The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-07-17
THE PRESENT ASPECTS Or AMERI-
CAN LIBERTY:
AN GRAFTON, DELIVERED AT HUDsoN, MIcH.,
JULY 4, 1856.
BY EDMUND B. FAIRFIELD.
Mr.. Preddent and Feli0,v Citizens:

Tho Fourth of July is the first and chiefest
of American Institutions, 1t is to us the great
national feast of the passover, commemorative
OF our deliverancc from tho house of bondage.
II is our pile of stones taken from the midst OF
the Jordan that separated us from tho goodlS
heritage of civil and religious liberty which
our fathers had sought in crossing the sea, and
pitching their tent in the wilderness.
We halow this day-not so much because it
reminds us of military exploits, and the tri-
umph of our arms in an unequal contest--not
80 much because il commentaries signal vic
tories achieved by heroic deeds, stern fortitud de
and manly courage, as because it recalls to
memory the eternal and changeess PRINCIPLES
| set forth in the Declaration we have heard to-
day. 1his is a day sacred TO Me Declaration
Of Iadependence. A DAY that will DO held in
unfailing remembrance while freeman reioico,
or tyranis reign; because therein was procla-
nation made to the world of those significant
words: "We hold these truths TO be SELF EvI-
DENT. that oil mon are created EQUAL, and en-
dowed by their Creator with certain inaiiena
BILE rights among which are life, liberty. and
the pursuit of happiness. That to SECURE
these rights, governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from the con
| sent Of The gousrned; that whenever any form
of government becomes destructive of these
ends, it is tho right of the people to alter or
abolish il, and to institute new government,
laying Tvs foundation 10 such principles and or.
ganizing its powers in such form, as to them
shall seem most likely to effect their safety
aud happiness" words which will ever be
dear TO freemen--which to the latest genera
ton will inspire courage and hope in the heart
of the down-trodden bondman who hears them;
words which will be worn as an amulet by
the worshippers of liberty in every lond; and
which have only to bo fairly impersonated in
our own national policy to become living,
| burning, omnipresent terror to despots in ev
cry cline and to the latest day:-haunting
tho usurper as the ghost of murdered liberty.
We hallow this day as tho Sabbath of Amer
lean Independence-a day dedicated to Free
dom and TO human rights. And II there is
one day more than another consecrated to free
thought and free speech, this is the day. All
DAYS to q freeman are free days; but this most
Of all. That American citizen who has out
grown the Declaration of independence and
to whom tho words have road have become a
dead letter or "a rhetorical flourish" has lived
too long already. That freeman who has sur
| vived his love of liberty, has reached tho fos-
| sill state he has become an Egyptian num-
my. Better for him that he had nrver been
born. That man who boasts himself of his
American cGcostry--saying. 40 have Wash
ington, and Jefferson, and Adams, and Madi.
son for our fathers, and yet feels no interest
in the future prospects of American liberty,
has been DEAD four days already, and by this
time hGH S M0d d b ns 5F sE%g
ne ofthese daysa voice will be uttered which
even the dead will hear. and come forth, many
of them, we fear, to the resurrection of condem-
nation, crowned with shame and contempt for
their treason to liberty. But expect to utter no
such voice to-day. My words, shall be TO living
men-to you, fellow citizens: whose hearts
beat full and strong for freedom as | shall
discourse ofthe present promise and prospects
| OF liberty in the American Republic.
| What is TO be tho result of our experiment?
| Shall our liberties prevail 10 the contest, or
shall despotsm triumph: momentous ques-
tion and momentous are the issuee involved
| in its decision. That there is such contest
pending, it is worse than folly-it is unmitiga-
ted madness--to deny. Facts are mono the less
| facts because we refuse to know them. Enemies
are mono tho less real or formidable, because we
arc ignorant of their Vaccinations. Causes
are none the less operative, because We ignore
them. Tho silly ostrich, when porsued by
| it's enemy, hides its eyes and is overaken
| II is not wise for man to emulate so witess
an example. "A prudent man foreseoth the
evil and hideth himself"
Tho contest between liberty and slavery in
this country is a contest involving the life or
death of American Institutions. II is not tho
strife of an hour to be allayed by a few soft
words. 1t is not chance outburst of passion
to be pacifed by temporary expedient and
followed by permanent friendship, easily re-
stored. 1t is tho mortal encounter of deadly
enemies II is tho persistent, irrcconcilabls
strife begotten Of Unborn and unconquerable
hostility. Liberty and Slavery are not the
chance combatants of some Olympic games,
who have by some cast Of die been thrown
upon opposite sides, and who fight for an hour
to furnish amusement to the assembled crowd;
and who on some other day shall be friends to
stand side by side and fight together. Their
warfare is lifelong; their cnmity is innate; it
runs in the blood; it comes of that utter con
trarioty Of character which no power can alter
The wolf may dwell with the lamb; the leop-
ard may lie down with the kid; and the calf
and tho failing and the young lion together
the lion may eat straw like the OK; and tho COW
and tho bear may feed in peace; but liberty
and siauery may neuer dtceH together IN uni
son. Tho foud that has been will continue to
be; and il will wax more and moro deadly till
one or the other shall die. No treaty of peace
will be kept; no compromise can avail: no pa
cifiicaior can lay his hand upon them both and
effect concliation: no marriage contract
can bind them in nuptal bonds; and no power
in heayon or upon earth can make of tho twain
one flesh. Every effort Mt reconciliation will
be futile, and tho experience Of him who al
tempts it. will be like that of the donkey who
interferod to settle quarrel between the lion
and the bear, and was torn in pieces of hem
both. Liberty aud Slavery have never agreed
except in abandoning. and treating with de-
served contempt the short sighted. though II
may be wellmeaning statesmen who have at
tempted to perform the marriage ceremony be-
tween them. and have pronounced IL complete
without any mutual pledge of confidence. af
fection or protection. No man can serve two
masters. for either he will love the one and
hate the other; or else he will hold to the ono
and despise the other; ye cannot servo libsr-
~ and slavery.
II was prcposterous In the begipirning to
unite in one confederacy such conflicting ma
lures; but it was fondly hoped that slavery
was short lived: and liberty's ioster-parents
consented to the match. expecting that slave
ry would soon die from what was imagined TO
be an Unborn disease OF the heart, combined
with climstc and regimen that were deemed
unfavorable to his constitution; and thus tho
| estates of tho grim ogro might peacefully