Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-07-15
GRAFTON BY
HON. S. w. RANDALL
DELIVERED AT NEW lEsox, JULY 4th, 1862

AO Al NEW LESox, JULY 4th, 1862
On the fourth day of July, l776 the
American Congress, which was then mere
~ provisional. signed the immortal Decla-
retion OF Independence, which has ever
since been regarded by statesmen tbronub.
out the civilized world as State paner of
pre-emlnent merit and ability.
We hold these truths to be self eviden,
That all men are created equal. That thew
are endowed by their Creator with eertaio
ihailenable rights. That among these arc
1rie' liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
mat TO secure these. governments are in
sltuted among men, deriving all their inst
pQwers from the consent of the onverpsd ,,
ana governWent fouuoed upon ri COZ ssssnt
of the governed. Before that time. mon
archs claimed to sit upon national thrones
by Divine right In this Declaration the
powers OF the government are declared 70
rest upon popular opinion and unon This
principle the American people were launch
Ell upon the great ocean of rationality.-
What feeble structure it was when the
waves OF time first received the launch of
this new people! Scarcely three millions
Ut souls, emerging FROM a great wilderness
OF oaks and pines aOd beach and mamie
with brawny arms Injured only 20 the toll
OF hewIng tut rude homes in the wilder
ness-taught only to be wary by the cnn.
slant attacks of savage Indians, widely
scattered along a rugged coast-little skill
ed in navigation. and shut out from civlli-
cation by wide and tumul,uous ocean
they had yet great destiny to achieve in
the future. Passing by all that portion OF
our history which records the struggles re
CURED to break the yoke of British alIepi-
ance, let US t'r single moment glance at
our changed condition. la a nerind of
little over eighty years since that Declare
ton was sent forth to the world. our ronu-
lation has increased in round NUMBERS from
three millions to thirty millions. Thirteen
feeble colonies have spread into a Union of
tblrty-tOur States, each one of which is
almost an empire Of itself Oar hardy
mariners. under the glorious stars and
stripes are seen In every ocean. Stretch
ing across wide continent, from the At
lantic to the Pacific, our country is settled
by hardy and industrious citizens Ina
Vulnerable railways cross our mountains
and plains. We have grown to be great
nation. We have not overlook ed the INFER
ests of piety and learning. We have ac-
omplisned wonders IN the arts. Franklin
caught the lightning by its rugged name.
and dragged it along his iron causewsv
down to the earth. Fulton concerted our
rivers and lakes and seas into motive norer
which propelled the commerce upon their
bOsoms with wonderful velocity. Now the
steamboat is every where known, and the
telegraph and the electric wire are almost
common things. amazing as their results
- L. Il
of thought, and time is almost outrun nv
the furious iron horse. Not alone In the
accom- Elishment Of new and startling re-
suits has our nation been enabled to arrest
the attention of the world, but in the re
treat of her wide forests and broad prairies.
by the shores of her shining lakes and ma
jestic ri'ers-ncross her deep valleys and
upon the sides of her rugged mountains
every where across this great exranse IF
country, we have given secure homes 70
the thousands and millions who seek rhe
protection of just and equal laws. and
themselves constitute portions of the gov
erDment under which they live. 1t would
we'll repay the time to glance across our
country and picture the domestic felicity
with which our people have been crowned
beyond any other people. But | should
y
crowd upon my mind for discussion 7
content myself with bare aliusion to these
as the rich fruits o. that system of govern.
ment founded by our fathers on the dav
We celebrate. A government in their em.
phatic language, deriving all its just pow.
ers from the consent of the governed -
We may safely impute these fruits to that
system, because in all history no other ma
ton. with any other system has fuurIsbed
ike it.
My countrymen, in the gratitude of nv
heart | could thank God it there was M
dark shadow upon the picture 70 which
have alluded. But when look intn the
upturned faces of this audience and Of ali
audiences every where in our country
however cDanlval the occasion. there Is a
lurking shade Of melancholy and sadness
upon every couutepance, in teli>tale Ian
guage declaring the heart unhanrv. A
moral plagne-a mental Epidemic L,iulv
and feGrfuily marked, is laying waste and
desolatlon upon the fair proportions of our
heritaee-brInglng home to almost every
eaithstope victims, an! threatening the
very citadel Of free government with over
whelmIng ruin. | am not here to-dav to
discuss the cause nor suggest the remedy
for this wide spread des1lEti1n. Bnt tins
condition breaks in upon our thoughts Inv
Its awful contrast with our past history.
and cOmpels US, unwilling as we may he r.
glance at it's p0rtent Of evil, and discuss its
Claims to our respect. Ii is not eDougb
that we denounce rebellion with bi terness
and invective, but as citizens of a common
country it becomes our duty to examine
with temperate judgment the grounds uron
which it is ATTEMPTED to be justified and
decide by the same logical reasons which
ultimately determine every great national
question. This rebellion claims in it's de-
fence certain plausible grounds. true. in a
measure, in the abstract, and it bec1mes ms
to inquire whether they are constrained or
misapplied. 1t is claimed that cur GOV.
ernment is union of sovereign States. and
that each State, retaining its sovereignty
may, for good cause, to be decid I'd in its
own judgment withdraw from the cumn,ct
and take its original position. Ia all can
dor understand this TO be the prrposition
whi3h the Confederate States I'D irrs, 10
the civilized world as just fcatoa for the
terrible war which they have precj, lated
upon the country. G NerT ne t. like ind
yiduals. and indeed mJre than ind yiduals
should have respsct for pui lie opipisn and
scarcely any audacity could exceed that OF
nation which would attempt TO build it.
self up upon a foundation in morals or
principle which encountered the denuncIa
items and excavations Of enlightened civil
izstlon. La US see for mnmrnt whether
this proposition of the Confederate States
can Withstand the test Of just, moral or lie
gal criticism. 1t is true our goyernmentis
L union of sovereign States and that each
State retains all the sovereignty which il
has not surrendered to the national goy.
eminent. The rules and conditions of this
Union are found III the Constitution of the
United States 10 that Instrument il is
declared 1t was entered into I'm order e.
form q more peri. c. Union" Toe first
compact of union had been the Articles Of
Confederation which were now laid aside.
because they had not produced perfect
UNION" So much sovereignty remained
with the States as to render the national