Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-07-17

pie of taxation, without representation, our
fathers took firm, decided stand. Re-
peated petitions and remonstrances, in the
most earnest, and respectful terms to the
King and Parliament, were met by repeated
sy had passed to the bloody arbitrement of
the sword, and the American Congress
deemed it expedient and necessary to de-
clare for independence. Let US look for
moment to the period when the Conscript
Fathers Of our land, pledged to each other
their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
honor, in support of that glorious declara-
tion. Here we have truly a spectacle Of the
moral sublime. 1t was time which was
we'll said TO have tried mems souls. The
blood of our citizens was first poured out
on the plains Of Lexington, and the spirit
Of liberty spread over the whole country,
like an electric shock. One Of the most
powerful nations of the earth had stretched
forth her puissant arm TO crush feeble
people Our fathers, though few, yet undis-
mayed, armed in the panoply of righ,e-
Gus cause, as David Of old, with the sling
and the pebbles from the brook, met the
Goliath power of Great Britain, the then
terror Of the world. Her fleets covered our
waters, her armies darkened our land, dan
ger and death were threatening everywhere
At the roar of hostile cannon, the mother
hugged her babe more closely to her bo-
som; the maiden was wiping the dews Of
death from her lovers brow. 1t was then,
on the fourth of July, seventeen hundred
and seventy six, this Magma Charta of our
lo3c IF oh
ished to an admiring world. 1t was then
our fathers drew the sword, and threw
away the bbard,-preferrng that their
streams should run with their blood, their
hills bleach with their bones, rather than
bend the knee to yrants,-irmIy resolved
in the great struggle to do or die.
"Then war became the peasants joy, her drum,
His merriest music, and her fields of death
His couch of happy dreams, after life's havest-
He battles heart, and arm, his own blue sky
Above him, and his green land around
Land of his fathers grave his blessings, and his
prayers,
Land where he learnt to lisp mothers name,
The first beloved on earth, the last forgot,
Land of his frolic youth,
Land of his bridal eve,
Invaders, vain your battles steel and fire,
Choose We the morrow's DOOM prison or a grave.'
1t may we'll be said there were giants in
those days. Among those great in council,
were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben
jamin Franklin, Charles Carroll, Richard
Henry Lee, and Patrick Henry. AS The au
thor of our Declaration of independence,
the name Of Thomas Jefferson is dear to
the lovers Of liberty, over the whole world.
Benjam franklin, though he commenced
life poor printer boy, yet lived TO fill A
merica and Europe with his fame. He
snatched the sceptre from the hands of ty-
rants, and brought down the ligh,nings of
heaven to play harmlessly at his feet
Patrick Henry was one Of the first TO put
into motion the bal! of revolution, whose al
most preterna,ursl powers Of oratory, in ad-
voca,ng liberty, may we'll remind US Of
what was said Of the eloquence of Pericles,
that it ,hundered, ligh,ened, and stirred up
Greece. Of those mighty in war, come
crowding TO our memories a mighty host
Montgomery, Green, Marion, Sumpler, the
the immortal Lafayette, and our own Small
wood, than whom there was not more
lion hearted officer of our whole army.
Seven cities conlended for the honor of be-
ing considered the birthplace Of Homer
but Charles county seems almost 10 have
forgotten that in her bosom the eyes Of
Smallwood first opened TO the light of hea-
ven, that all that was mortal Of that great
man, now lies mingled with her soil. Ma
rylanders may well feel proud, that no por-
ton of our revolutionary army was more
honorably distinguished than was our glo-
rious old Mary land Line it mark ed its path
in glory, as clear as the milky way in hea-
ven. The war, which had lasted eight years,
may be said to have ended with the surren
der Of the Earl Cornwallis, at Yorktown, to
the allied army under General Washington.
Our independence was soon after acknow
ledged by Great Britain; peace was re-es-
tablished throughout our borders, and that
liberty, which had before existed only in
the poets dreams, then, as a real goddess,
took her favorite residence among US; her
altars erected on every side her worship
performed BY millions of rejoicing freemen.
hearts anticipate me in offering grateful
homage. He was first in war, first in peace,
frs. in the hearts of his coun,rvmen-one
in whom all the higher faculties of the mind,
all the better feelings of the heart, united to
form the truly great and good man. He
saw The right, and nothing could turn him
from his onward course in its pursuit.
"Justum, &C tenacem propositi, virum
Non clvlum ardor, prava jubentiun,
Non vutus instantis tyranni,
Mente quatt solida."
Forever green be the IaureIs which encircle
his brow. He has fame before which
that of an Alexander, Caesar, or Bona
parte must grow pale. He was born for the