Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1852-07-31

The grateful remembrance of our great polit
ical and social beneiactorss oaiy less impe ratiy
upon Us than gratitude 10 Cop. When s'rug
Cling into national e1isence-or encompasset
with difficulties and psrils--epery people has hat
It's heroes and patriots. All history altes;s tht
general trulh-thsi great men and extraordinar
events are ever coeianeous. Whether il be tha
Providence creates great actors for great eUsHt
or that circumstances but develope the power,
stent in many--is a question for speculative
philosophy. To celebrate such events and TO rem
der heart tribute TO such characters has ever beer
the hon0red custom of all nations. Surely il /;
but reasonable service. In the times Of classic
antiquity, when an imperfect mythology left un-
defined the limit between mans initude and
Gods iniinify, when history, the great teacher
lost Itself in the clouds that enyelOped ia obscu,
rliy, the primal ages--and when, in its ste ad
tradition, The hoary messenger of ED, emerging
| from the mists Of the past came with ts fabulous
accounts Of heroes and ressiless gianIs--great
national founders were made very Gods, and unto
them were granted "ap0Iheoeis and rites divine. "
| 10 more modern times, since clearer reason
aud Heavens revelation, have pointed ou; the
| hOundless gulf that separates mans imperleclions
| from Jehovah's attributes; truck ling slaves and
sycophantic courtiers--iorbidaen idolsry 10 el-
low morials-- sssimilate thereto by blending the
suppliant hinges Of the knee" TO those they term
Gods vice gerens, rulers by divine authority and
the natal days OF puppe' queens and kngy des-
pots, are made the jubilant occasions OF mighty
nations.
In the spiri, Of neither Of ,hese--not az idol
a'ors Of the dead nor as sycophants Of the living
--bnt as free citizens, proud of oar high lineage,
and rejoicing in the fall fruIton Of our machless
institutions we have assembled, my countrymen,
TO CONNIE mOrete the heroic achievements aud
exalted virtues Of those who wrought for Us so
rich an heritage, and 10 celebrate the birth day
If this, our great patton. II is meet that we
should; il is just to their departed worth; il is
henefciai ourselves. May its observance new
er became the cold performance of a simple duty
hn may il ever be a spontaneous tribute, warm.
gushing from the Yelling fountains Of the hearts
Of freemen, spprecatng their rights and bless
ings
Wb.t our hearts 20 forth in gratitude to our
revolutionary fathers, who first unfured freedoms
banner Ia he breeze. let US not forget that to us
has been committed the sacred charge of trans
hitting unimpairsd. the rich legacy we have re.
ceived. trust cannot avoid cannot betray.
sav. with ignopiny and eternal disgrace. And
willis, minstering at freedoms eltars, by them
erected let 'caich from the ashes Of our sires,
the embers Of our former fres." Aud may we,
as of as we rpcur 10 lhle day, he ever inspired TO
excan. with the same joyous, heart felt enthu-
sasm, that sweed The bosoms OF our revolutions
AIRY fathers. when fresh from the CORY heds of
freedom. Hail ! Independence hail /
thou next hest gift of God, to life and an immor,
tai soul"
Row we are lost In admiration Of The wisdom .
and philosophical forecast OF our great cord.tors,
when We behold with what sturdy prin Plies they .
buidad our great political temple "Nurlursd IN /
he vid--deep in the unpruusd orest--they had
earned from nature herself the true prlnci-
Dles Of freedom. They learned from her that
'evolutions meant not wild rush 10 chaotic de-
'truciion, without u system to regulate, law TO
govern, but that perfect harmony and eternal or
Ter prevail. They saw the earth revolve around
he sun, making the year; and from thence
bringing the seasons, and thereby derived mans
ustenance and comfort. They saw nothing of
# destruction in It, but gently vibrating thread
i conservation. They saw that revolutions OF
nis kind "were the dlnce of the hours around
be throne Of Jupiter--the chaplet Of victory on
he immortal head Of the God, after the conquest
{ Chaos" Alter this model, did our fathers
rect our institutions lay ing the foundation upon
he firm basis Of CONSTITUTIONAL liberty. No
Wild Iscobinsm-no mad Fourerisfn--no dis
rgsnEing Socialism disturbed their brains.
With liberty, not as an abstract passion, but rs
co-laborer, an aid they went seriously 10 work.
, establish system Of government that should
land through all coming time ever glorious and
ldesirucibs And why is il that Others in at
,mpting 10 follow our example have so oft and
D signally failed Why is it that those spas.
iodc convulsions that from time to time "rend
nd deracinate the married calm Of the staies" Of
Europe nstesd Of advancing, have served only to
VI hack the tide Of civil and religious liberty !
7 by is il that France with her great heart sntng
r freedom and her stout arm twice striking so !
IDLY for Liberation, should each ,rse have so
gnally failed to retain what was nobly won
be cause is obvious. In their boundless enihu- =
asrn, liberty with them has been = passion, not
principle. In their furious zeal. they have :,
scied affairs unto her; they have bowed down "
fore her and worshipped her as a Goddess; :
ey have secuted her as hsud-maiden in the r.
fairs Of life they have hailed her a. a nation :
saint they have refused her a. one Of the "
ged Penaies. She has been honored IN The TO- =
m-she has been rejected in the household
-cle. =,
And are these errors, destined ever 70 charac- :,
.iEs European efforts for freedom Are her -
Toluiions never to effect aushi, save change :.
masiersl Are the hopes Of the oppressed =
lions af The old world destined 10 he forever n
-rredl Are the lessons Of political Freedom =
Ishi by fathers. never TO be learned ,sEe by a.
ir drscsndansi Ii the affirmative be the ~
swef. then was their mission but half accom- u
.h-d; Tor ihungh in their patriotism, this to A.
m sas the land Of every land the pride yet, A.
their philanthropy they embraced in sympathy, r,
oppressed Of eveo cline. =,
The principles Of liberty viii yet govern the :.