here pause for a moment, and confer fhe
need ct honor those to whom honor is most due
The South, for The gallant part she took in the re-
yollllon, deserves more praise and admiration than
the North She Ind never been annoyed by stand
standing armies, neither had she borne any Of the
burhens Of parliamentary taxation In her pur-
suits, she was strictly agricultural and had been
particularly the fvoritc of The mother COUNT
Mic could have lived III peace and quiet probably
or centuries after the war had commenced in the
Northern colonies; but she had heard the name of
Independence. and She made common cause with
her brothers OF the North, and many Of her sons
were seen leaving their homes and Offering up their
lives and fortunes on thc altar of their common
country.
1t is true, said the venerable apostles Of liberty,
that in signing tbs Declaration we may sign the
death warrant that viii consign us 10 the gtbbet.
Inc calculations are against Us. We are weak
we are unorganised; we are spread over q vast eX-
tent oil country; we have no experience in the SCI
ence OF human buchcry we have no arms nor NM
nltions Of war. Onr foe is dreadful his ships viii.
len every sea; lls armies are stationed in almost
every portion Of tie globe; his wealth is incxhan.t-
abe ms skill, IN the science Of warfare perfect;
the thunder Of ms artillery is heard in almost every
part OF the world Shall we sign the Declaration
IL we lal we viii impede the progress of liberty for
centuries and our country viii be in blaze OF war
from one end Of the continent to the other and in IFS
gloomy and bloody train will follow NIL the sickennt
horrors Of indscrminate carnage The shrcks
and cries OF the suffering and the miserable will be
heard fom every cottage, and our own domestic
hresldes viii be the saughfer-house Of our wives
and our children. If we lai the hopes of civil Il
berty will fail with us, and on the tomb Of "expred
hope will scow the gloomy spectre Of despair.
The burthens which our mother country have
placed upon Us are light Three pence per pound
on tea IL a small consideration for which to 90 to
war; too small, indeed, FOR which 10 dreneh the lair
est and brightest portion Of the globe in human
gore But BY the principle that she can exact
penny, she can exact pound. And if we can have
even one penny taken from us without our cousert,
we are no longer treemen, but slaves. Live or die,
then, we are for the DeclaEtion. We are not con-
tending for ourselves alone but Tor miioiie who are
to come after as. We are fighting for the whole
human lamly N the great battle Tor the principles
Of liberty. "We may die, die sIaves--dic ignomi-
niousy and upon The scafold," to atone lor this
days sin against the demon Of despoiizEn. But VIC
will die in glorious cause and far better il il to
die fighting for liberty than to breathe the unyhol
some atmosphere Of slavery. But the principles Of
tins declaration will not die with us-our children
Hill revive them. They viii call to mind the works
o. this day. and by the blood Of their ANCESTOR. by
the ghosts Of the departed dead, they will swear
never to live N bondage while memory exists Of the
patriotic breatliings Of their gallant fathers.
For freedoms battles once begun
Bequcathed by bleeding sire to son,
TbouM fled oil is ever won"
And if we al viii die martyrs to l,berty--and
dear as life is. and "prized above all prizes" vet
dear il the name of liberty.
Such we may imagine, my fellow-ci,izens we're