Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-07-19

which calls up the latent powers Of The mind
and will, and enables the man 10 accomplish
what is afterwards a wonder 10 himself Il
was This which transformed so many ploWmen
into mighty generals and heroes; and which
walked up the eloquence Of Henry, an Ad.
ans Harrison and Lee. A rupture which
might have been healed by soothing and a
cOnciliatory course, was BY this naughty aus
terity at the court Of st. James coroded into un.
dying hate. and having once taken their posi-
ton and tasted Of Liberty, our fathers knew
no faltering or retreat. They willingly, with
the signers Of the Declaration threw their lives.
their fortunes and their sacred honors into the
scale against despOtism and oppression. And
nobly did they redeem their pledge. Never
was there truer men or more firm patriotism.
For seve long years they contended not only
with the hosts of the enemy without but with
traitors within. Short Of men and money-of
ships to defend their extended sea coast; and
arms and clothing for the soldiers on land
the men perishing in camp for lack Of suffici-
encY to keep them warm in winter, and their
wives and children perishing at home for lack
Of bread. The father serving a country that
could not pay; and the mother and children
bleeding under the scalping knife Of the saw.
age at the distant and lonely home in the forest.
The whole country Overrun with greLt armies of
free hooters in red coats called British soldiers
whose business it was 20 burn and pillsgs, and
eat out the subsistence Of the people and make
their condition as wretched as possible.
And this fellow citizens is part Of the price
of that Liberty which We this day enjoy. The
generation that achieved it, blessed be their
memory, have gone from the stage Of action.
The ceasely rolling wave of time has gathered
and garnered them beneath its sable curtains
Possibly there may yet here and there linger
one with bleached locks and trembling limbs
who shall hear the booming cannon peal of
this Joyous day. But the great army have
gone to rest and their works do follow and tes-
tify of them, The hand which drafted the
Declaration, and all the hands that signed it
lie palsed in death. Washington who led our
armies; Franklin who procured our French al :
lance, and the immortal Lafayette now all
sleep in silence And so does Prescott, and
Warren who fought at Bunker HilI Mont
g0mery who fell before Quebeck. Gates who
conquered Saratoga. Greene and Pulaski,
Allen, Putnam, Wayne Sumpter, Lincoln,
Steuben and the intrepid Marion. The bloody
fields of Trenton: Brandywine: of Monmouth; !;
Germantown; Eaton Springs and Yorktown
stand on the bright page of history and Live in
story and in song, but those heros who engaged
there hand to hand for the priceless prize of
Freedom have faded from our vision. But
this day has been set apart to bring up their
recollection to consecrate their memory in our
own hearts and teach il to our children.
But let us briefly inquire into the final res.
ult of this war of Independence. The thirteen
separate colonies had formed so many integral
parts Of the British dcn,inions United by a
common necessity and in common cause they
claimed to be an Independent nation, exerci.
sing all its functions and powers. And this
| Declaration they maintained and after a seven
years war its truth was acknowledged By our
former masters. Articles of confederation Sc
cured unity Of action between the several States
during the war. But it was quite different
thing TO establish a permanent government
embracing so many Independent sovereign
States and such diversity of interests when
the external pressure of vigilant and common
foe was removed. By the blessing of that
Providence which had thus far and so wonder
fay guided them; and by large and liberal
conceptions this matchless work was accom-
pIished and the constitutions under which We
live, that palladium Of cur Liberty was adopt
ed by all the States.
The benefits of this constitution are incalcu-
liable. 1t cut the church loose from the state;
gives to all men the right to worship accord
ing to the dictates of their own conscience, and
imposing upon none, the duty of paying
church stipendary in which he does not believe.
1t demolished all titles of Nobility, it cut up
that grand root and trunk Of oppression. the
law of primogeniture. engrafted on the ieudal
system, by which the real estate is kept in the
same family from generation to generation, not
being subject to sale. But above all it places
the supreme power in the hands Of the People.
This was the open, the crowning act. 1t was
The great fundamental principle which patriots
loved and Tyrants dreaded Under it our coun
try has prospered beyond all precedents' At
the date of the revolution we were but thirteen
infan: colonies, the Inhabited portions bounded
on the west by the eastern slope Of the Ale
ghapies. Now, after the lapse of 70 years We
are a mighty nation; larger in extent of terri
tory than the whole Of Europe, extending
from the Atlantic ocean On the East 10 the Fac
ifc on the west; and from the gulf of Mexico,
on the South, to the 49th parallel of latitude
on the North. and embracing land large enough
in quantity and rich enough in quality to sup,