Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-07-05
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.

Well, It's gone, anu what oil III On Inc
4th day Of July, seventy nine years ego, the
people Of the then thirteen infant colonies Of
British north America, in number less than
three millions, poor and distributed over an
lilly cultivated area of eight hundred and twen-
ty square miles, and hemmed IN by a wilder
ness Of rejatory and ireacherous savages, hav-
ing borne the yoke of tyrany and oppression
until their proud spirits could submit 10 it no
longer, appealing TO the Supreme judge Of
the world for the Jectitude Of their Intentions"
solemnly declared that those colonies were,
and Of right ought 10 be, FREE AND lNDEPEN-
DENT STATES, and for the support Of this decla-
ration. they mutually pledged 70 each other
their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
honor, and most nobly cid they redeem their
pledge.
ALI civ ilized people have their national
holydays, but can any of them boast q jubilee
commemorative Of an event so vast and so glo-
rious in its Consequences Let us recur for
a momentto facts and figures. These thirteen
States, with eighteen others, "chips from the
old block" and equally free and independent,
for the purpose of establishing justice, insu-
ring domestic tranquility, providing for the
common defence, promoting the general well
fare and securing the blessings Of libe fy 10
themselves and their posterity, entered into a
union, created a general government with its
power so well and specifically defined that,
while each preserves not only its identity but
for all local and domestic purposes, its abso-
lutte and unqualified sovereignty in that united
character and under one federal head, they are
known 10 the world as a great Empire, their
independence acknowledged and their power
regarded. They now battle their eastern
shores in the Atlantic Ocean, and their wes-
tern in the placid waters Of the Pacifc-they
rest upon the Gulf OF Mexico in the south, and
stretching out 10 the north over some twenty
three degrees of latitude, embrace the great
fresh water seas of the continent, including
within their boundaries an area Of more than
three millions square miles, and a population,
but little, if fanny short oftwenty- seven millions.
Their real and personal property may lie sci
down at 5000, 900 900, having among Other
things, upwards of seventeen thousand miles
of rail road, alone being of the value Of five
hundred millions dollars. Their immense and
annually increasing products are in deman
Throughout. the civilized world, and their com
merce e~nlivens every sea. But over and il
possible above all, must stand out in bold re
lief the fact that while the industrial vitals
of old mother England are consumed by
standing army of FIVE hundred and seventy
eight thousand m%en-France by one Of five
hundred and sixty thousand-Russia by one Of
one million one hundred and fifty four thou
sand-Turkey by one OF four hundred and ff-
ty seven thousand six hundred and eighty
Austria by one OF eight hundred and ninety
tthree thousand, and other European powers in
proportiun-in this Gland Of The free and home
of the brave" the great and reliable bulwark
of defence is found in The virtue, the intelli-
gence, and the patriotism Of the people-stim.
ula;ed by the publication of some three thou
sand newspapers and periodicals, circulating
annually Eve hundred millions copies, which
penetrate and enlighten alike the s~tateliesI
mansion and the humblest hovel, from one ex.
tremity to The other Of the model Republic.
With these facts before you gentle reader,
would you not say that THIS Union is worth
preserving2 Then, in Gods name, cling 10
it as you would 10 the last plank of q wreck
upon the bosom Of the wide ocean.