Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-07-11
GRAFTON.
Delivered on the Fourth of July,
1851, at Millersburg.
BYL. 4. oRrrcHFIELD, ESQ,


it of celebrating this day. because it was the
day in times past when American thought first
took upon itself character and inspired men
to virtuous conduct and heroic action unsurpass-
ed in the history of the world. When We last
met for The purpose of paying honors 10 our
forefa,hers, We thought in all the warmth of onr
devotion, and in the patriotic generosity of our
fancy, that the sublime temple of our liberty
would outlive all other political institutions, and
would be a refuge for all nations as they should
scccessively come up from amidst the ruins of
overthrown systems of organized society in 9th
er lands. Since the celebrated day when our
first statesmen and patriots expressed the truths
which lay at the foundation OF all just govern
ments, society and its individuals have under
gone many changes. The sparkling eye, bright
visions and elastic energy of youth dancing a
long have felt decrepitude gathering about all
the springs of life, and great minds which
breaihed in the atmosphere of great principle
becoming impaired, suecumbed to the smalland
multiplied threads of physical necessity and
imperfection. Time has met the descendants
of revolutionary days. in every path. and im-
pressed his shadow in indelible DETACHMENT up
on every form. The grasp Of mortality upon
constitutions, wealth and localities, has been
wrenched away, and beautiful Iorms and mighty
spirits have gone to silence undisturbed by dis
cord: but all the while new men and bright intel
LICENCES have been ripening into the majesty of
truth and honor, pure and heroic TO protect and
defend the blood bought gifts Of our great pclil-
system Springing up from the graves OF the
past new power seizes hold upon the lnstitu-
tior of that day, and holds them firmly in e.
quilibrio, keeping an unceasing and slecpless
watch upon our rights and privileges. our nation
al ornaments and valuables bequeatbcd to us by
that sacred generation which Irod the terrible
road to immortality, blazing in fire and stream
ing with blood.
The world has never denied the social neces-
sity of Just government. which is SO simple a
truth as told palpable in every aspect and i'm
portant in the very minutia OF all We feel
and do; and 10 fix one corresponded with the
universal idea of all people; for without a con-
stitntion or with one violated, the normal con-
dition of society is discordant, revengeful and
full of outrage: and SO great in the necessity
for system Of liberties and restraints. that the
spcediest transition from one constitution to an
other Is fraught with danger, and accompanied
with scenes Of horror which baptize each new
state of things for the perpetual instruction of
future generations. Liberty and freedom us ap-
piled to social organizations exists only with
qualifications and conditions. about which the
public mind has been SO agitatcd as to have
shaken governments to their very centre. There
is no such thing rs a natural right to be indie
pendent irrespective of social interest, but ev-
cry idea of freedom is absolutely qualified by
relations. No man dare cut himself loose from
the laws and responsibilities OF community,
any more than community may deprive mn indi-
rinual of lis privileges and liberties. The men
who published the declaration of independence
recognized these facts, and rs it contains the
philosophy of social existence, the theory of
the Independence which we boast. and which
We claim 10 be the masterpiece of human rea-
soning tempered with human justice, we may
always gather from 1t that wisdom which will
enable Us 10 preserve in original purity and
power those rights which spring from it. The
only liberty which our foreiaihers fought for or
taught, was the liberty Of the community gov
erned by laws; the unrestralued action OF the
wild horse upon the prairie, the savage in the
forest, or the freebooter upon The land or ocean,
is OF modern origin. and Is claimed Tor me spe-
cial purpose OF raising parallel between what
was right aud what is wrong.
The colonies before the revolution were British
subjects, for scarcely any other reason than sim
DIV living upon British soil and being partially
governed by those to whom the soil was grant
ed. There was but little unity in the British
government and the colonies. Situated at a
great distance from them. not represented in
any department of the law making powers,
paying no taxes, receiving no benefits save the
incidental protection which Great Britain might
afford them to retain her possessions, there was
the smallest conceivable unity of interest. and
but little of that sympathy between them which
exists in governments whose constituent parts
compose and help to govern the whole. The
colonies were in comparative state ofindepen-
dence until the government in England attempt
ed 10 impose burdens upon them, without Civ
ing them apy rights of EHglishmen, asking and