Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-07-10
The Declaration of Indepenpcuce-Coa
Views,

The following eloquent tribute 10 III,
| DeciaFauon Of Independence IS tasei
from one of the speeches of the Hon
Abraham lincoln, made during his ex.
letting and gallant contest for the Sena
torship IN lS3S:
tIaese communities (lhe thirteen col.
onfes,) by their representatives in old
independence Hail. said TO the world Of
iaen: We hold these truth 10 be self
Eeyident, that ali men are created equal;
that they are endowed by the Creator
with certain inahenable rights; that
snong these are life, liberty, and the
! 1fp4fsul. of happiness This was their
majestic Interpretation OF the economy
OF the universe. This was their lofty
and WISE and noble understanding of the
Justice Of the Creator to ms creatures
Yes, gentleman, 10 all HIS creatures, to
the whole great family of man. In their
enlightened belief, nothing stamped with
The Divine image and likeness was sent
INTO The world 10 be trodden on, and de-
graded, and lmbruted by lis fellows
They grasped not only the race OF men
then living, but they reached forward
and seized upon the far,hest posterIty-
They created a beacon to guide their
children and their chiIdren's children.
and the countless myriads who should
lnhabIt the earth IN after ages.
WISE statesmen as they were. they
knew the tendency g j.. .osper.ty to breed
Lyrants and SO they establish these great
self-evIdent truths that when, in the dis
tant future, some man, some faction,
some interest. should set up the doctrine
that none but rich men, or none hu,
white men, or none but Anglo-Saxon
white men, were entitled 10 lle, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness, their pros
perlty might look up again to the DecIa-
ration of independence, and take cour-
age to renew the battle which their faju-
ers began, so that truth, and Justice, and
mercy, and all the humane and Chris
tian virtues, might not be extInguished
from the land; SO that 10 man would
hereafter dare to limit and circumscrlbe
the great principles on which the temple
OF liberty was beng bull.
"Now, my countrymen, If you have
been taught doctrines conflicting with the
great landmarks of the Declaration Of
Independence; if you have listened TO
Suggestions which would take away from
It's grandeur, and mu,iIate the far sym
etry of It's proportions; if you have been
inclined to believe that ali men are not
created equal III those iualenable rights
enumerated by our char, Of liberty, let
me entreat You 10 come baCk-returu 10
the fountain, whose waters spring close
by the blood of the Revolution. Think
nothing of f-e-take no thought for the
political fate of any man whousoever-
Tut come back 10 the truths that are il
the Declaration Of independence"
You may do anything with me you
choose, If you Will but heed these sa-
cred princil les. You may not only de-
feat me for the Senate, but you may take
me and put me TO death. While pre-
tending no indifference 10 earthly hon
ors, do claim 70 be actualed in this con-
les, by something higher than an ankle
ty for office. i charge you 10 drop ev-
cry thought for any man success. Ii Is
uo,hIng; | am nothing; Judge Douglas
Is noyhnug. But 10 nOt destroy that IN
mortal emblem of humanIty-The Docia-
ration Of American Independence.
1tliLl GSs Will INT llOttE otlsliiitilL5 tA-
pressed III the above extract, the fellow
Ilng on the same subject from one of Ste
phen A. Douglas speeches. The Two
extracts finely illustrate the opposite
characters Of the two men, and their pc
culIar views Of the Constitution and The
/ character OF our Government:
mo man can ylndicate the character
the motives, and The conduct Of the sign,
ers of the Declaration of Independence,
except upon the hypothesis that they
referred 10 the white race alone, AMI
not to the African, when they declared
all men TO have been created free and
equal-that they were speaking of Brt-
ish subjects on this conilL ent beng equal
70 British subjects born aud residing IN
Great Brtaln--that they were entitled
The same InaIisnable rights, ana among
them were enumerated life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness. The Declara-
ton of independence was adopted mere
ly for the purpose of jusufyiLg the coz
onisls IN The eye Of the civilized world
IN Withdrawing their allegiance from
The British Crown, and dissolviug their
connection with the mother country"
4 r, hos .--ao thor