The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-07-04

to 90 out from the old world Tell them to
90 out from wrong, expressions and blood---teli
them to go out from this old word-to build up
my altar in the newt ...--.-....
GAS God lives, my friends, believe that to
be his voice! Yes, were my soul trembling on
the wing for eternity, were this hand freezing
in death, were this voice choking with the last
struggle, I would still with the last impulse OF
that soul, with the last of that voice, 1mplore
you to remember this truth--God mas gwen
America to the free Yes, as I sank down in
the gloomy shadows of the grave, with the last
gasp, would beg you to sign that parchment
in the name of the one who made the Saviour
who redeemed you--in the name of the mil
lions whose very breath is now hushed IN IN
tense expectation, as they look up to you for the
awful words-you are free!'
many years have gone since that hour
the speaker, his brethren, all have crumbled
I into the dust, but it would require an angels
pen to picture the magic of that speakers look
the deep, terrible EN- phasis of his voice, the
prophet-like beckon;ng of his hand, the mag
netic fame which shooting from his eyes, soon
fred every heart throughout the hall!
He fell exhausted ir his seat, but the work
was done A wild murmur runs through the
hail. Sign! Hak! There is no doubt now Look!
How they rush forward stout-hearted John
Hancock has scarcely time to sign his bold
name, before the pen is grasped by another
another, and another!-Look how the names
blaze on the parchment-Adams and Lee, and
jefferson and Carroll, and now, Roger Sher-
man, the shoemaker.
And here comes good old Stephen Hopkins
yes, trembling with palsy he totters forward
-quivering from head to foot, he scratches
his patriot name.
Then comes Ben iamin Franklin, the printer
and now the man in the red cloak advances
the man who made the fiery speech momen
ago-with the same hand that but now wavet
in such fiery scorn, he writes his sname-Patrlcl
Henry. 5El .'
And now the parchment is signed, and nov
let the word 60 forth to the people in the street
to the homes of America--.o the camp Q
.'mister' Washington, and the palace ct Georg
the idiot king--let word 60 out to all til
earth
Ffty-six traders. and farmers, and mechanic
have this day shook the shackles off the world!
Hark! bark to the toll of that bell!
Is there not deep poetry in that sound,
poetry more sublime than Shakespeare Is
Milton?
Is there not a music in the sound, that re
minds you of those awful tones which brok
from angel lips when the child Jesus burst
the shepherds of Bethlehem?
For that bell now speaks out to the worlC
) that
!. God has given the American continent to th
free-born Amerlcans-to the sons OF the soil
as the last altar of the rights of man on tn
globe--the home of Freedom forevermore!-
Americans, this day swear that you will guar
and defend your native land from all foreIg
tyranny and dictation, as did your sires in n
How beautifully does James Madison b
q uueath the following advice to his country:
S ADVICE TO MY CoUNTYR.-As this, if it ev
s see the light, will not do so till am no NOR
o it may be considered as issuing from the tom
e where truth alone can be respected, and Il
o happiness of man alone consulted. It will
r entitled therefore, to whatever weight may
: derived from good intentions, and from the e
e perence OF man who has served his count
h in various stations through a period Of for
years, who espoused in his youth, and adhere
4 through his life to the cause Of liberty, al
who has borne part in most of the great tran
n actions which will constitute epochs of its de
tiny.
The advice nearessny heart and deepest
4 my convictions, is, that the Union Of the Stat
be cherished and perpetuated. Let the ope
: enemy to it be regarded as Pandora with h.
box opened, and the disguised one, as the Sc
pent creeping, with its deadly wiles, into par;
e disc.
REVOLUTIONARY SoLD1ERs.-During the W
of the revolution, Massachusetts furnished
It the continental service 81, 145 men and "a, s.
n militia. Her regular troops exceeded tt
quotas fixed and required by congress in mo
than fifteen thousand men. Maine was th'
. included in Massachusetts,, but was very thin
. peopled. Virginia came next to Massachuset
y in the number of men furnished, counting DO
:, continentals and militia, being 1881; but n
; ; much more than half of this number was cor
4 posed of regular tgsops, and most Of the mi
tia rest on conjecfdred returns. Connectic
furnished 42,227 men, Of whom 81 O39 we
>. regular troops. She exceeded the number d
= manded of her. New Hampshire furnish,
19, 289 men, Rhode Island, II ,692; New 1or
o 1897; New Jersey, l9,282; Pennsylvanj
" 54,965; Delaware, 3,763; Maryland, 2l,7
II North Carolina, 23, 238; South Carolina, %, 81
:, Georgia, 12, 577;-but most Of this last nul
,s Der rests entirely upon conjunctule. The 70
New England States and New York all fl
" nished more regular troops than were asked
# them by congress. All the other States fl
below the number required by that body. Ma
sachusetts actually furnished more regul
o troops, by 8,414, than were constituted by
e southern states, and $4,000 more than we
< furnished by Virginia. Her services in t
G way of furnishing militia were almost equal
{ conspicuous, if we refer only to authent;cat
returns The whole number of men employ
in the war, on land, was $50, 286, but this nur
l. Der, it ought to be mentioned, included 105, s.
J coniectural militia. Of this last force, not le
u than 1860 men were contributed by the s
u southern states, while the four New Eng glal
,, states furnished only 17,7CO men of such
Il proper force, and almost $4,000 actual milit
: : men. South Carolina overpaid her proporti
e of the cost of the war to the amount
II 81, ,2O5, ,978, fact that sufficiently shows th
she did her duty, and more, to the country, ir
very important respect. The number of M