Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-07
"TEMpORA MUTANTUR."

Old Independence Square, in Philadelphia, is
the spot where not quite seventy.nine years agn,
Congress met to declare the freedom of thirteen
Colonies. Adams, Hancock, Jefferson and Franklin
sat together in consultation the paper, within.
Up and down. under the old trees paced sentries,
wearing the cooked hat and the Continental blue
and buff" Over the doorway hung the newly
devised stars and stripes. Down from the belfry
came the Joyful but solemn chime and announced
that Independence was declared, echoed by the
sound of distant cannon from the Delaware.
Last Saturday night independence Square was
thronged again If one Of the old patriots could
have looked down on the scene, strange sights and
sounds would have greeted him. In the seat OF
the eloquent Adams he would have beheld the sen
tentious Scroggs. Where once throbbed Hancock S
heart of iron, now smrked Ullman's face Of dough.
The grave and earnest Franklin is succeeded by
the obsequous Barker, and stern, uncohpromising
Josiah Bartlett, who led the list of signers-by a
Bartlett who, because he truckled to all the com
promises that Slavery could devise, was selected
to lead the list of signers now.
On the spot where Thomas Jefferson pronounced
King George "a tyrant," for ''ObstFtcthg the nat
uralization of foreigners, and refusing to cncour-
age their emigration hithcr"-on that spot stood a
horid orator. calling for return to the Royal Pol
icy of His Majesty. AT the table where Charles
Carroll, the Catholic, set his hand to the Declara
ton, now piped small Marylander, that Catholics
are unfit for the right of citizenship" Where
Button Gwinett, Robert Morris ard Francis Lewis
Engshmen by birth James Smith, George Tay
lor and Matthew Thornton eXiles from Ireland
James Wilson and John Witherspoon, natives OF
Scotland affixed their signatures in broad daylight
to the Declaration of the Thirteen States, now
came the broken down party hacks Of those States
to cry that "noue but native born ought to take
part in the government of America" And where
Philip Livingston pledged "his life, his fortune
and his sacred honor" for Liberty, now stood
New Yorker who thou oht the oueStion of Liberty
was dangerous" and, therefore, "ought not to bt
agitated."
ave believe" said the old Convention, 'that al
men are born free and equal"
"We believe" said the new one, 'that only thos,
are born free who are born white, and only thos,
equal who are born in America"
Liberty and the pursuit of happiness are in
aienable rights" said delegate from Virginia.
To secure them, governments were instituted
and whenever any government is destructive Of
these ends it is the hight of the people to alter oil
abolish it."
"Slavery and the pursuit of our niggers," said
the modern Virginia delegates, "are inalien-
able rights. To secure them this Union was nst-
tuted /; and whenever it becomes destructive OF
these ends, we shall alter abolish it :" Nor must
you interfere" adds Cunningham, of South Caro-
lima, with Slavery's necessary expansion" !"
And in the meantime, up and down under the
old trees paced sentnels wearing the cooked hat
and the Continental "blue and buff" Over the
doorway hung the old stars and stripes. Down
from the belfry came the solemn chime of the old
bell, echoed, in '76, by the sound of distant
non from the Delaware; for this crew of merry
andrews. who had possession of the old Hall, as
sumed to be even better Americans than those of
the Revolution, and, while denying the principles
of their foreiahers, gathered there to ape their
ceremonies insult their memories, and mock them
in their graves.-Albdny Journal.