, 1855-07-13

Tor the triumph ot Free institutions, COM
memoratng that natal day Of Indepen
dency, thanking God, not only for the joys,
we have, but with true democracy of hope,
ardently anticipating that great political
millennium when all nations shall bc as We
are, and one holy bond Of liberty and free
Institutions shall cncircle them To an in.
telligcnt audience il is needless to trace
The history Of the events forming the
struggle for the Independence Of the United
Colonies Of Great Britain, which on the
4th of July l776, annexed themselves into
an offensive aud defensive alliance, declared
themselves free and Independent States, and
boldly invited the world to bear witness to
the Justice Of their cause. The spartan
'ffty-six, whose names are appended to the
immortal charter of our nations liberties
have often been commended to the admi-
ration Of American youth rs examples Of
what American men should bc. Where in
the annals of the world viii you fnd more
patriotism, more devotion, more moral
courage eyinccd, than in the integrity with
which that great obligation was kcpt-that
unviolutcd pledge Of lives aud fortunes and
of sacred honor. Never yet has the fair
fame of any one Of that Congress been
sailed by a blemish. These facts are too
well known, to tax your patience WITH
We may draw this lesson, however, from
this bright example we may embIaze it on
all our hearts; we may talk it among our
selves; we should teach it to our children,
that success against such odds as that with
which our forc-fathers contcnded only could
follow because so well deserved and would
their posterity succeed, let them as well
deserve IT,
70 IN American audience, the history Of
our Revolutionary times mast be and is as
familiar as household words. There are
none within hearing of my voice who have
not engraved upon their hearts the names
of the patriots and sires, TO who we are in.
debted for the blessings Or civil and religious
liberty, declared in that instrument signed
and proclaimed "the day we celebrate" to
be the inalienable right Of oil men.
With the striking events Of the eight
years war which succeeded its consuwma-
ton, yen are all acquainted, And now
follows right apace that great era, the
forming of the Federal Union, the adoption
of the Federal Constitution whose pre-
amblc asserts its objects to be, to form q
moro perfect union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the COM
mon defence, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings Of liberty to our
selves and our posterity. The inalienable
rights Of man had been proclaimed in
llT76. 4 long and fearful contest had
decided in favor Of Independence anGathe
right of selfgovemment, and those ardent
men, those apostles of liberty, those preach
ers Of the doctrine of human rights, they
who had stood shoulder to shoulder in the
strife, still clung together with the holy
hope of perpetuating civil and religious
liberty-of forming government to carry
out the objects declared as the impelling
motives Of the war from which they had
emerged. And tins on the principles pro-
mulgated in the great charter Of nc, the
constitution was framed, aud went into
effect with the immortal Washington as
First President Of the "0ld Thirteen y
at this time named the United States Of
America. Here is not the place, nor have
l the room allotted me in this task to pay
a notice to the triumphant auspices which
marks the commencement Of the new era
in the history Of nations. Pages might be
filed in discanting upon this, the great ark
Of our national safety-this great desider-
atlm Of sound government, Of which it
might be said in the language of one oi
New England's most brilliant orators-it
will "subserve the wants and satisfy the
requirements of these increasing States
and the multiplying millions Of this great
nation, until the American Eagle shall
with Que wing borne on the breezes of the
Atlantic, and with tke other hover oveI
the quiet waters Of the Pacific, until the
colossal mower of the reoublic standino, or