The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1846-08-15

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tue, energy, wisdom, valor, and patriotism oil
our ancestors does not shine out in cloudIess
splendor, And then came the harvest, the re-
ward Of their tolls, and their virtues-then
came the glorious day Of independence. Then
they commenced forming free institutions. es-
tabllshing wholesome laws, framing a state
government, and adopting their present. noble
Federal Constitution, s%olemnly stating, in writ
ten instruments the rights Of man, restoring
the American to that political rank which his
Maker gave him in his rational creation, teach
ing him that it is base for q man to suffer where
he might act, that he should shake OF the
yoke that was CALLING, and the burthen that
was g~rievcus, and that those who would be
free must themselves strike the blow. We be-
hold them laying broad and deep the founda-
tons Of the Temple of Freedom in the land,
not an Idol found in some unhallowed grove Of
superstitious darkness and political dismay,
not in aGoddess selected from the Heather
Mythology Of the sunny land Of Cicero, to be
personifed, enshrined, and worshiped but the
simple blrthright Of every American, a princi-
pie august, a principle which acknowledges no
King but God, no Queen but Women! 1t Grip
pies not the free agency of man. 1t does not
interfere with the rights of conscience. we
can worship God or not as we please. Here is
no state church, no pet denomination Of chris
tianity, all ale politically equal. The Jew and
Gentle, the Catholic and Episcopalian, the
Baptist and Methodist all fought side by side
in the stormy scenes Of the Revolution. And
their children are among US side by side, this
day, all equally entitled to the enjoyment Of
rational liberty. VIZ are restrained in nothing
that may conduce to the public welfare. This
is our bulwark-this is real Independence
this is American Liberty-true rational and sub
s%tantial freedom. This is the boon which God
gave our ancestors-this 10 the gift Of Jehovah
to all, who like them, have the valor to be free.
For this our forefath rs left their homes and
came to Amortization this they battIed by the
side Of Washington, and died that they might
secure and transmit to US this glorious, inesti-
mable patrimony. What then is our duty a.
Are we, the llneal descendants Of the Patriots
Of l776, laid under no obligations to keepfholy
this glorious Anniversary? Are we the dege-
nerate sons Of the Heroes Of the Revolution
Or, are we the worthy kith and of the i'm.
mortal Smith, the Father Of Old Virginia, Of
the Pilgrim founders Of Plymouth, Of Adams
and Jefferson, Of Jackson and Washington
And shall we not hallow this day? Shall we
not celebrate with harp and psalm, with bon
fires and feastings, with all innocent demon
STATIONS Of grateful ioA the periodical return
Of the 4th Of July? Shall we cease to cele.
brate ''the day that tried mems souls''? Shall
we not hand down to posterity uniniured, un.
sullied and unimpaircd, that rational liberty
which we received from our Fathers? Shall
the lustre of our Stars be dimmed, or the Lib
erty of our Nation suffer, by being placed in
our keeping! Have we not the wisdom to
prize our freedom the sense to know our
rights, and the spirit to defend them!
/ anticipate your answer, because | know
your nature. / see the patriotic affirmation
b%eaming from every eye, and quivering upon
every lip before me. But how is all thissp be
effected? By the swordl No; Greece tho't
so once, but what is she now? What has be,
come Of the classic land, where Plato thought,
and Euclid reasonedg The land where Homer
SCARED, and Pindar sung, is sunk in ignorance
the land where Socrates was put to death
for teaching school, and whore Demosthenes
Numbered against Phillip, is ruled by a mind
less King. And why? Because she put her
trust in the sword. But how then are we TO
perpetuate our happiness and liberty? By the
sword alone? No; Rome thought so once,
and now what is Italy? What has become Of
the land Of the Mantuan Bard? What has be-
c5me Of the country Of Horace and J%uvenal,
Of Tacitus and Pliny, Of Livy and Cicero?-
What has become Of Rome, the home Of sci
ence, the seat Of song? What has become Of
her tOwers-her hanging gardens-her public
walks-her sacra via--her halls Of midnight
revelry, where wit and music, beauty and love
held their fairy court? The song Of Freedom
is now unheard in sunny Italy--her vine clad
hills are Eorsaken BY the sons Of Brutus! The
land Of C~incinnatus and Fabricius, Of fair Luz
c%retia, Of M%anlius, scipio and Titus, are tram
pied BY the timid slave and disgraced by ignOr-
ance.
aHer boIdest are yanquished, her p~roudess are
slaves,
And the harpsof their bards, when gayest they
waken,
Have breathings as sad DIS the wind over graves"
How. then, are We to perpetuate ourfreedom?
/ answer by doing AZ our forefathsrs did. On
what did they build? On the sword alone?
No, they built on Intelligence and Virtue.-
When, they used che sword il was to defend.
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