Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-06-29
MISCELLANEOUS
The Declaration Of Ipderendenee.

OF ghRHimG EthesaAh'rs uNT W Aut
democratic doctrine that when il speaks Of
"all men" having lnAlienable rights. they
only mean, white men.
This immortal State paper. which Tor
its composer was the aurora Of enduring
fame. was {" the genuine eiTu.ion Of the soul
Of the country 81 iha, time. - the revelation .
OF it. mind when in it. youth, its Suihusi' .
Asm, its sublime confronting Of danger, IL
ruse to the highest creative powers Of which .
man is capable. The bill OF right, which .
IL promalgAtc., is Of rights that are older
than human Institutions, and spring iron
the eternal justice that y anterior q the
State. Two political theories divided the I
world oue founded the Commonwealth on
The rsassn Of STATE. the policy OF e1pciisn.
CIV; tie other on the imnunblc principles
OF morals the new repahli c, as !, took it.
place among the powers Of the world, pro.
claimed It's faith m the truth and reality
and unshanerAhlsnOss Of freedom, virtue
and right. The heart o, Jefferson in wit.
ing the declaration, and Of Congress In .
adopting 10, bes, fer all humanity tho as
sertion Of right was made Tor the ENTIRE
world Of mankind and al coming genera
tons. without any exception whatever flr
the proposition which admits OF exceptions
can never b. seli-c,iient. ~ IL was put
forth in the name Of the ascendant people
Of that time. IL was sur. q make the CIR
cui, Of tie world, passing everywhere thro'
the despotie counric. Of Earore. and the
Asionishcd nations as tncy read thatail men .
are created equal. started out Of their leth.
sr.v. like those who have BEN exile. from
childhood. when they suddenly hear the
dimly rvnembcryd accents Of their mother
tongue.
In the n,I, place, n, declaration, avoid .
Ing .psciou. and vague sensralitie., ground.
itself with au1iou. care upon the past, and .
reconcilss right and fact, 90 universal
principle. enough !, repeated to prove that
America chose Cor her own that system Of
polite. which recognizes the rul, Of eternal .
justice and independence !. vindicatsi BY
the application Of that rule TO The srriyou. ;
Instructions. laws and acts. proceeding from
the king. in the e1erci., Of his rrerosa,ivc,
or in concurrence with the lords and COM
mems Of Grca, Britain. The colonies pro.
fc.sed 10 drive back Innovation. and not,
with rowing zeal, % ov,riurn al traditional
inequalities. they were no rebel, against
the past. Of which they knew the present
to he the ch,ld with al the clad an,c,rA.
tons Of greatness that broke forth from the
prophetic, soul Of the youthful nation. thew
took their point Of departure, from the
world A. il Nas They DID no, even Jcclar,
GSains; monarchy itself they sought no
general overthrow OF all kings. no uniyer.
sal system Of rspublic. nor Jill thsy cher
ish in their hearts a lurking hatred agairst
princes. LOYALTY 70 the hou.e Of Hanover
had. for sixty wears. been another name for
the love % civil and religious liberty the
vast mnlri,y, tll within isw years or
months. believed tic En.l,.h constitution
the bes, that had ever existed neither
Franklin. nor Washington, nor John Al
ans, nor Jefferson, nor jaw, hai ever OK.
pressed preference for a republic Tho
voice. that 30. tor Independence. .pok, al
o. ofullianccs with king. The sovereignty
Of George the Third was rrnounccI not Dc
cause be ~, king, buI because he vs-
deemed To be \ tyr,nt."
The insurgents, a. they took up .eli.goy.
srnmeat. manifested no impotence At the
recollection Of having been ruled BY royal
line no eissrncss TO blot out memorials OF
their former state. they seui forth no Hugh
Peter % recommend % the mother country
the abolition of monarchy, which n, one .
seems to have proposed or to have wished
IN the moment Of revolution in America,
they did no; counsel the English to under
take revolution. The republic was g.
America soi-eni. IL cane. though IN.
sought because society contained the e',-
msnts % no other organization. Here. and
in that century. here only. wasa people.
which, BY It's education and large and long
experience. va, prepared to act as the de-
posi,ory and carrier of all political power. .
America developed her choice from within
herself and therefore il i, that, conscious .
Of following al inner iaS. she never made .
herself a spreaIer Of her system, where the
conditions OF success were waiting.
Finally. the declaration vas not only the
snbOdueement % birth u people, but
the establishment Of a national government
most imperfect one it i. true, bat still a
government, in Conformity with the limited
constituent powers which each colony bad
conferred upon its delegates in Congress. .
To. war was no longer a civil war, Brit. .
ain was % become 70 the United States
foreign country. Every former subject ct
the British King 10 the thirteen colonies
now owed primarily allegiance to the dy-
nasty Of the people. ADD became citire-, OF
tie new republic. except in this, everything
remained as before. every nan retained his
rights; the colonies did not resolve into
state ofnaiure nor did tbs new psopl, un.
dsriass social revolution. The aIiirs Of
Internal police and government were care
fully retained BY each separate State, which
could each for itself, enter upon the career
Of domestic reforms. But the State. which
were henS- forth independent Of Britain,
were not Independent Of Britain, were not