M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-07-13

Oe Dut sport 10 humble the spirits oI
the Americans, and cause them 10 beg
for mercy at the feet of their naughty
Sovereign, who ruled with mighty sway
in Great Britton and North America
But they were mistaken in their mem
for from the time that the spark from
the smitten steel ignited the powder in
the rifles of the Americans, at Lexing.
ton, on the 18th day of April, l775,
until the glorious termination of the
war at Yorktown, did the British rul'
ers know that they had no ordinary en-,
emy to contend against, nor no cring-
ing sycophantS to crouch at their bid,
ding. Yes, fellow citizens, on this day,
l776, nation OF freemen were spoken
Into existence, in opposition to the
wishes and efforts Of that naughty fu'
Ter, King George the III, and these
great and ennobling truths proclaimed,
which secures 10 US this day our liber>
ties and our social enjoymeDts. Can
we then honor the day, and the men of
that day, too highly? think not. Can
we, on this day, show too much grati-
tude, love and respect Tor the forefath-
erS Of our country Go with me to
the Hall OF the Colonial Congress, and
see who IS assembled there on this great
and momentous occasion-momentous
not only to the American colonies, but
to the world-suCh as never had been,
and, perhaps, never will be again, and
what do we see there2 Men assembled
for the purpose Of empty show and pa
rade, e,decked out in costly robes ofState?
No! We see men there dressed in the
plain garb of the common people, to
make no show, but with the wisdom
of their heads and goodness Of their
hearS-they did make it; for the wis
dom of the world-yes, the wisdom of
the world, was there; and John Han
cock, with price upon his head, presi-
ding over that body-the greatest that
ever met upon the Globe-and see them
choose their committee to draft dec
laration OF their principles, and Of their
independence. Thos. Jefferson, Benz.
Franklin, and John Adams were chos-
en-, and nobly did they perform the
work assigned them; see them return
and present their laborS to the wise men
assembled; hear them plea for the
principles therein set forth; hear them
pronounce the emphatic yea! see them
pass it, and see them raise the pen,
dipped in the ink of pure love, (tor l
can call it no other, and dash their
whole souls into their pen, as did John
Hancock, when they pledged each to
the other their lives, their fortunes, and
their sacred houors, to secure the liber.
ties we this day enjoy, and then say it
we can honor them to much, or esteem
the day too highly? Every heart in
this assembly must respond with me
we can not!
But to appreciate fully the principles
of the Government under which we
live, and give full weight 10 the acts of
our forelathers, We must compare them
with the Governments and acts of men
Of other countries; Tor we might as well
think Of studying Astronomy without
the aid OF Mathematics, as 10 appreci-
ale the principles (and the blessings
that flow from them) of our Govern
ment without comparing them with
others. Now let us take a short view
Of the world, from the earliest time
down 10 the present: In the early times
Of the world, We read in the Holy Writ
that men did establish Governments;
and although We are told they were
guided by the hand Of the Lord, we
find, from some cause or other, their
Governments were imperfect, and men
and nations preying upon one another
the principles of life, liberty, and the
pursuit OF happiness, entirely left out,
or oyerIooked--and men ruled only by
the strong arm OF physical force alone.
Come down to Moses time, and We
find Government in Egypt, and Pha-
70 their ruler, and we find that this ru-
Ter held the children OF Israel in bond
age, land would not letthem go, although
the Lord visited the land with locnsts,
frogs and lice. Remember that Pharo
gave these people no place of honor or
of profit in his Government, but made
them hewers of wood, and drawers OF
water, tor his people; it then could not
have been q Government like ours
Let US follow Moses, after he has led
the children of Israel out of Egypt,
and they had planted their Government
in the Promised Land. Do we find
there Government of equal rights--a
Government that would be as reliable
at this day? Although they had Moses
written laws, wrote by the special or.
ders of a Supreme Being, yet they
Jailed to establish a Government on the
true principles of equal rights and equal
justice to all,
Next, we see small Governments
arise on different parts of the Eastern
Continent, and the people governed by
the will of one man; as a god, they
looked to him for their lives and their
happiness--for liberty, such as we en-.
Joy, they did not know. The greatest
Iaw.giver we find on the earth after
Moses, until Christ's time, was Sycur-
ous of Spo rty, oIthonoh his torr;tor;oa