The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-07-28
ADDRESS
DELIVERED BY wM. BARBER, At FREEDOM CES
TER, July 4Tm, 1865.

! 'lNci vi Jul
liberty-thc birthday of freedom to ouI
country, consccrated to gratitude and social
! pleasures. We have assembled to commem'
oratc the ever memorable fourth Of July,
| l776, when our ancestors, inspired with the
/ love Of liberty, dared to diyest themselves ol
the shacklcs OF tyranny and oppression. Sc
venty-nine years have rolled round since the
| Sages Of the revolution convened in solemn
council, signed the drclaratan of indepen-
dcncc, (Which has just been read) and pied
| ged their lives, their fortunes, and their sa.
cred honor to MAINTAIN it, That declaration
will remain Il lasting "charter of immortality
to its sgners," as long as the records OF vir.
tuous and noble actions are preserved. And
well may we celebrate the anniversary Of the
day on which il was declared, for it is wor.
thy to be held in perpetual remembrance by
the philanthropist OF every age and nation
| 1t led to events which stand without q paral.
lei in the annals Of the world. 1t rent in
twain the mighty empire of Britain aud Sc
cured to us all the blessings Of civil and reli.
gious liberty, and paved the way for the pro
/ gressiyc increase Of human happiness
| throughout the world
! The arbitrary measures Of the British mi
nistcrs, in attempting to tax the colonies
without their consent led to the revolution.
/ Not contci with monopOlizng the whole o!
the colonial trade, they attempted to clip the
wings on which they lorcsaw that the colo.
MES might at son future day soar to inde-
| pendencc. At that time the power OF Britain
was almost co.extcnt with the earth. Hes
/ fleets covered the ocean, and her flag waved
/ in triumph over the four quarters Of the
/ globe. But the pataiots resolved oman ctcr-
nal separation from u country To which they
/ had long been bound by the most ctdcarIug
and tender ties. They resolved "rather to
! die irecmcn than to lives slaves" The re
suit Of the contcs, was doubtful. Dark and
portentous clouds hung over the American
affairs, and threatened in gloomy terror to
blast the hopes Of the patriots. Many were
the battle which were fought, and many the
privations and suilerngs which the soldiers
Of liberty endured but with the capture Of
Lord Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown
III 1881, the towering schemes OF the British
ministers were lcvcled with the dust. After
struggle ofeight years, the American arms
were crowned with success, aud the thirteen
united states were aclnow lodged free and in
! dependent by all the nations of Europe.
/ Then commenced the golden reign Of peace.
I Happy period then did the war.worn yetc.
rams cXult in what they had 30 nohly achic-
! we'd then commerce revived, and the thir-
| teen stars and stripes of liberty were hoistcd
on the mnsis Of our ships, and displayed on
every sea Emgrauts ilockcd from oppre' :
sion III Europe 70 enjoy our freedom; our
population increased 10 an Incredible degree;
! our commerce iiOurishcd, and our country
was the seat Oi peace, plenty, and happiness
for many years But at length the fatal
| blast Of war again reached our land, aud our
country was compelled to unsheath the
sword in justification Of her violated rights.
! Our neutral commerce was assailcd; our
ships were captured aud condemned on the
high seas, upon frivolous pretensions; our
seamcn were dragged from their lawful en-.
ployment, and torn from the bosom OF their
beloved country sons from their father /,
husbands from their wives and children, and
compelled to serve for many years in the
British navy, under all the cruel seventies Of
martial law. These crucltcs forced our go
vernment, in 1872, to declare war against
England, whose thousand ships had caused
her to plume herself as mistress Of the
ocean. In the second struggle for indcpen-
dence and liberty, the exploits Of our infant
navy elevated our natiOua! character, and our
naval officers achieved victories on the
lakes, aud on the bosom Of the ocean, which
will forever adorn the annals ofthc republic,
and laid the foundation OF navy, which is
destined at no very remote period, to wrcst
from Britain the trident of Neptune; whilst
our victories on land will long be memora.
bic and shine on the brightest page Of his
tory.
Our political bark has proved 10y expert.
ence that II is qualified to stand the storms
ofhostIIty and war, as well as the calm un-
ruiiicd ocean Of peace. The constitution Of
the United States is the most sublime insti-
tuition Of human wisdom, and the ialrcSt
scenes Of individual aud national happiness,
are the fruits which we derive from the union
OF the states. The Americans have asserted
the dignity Of human nature, and proved to
the world that mankind are capable Of self
government. The enemies Of liberty had
dccried all free government as inconsistent
with the order of society. But happily for
mankind, our conicderacy, based on "thc
rights of man. has iiourishcd and most
gloriously retuted their gloomy sOphisms,
and become the admiration of the world.
Experience has proved that that government
which is the most free, is the most power
full. That condition Of national elevation,
which the nations OF Europe have been two
thousand years in acquiring, the [. 5. have
surpassed in a little over half n century.
The state legislatures take care Of all our
purely local affairs, and the gcncral govern.
mcnt provides for our national concerns; we
thus exhibit the strength of a mighty en-
pire. In vain we search among the c0niede-
raccs and republics of antiquity for com
parison with the constitution Of the United
States The Amphyctionic council, the
Achcon league, the confcdcracy Lycia, the
Republics OF Carthage and Rome, all dwin-
die into nothing when compared to our
beautiful form of government. Our pride is
our statesmen, and our laws arc our choice.
With an honest, grateful heart, we behold
our country rapidly rising in national great
ness and physical splcndor, to the most
powerful rank among the nations of the
earth exhibiting the widest field that ever
was opened for the display of human intel
lccl and human happiness.
The thirteen original states have increased
to thuy.onc. Our own state, which only
few years since was n wild uncutivatcd will
dcrness, now exhibits all the elements Of
highly refined and civilized community.
And our own country, which only few
years ago was in the possession of powerful
and hostile savagcs, with scarcely n sign Of
civilization to be seen, now glows in "Eden's
bloom" Beautiful farms now meet the eye,
where nothing was then to be seen but wilds
--nothing to be heard but the midnight
howl Of the wolf, or the licnd.like yclls of
the cruel and blood thirsty savagts, waging
q war of determination against all ag $, SEX
cs, and conditions. Those savages have va.
nishcd before an industrious and civilized So
ciety. The shattered wigwam has given
place to the comfortable dwelling house, and
the frail bark canoe has given place to the
majestic steamboat. Our fields wave with
the fruits of agriculture; our cities and
towns are alive with the contributions oicom.
mcrce, and our temples vocal with unre.
strictcd piety.
Such, fellow citizens, are the happy re.
suits of the declaration of American indc.