The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-07-17
OR A TION
Of JOHN r. STONEMAN, de1iuersd a,
McGregor, July 4th, 1861.

Of JOHN T. STONEMAN, deliversd at
AcGregor, July 4th, 1861.
Fellow CITIZENS:
There are periods in the history of the
world, at which we are accustomed to
look at as the mile stones that mark the path
of human progress. ..
The placing of the first pair in the Gar
den their banisbment from thcnce-th the
delugc of the race and the world, are events
that divide antcdeluvian history into sepa.
rate and distinct parts. a....
The building Of the tower of Babel, and
the confusion Of tongues--the passage of
the Red Sea, and the journey in the will
derness-the reception of the laws on Sinai
give the character Of individuality to
the medieval period of ancient history.
Away back at the distance of eighteen
centuries, stands another milestone, plant
ed when the Star in the East stood over
Bethlehem, set up on the dividing line be-
tween the old and new order Of things
Thus the worlds history is divided into
three parts--the Antcdeluvian, the Medic
val and the Modern-at the end of which,
the race has emerged transformed, and ele-
vated in it's moral character, as the living
butterfly from the dead chrysals. Each
Of these grand divisions of history, is sub
divided into distinct epochs, that mark the
rise and fall of empires, the expanding,
and decay of civilization; the advance
or retrogade Of races, and the moral de-
bauchery or elevation of mankind. a
By careful study of these things, the
thoughtful historian is enabled to delineate
on the faithful page Of history, the charac-
teristics of nations and races. The geol-
ogist, among the ruins of the ancient world
of matter, in the deep caverns of the globe,
or where the ocean chafes the opposing
rocks, reads, in the fossil-written volume
of nature, of the rude ticStudes that have
befallcn organic life, and left its story faith
fully delineated on the granite bound vol
ume of the globe. Not less faithfully can be
read the history Of the human race in its
moral and intellectual aspect, if we will
carefully examine its distinctive epochs,
and great leading characteristics, that are
to the moral, what the fossil is to the phys
ical world.
Thus, this anniversary day has become
milestone in history The day itself is
like all other days. A thousand years had
rolled their round, and no great event had
lent prominence to the calendar. until few
brave men, pledging to each other and to
the world, their lives, their fortunes, and
their sacred honors, united in giving ex-
preston to words that will breath, and
thoughts that will burn, until the human
heart ceases to glow with manly impulees, or
respond to the calls Of patriotism.
There is nothing original in the Dcclara-
ton of Independence, except the brillancy
Of its diction. The principles therein con.
tanned are as old as human nature. The
were all controlling in Adams breast, when
he first walked the fields of Paradise, "mon-
arch OF all he surveyed" Thoughts that
are native in every human breast, for the
first time, perhaps, assumed the form OF
expression from the glowing pen of Jeffer-
son. Great self-evident truths ceased then
to be mere sentiment, and became the cor
ner stone, and key stone of a new form of
human government.
To those who attentively examine the
different forms of government that have
existed in the world the government in,t-
tuted by our fathers is no simple expert
ment. 1t is one of the consecutive and
necessary steps in the great plan of human
development.
When man was placed on earth, he was
under the special control of his maker
Every movement was made by His per-
mission and at His direction Human gov
ernmcnt had not then been instituted
Adam diggcd in the earth at Gods com.
mand; Cain became a wanderer at Gods
will; Noah builded the ark; Abraham raised
the knife over his son, the Isrealtes march
ed and campcd, and ate, and drank at the
immediate command o, JEHOVAH. Succeed
ing this pure Theocracy, came the Patriarch
al form of government. The father exercised
authority delegated from Jehovah, over
those who were bone of his bone and flesh
Of his flesh. twas one step in advance on
the road to selfgovcrnment, that the Father
could govern those who were bound to him
by ties of kindred and affection. God no
longer controlled the masses of mankind
by direct and immediate commands. He
revealed himself to the Patriarchs and die
tated to them the way in which he would
have his people walk. To the Patriarchal
State, succeeded the kingly form, where the
authority of one man, too often in opposi
ton to the Divine will, was the supreme
law, while king, law giver, judge and exc
cutioner, were united in a single Office
Hence the kingly form of government, or
more properly, dcspotism, was the half way
state between entire dependence On the one
hand, and ability for self. government on
the other-t the ability of one man to govern
other men, was one point gained in the So
luton Of the great problem. One form of
dcspotic government after another has
risen on the ruins Of its predecessor. Gen
Grafton after generation has swept across
the field Of history, and it has seemed at
times as though the race had ceased to
advance. The struggle between the people
and the one man power, was long waged
with uncertain results. DespotiSm, some
times shorn Of its power, acquired new en-
crgy and planted itself more securely on
the throne.
Constitutional monarchy became the
rallying point against despotism. Despo.
tism yielded the half of its pretcnsions,
and side by side on the throne, sat the king
and the people. .... ............ .......
1t was in this condition the world stood
when the 81 signers of the Declaration OF
Independence, proclaimed to the nations of
the earth, the selfevident truths: "That all
uieli arc CIealSu Siuai, eh"ONSu Will ceI
tain inalienable rights" not as some have
interpreted their meaning to be, that ali
men are born to an equality of condition,
for the daily philosophy of human life
teaches different fact. One man is born
with the intellect of Webster, another
with idiocy stamped on his soul; one is
born heir to all the temporal good of the
world, another is to buffet the constant
waves of adverse fortune. Indeed, it is
pretended by naturalists, that there is a
regular gradation from the simplest form OF
organic life, through different forms of in
angels #E
Jefferson meant, not that all men are
born to an equality of condition, but to an
equality of natural rights; right to use
npoynal pnuarc ap.l ppaa,ol a, po n, f;o