Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-07-20


duration of life by no means uncommon,
and within the recollection of individuals
now alive in the State of Rhode Island, oc-
CURED the most important Revolution that
has ever taken place in the political affairs
of mankind.
On that day, thiiteen Colonies, under the
general supervision and control of nation
more powerful than Rome in her palmiest
days,-sepanting themselves from the pa
rent State by blow sudden and irresistible,
threw Oft the government under which they
had lived, and assumed the attitude and re-
sponsibility ofan independent people, in the
presence of all the kingdoms of the earth.
That day we have come together to cele-
brate, here III this ancient capitol OF Rhode
Island, $50 far renowned" for civil, relg-
ious and political liberty.
The descendants of those who performed
this great deed are now congregated, not
only here, but in all parts of country, ex-
tending almost from the rising to the setting
sun, to commemorate an event, to them of
the most feryent and grateful consideration,
and to thank God that they were permitted
to be born of such parents, and partake of
so blessed an inheritance. This should be
so and the people Of the United States are
bound by every just regard once in each re-
volving year, and in all time to come, to
separate, and set apart this day from all 9TH
er days; to consider the events Of Seventy
Six" " to fix their minds upon the occurren-
ces of that hallowed year,and pour out their
hearts in grateful recollectio of those brave
and selt-sacrifcing men, who made the
"Fourth of July" immortal
When we reflect upon the condition of our
ancestors at this remarkable period when
we look back upon their connection with
Great Britain; when we remember that she
was their parent State that the bones of
their progenitors lay buried beneath the soil
which had once been to them the beloved
home of youth, manhood, and declining
years; We may have some conception Of that
high resolye-of that agonizing mental eff
fort which impelled them to separation, so
full of peril, and SO full of sorrow! do not
propose to attempt even sketch of the
history of the American Revolution. You
have lenrned that by heart, and if | were
disposed to go into its leading incidents, time
were insufficient upon the present occasion,
and human patience would give way. But
am not one of those who think that the
Fourth Of July should be made the oppor-
tunity for political harangues or discussions,
relating to all subjects, except the appropri-
ate one; nor do l consider that the gori-
Gus birth day of a nation, is proper time
to forget our ancestors, or turn our eyes
away from their glorious actions.
You all know that the immediate occa-
sion of open resistance to Great Britain by
the Colonies, was the power assumed by
Parliament, to impose taxes upon people
who claimed, and had always exercised the
right Of jud -ying for themselves, in this be-
halt, and Of regulating their own conduct,
by their own sense Of royalty and Justice
1t was no new pretention on the part of the
Colonies; but it was new assumption, OH
the part of those who controlled the destin-
les of the British nation; and they little
dreamed of the storm which the distant
thunder portended.
This claim of England, if submitted to,
would have been fatal to all the rights of
self-government which had been exercised
by the Colonies, especially those of Virginia,
Conn, ,cticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Is
land, from the first period of their political
existence. The people Of these States, at
least, and more particularly the people of
Rhode Island, had been, from the beginning,
almost absolutely free and as to them, the
crown OF Great Britain stood in the attitude
of patron, rather than as ruler. They
made their own laws,-they regulated their
own political, as well as domestic affairs, ac-
coriing to their own notions of expediency !;
they laid taxes and made grants of money
in their own way never consulting any but
the people themselves, who were to bear the
burthcns. They had been trained in the
schools of freedom from the very first; they
had walked in its paths all their days; its
exulting pgans, they had caught from the
lips other fathers, and they knew no other
song. The history of English liberty was
the book they had studied, and they knew
its traditions, as well as its written pages
They were not afraid to resist the initiatory
aggression when struck once, they waited
for no second blow; and though very relig-
ious, our ancestors were not the men to
"turn the other check" They held that ac-
cording to all just principles of civil right,
no man could be diyested of his property,
except by his own consent, express or inn
Piled nor did they submit to the dogma of
the followers of the crown, that all acts of
Parliament must, of necessity be obeyed.-
They held with John Seldom, that laws,
which, in their very nature, were subversiye
of all natural right, might be resisted, when
there was power to resist and they looked
10 the practice of their forefathers for pre-
cedepts, which might be followed. We are
told by Lord Camden, in his great speech
in the House of Lords, against American
taxation, that Mr.. Seldom being asked in
what hw-book--in what records or archives
of State, could the law for resisting tyranny
be found 81 don't know" said he" wheth-
er it is worth your while to look deepl, into
BOOKS upon this manner, but Ill tell you
what is most certain, that il has always been
the custom Of England TO resist tyranny,
and the custom of England is the law of the
! landw
And this practice of our ancestors had
been adopted from the beginning of the set
Elements in Rhode Island and here espec-
ially, IN this ancient town of Newport, and
on this very spot where we now stand
II is true, that disturbances in relation to
the "Stamp Act" broke out first in Massa-
chusetts, in the year seventeen hundred and
sixty-fve but they broke out also IN other
Colonies 80 nearly at the same time, as TO
cause the Kings advisers 10 suspect that
these signs OF mutual resistance had been
arranged by concerts and Gordon informs
us that Rhode Island and Providence Plan
tations showed themselves among the FORE
MOST in their resistance to the Stamp Act.