American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-07-15
]. G. JEFFRIES.*
R. M. CLARKE.
To Messrs. Josh Clarke and
y, Chas. Roland, Esqrs.
speech of II. M. Clarke, Esq.

Ma. President AND FELLOW CITIZENS:
We have met to-day, to celebrate
the 82d Anniversary OF American IEdepend-
ence; we have met to- day, to unite IN thanks
giving for the many blessings we enjoy; to re-
ioce over the downfall oftyranny and oppress-
ion in '76, ard the subsequent erection Of
truth, justice, freedom and humanity in its
stead. We have met to day, to add, with
throbbing bosoms and anxious hearts, our little
testimonials to the memory OF cur Fathers;
those brave men, who hating tyranny, rose 10
blot it out, who loving liberty, bled to secure
it, who despising death, noby and manfully
embraced it on the fields of Lexington and
Bunker Hill: Long may their hallowed names
glow upon the tablets Of posterities memory:
long may their glorious deeds be loved, cher
ished, revered and emulated; long may their
bright examples, their love Of liberty, their
dauntleSs fortitude, their nvincible integrity,
their inimitable virtues stand as living monl-
tors, warning and protecting Us from danger,
leading us from the paths Of error, of darkness
and crime, and pointing the way to the only
true and living God.
We have met 70 day, to renew our plighted
vows for freedom: to pledge our hands, our
hearts and our energies, to repleniSh the fires
of freedom, that their hallowed blaze may burn
to the skies, beacon light TO those who in
darkness are seeking the blessings OF their gen.
ial rays; consoling hope TO those who are
chained by oppresSion'S iron links; star OF
Bethlehem to those who are seeking peace.
We have met to day, to pledge our strength,
our zeal and our devotion, toguard and nour'
ish the scion Of liberty, planted by our ances-
tors amid the tEunders of the revolution, wa
tered by their blood and nourished by their
clay, that that noble tree, now towering in
majesty to the zenith, may grow on, strength
ening in its growth, until its broad branches
have penetrated every cline, its roots sunk
deep in every soil; until Gods whole people,
in Joy, and peace and quietude, have found a
resting place beneath its cooling shade, pluck
ing from its well laden branches the pre-
cious fruits of Liberty and Life.
Three centuries and a half ago, fellow citl-
zens, this vast, this beautiful continent of ours
now bristling with its many million souls, now
the land OF scholars and the nurse Of arms.
now the emporium of civilization, art, science
literature and PHILOSOPHY, was "desert
waste" unknown to civilized man. The
grant Oak then stood forth monarch of the
woods, beneath his broad arms the rude and
nncouth Redmansept in peace. The king of
waters and the prince of streams, rolled on
in its majesty and strength tits music lost in Soli
tude; its pure bright waters, bearing no float
ing palaces, no mighty navies to the deep; it
mixed and mingled with the food, undisturbed
save by the music OF its own deep roar.
Scenes, ,other and differe mt from these were be
ing enacted upon the theater of the old world.
The star OF civilization was coming out Of its
thousand years Of night; the cloud ofignorance
and superstition, which, for ten dark centur-
les, had enveloped the world, was being
swept away. The re formation dawned; fate
smiled, Columbus was borne, another star
given to fame and another world to man.
The urshering in oithis great event, although
: truth was its principle, philosophy its sulety,
reason its advocate, the sun and moon its wit
pesses and eternal nature Judge, shocked the
\ credulities ofman.
4 New adventures were proposed, and new
discoveries made. Americus Vespucous sail
ed, touched upon the continent, returned, pub
lshed an account Of his voyage, gave name Ia
the new world, and thus robbed Columbus oi
the ripest honors Of his discovery.
Projects for colonization were set on foot, 9
hundred years Of Jealous, though fruitless at
tempts pass by, in all of which the Tedman'S
knife had drank the blood; starvation forced
to abandon, or disease licked up the substance
Of its unfortunate victims. At jamestown
Virginia, proudly termed the "Old Domain >
the mother of our own noble State, perma
nent settlement was at last effected. Combin
ed in its great leader, Capt. Smith, were fortuna
tely found, the virtues of warrior, naviga
tor, magistrate and statesman. He battled
and conquered the elements and scaping knift
bombined; reared his cabin in the wilder
s--
ITO be found on second page.