Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-13

the time Of is delivery. on -kst Saturday, owing
to the immense numbers present, request 4 copy
of the sal 10 for publication. H4H Hf/
Respectfully, yours, &c,
tin0T Ilt(11Qll C.. O. MoRRIoAL. +
JON HuNT.
EffH RICHARD LAKE,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: You will accept as
some apology. not only tor the breyity, but also
the non elaboration OF this address, the fact that ]
had but one days notice Of your desire that /
should speak 70 you on this occasion
FELLOW CITIZENS: The individual happiness
and prosperity of the ~citizeus OF n civilized com
munity depend mainly upon good government. e
Your highest earthly interests therefore. de-
mand your most earnest attention to the origin,
history, and to all that pertains 10 the administra
ton of the government of this Republic; and the
thousands assembled here to and The generous
preparations made for their physical entertain
ment, clearly evince that the people of this sec
ton of the State are both public spirited and
alive TO the general welfare. 7r1 f1t sIffre q
To day is the Fourth. of J uly. 1t is the ami
versary OF our separate national existence. That
national existence originated in the Declaration
of Independence; and il is therefore very natural
to inquire, what led to that declaration, what
consequences followed, what there is OF interest
connected with that so celebrated act? i
i'll can utter a single word here to-day that
shall tend to direct your minds Alright. while you
are meditating upon these things, and determin-
ing upon your duties as citizens of the State and
United States, / shall feel that the occasion has
not been without profit.
We meet to-day under solemn circumstances
Our people are engaged in the most stupenduous
civil war in the worlds history. A war grow
ing out Of controversy about the powers. duties,
and acts committed or apprebended, of our COM
mon government. The occasion is more apprO-
pirate to careful, honest investigation than to
unmeaning defamation. The main purpose of
the few desultory remarks | may make to dav,
will be to show the historical relation of our
Union to the question of the liberties of The peO-
pie
The Declaration of Independence d~ismembered
the British Empire, by taking out from under It's
government. the American Colonies. That dis
memberment was not an end sought. 1t was
not accomplished for the sake of itself, It was
not that the colonists desired to he independent
of the British Government that Independence was
declared; but independence separation from Great
Britain was a means, seemingly a necessary one,
to q desired end: an e1d that the cOlonists had
determined should be achieved, no matter al
what cost, which end was THE LIBERTY OF THE
PEoPLE-freedom from ay6ifrOry pOloer in Con
eminent. Separation was resorted to with ex.
IRENE reluctance. was yielded to, in fact, only MS
al hCACScAtN W NuC ~ ~
minedly fixed upon. The Declaration of Iude.
pendence had nothing TO DO, directly, with the
UNION of the States-the word UNION is moi
found in il. Independence was a means to
enable the people 10 escape the exercise oil
tyranny. arbitrary power upon them Individually
by the Government. And what is tyranny, arbi.
trary power in government? II is a government
Mt the will or discretion Of Executive power, in
dependent of, or without the use of separate leg
islative and judicial power. government without
parliament. without the legislature, regardless.
of established laws; and manifests itself in illega
taxation. in arbitrary arrests of the citizens. in
depriviug them Of free conscience, speech, press
and suffrage. Such is tyranny, arbitrary power
All tyranny must practically execute itself upon
the citizen, directly or indirectly. in touching hi:
property or personal rights. THESE TWO TERMS
COVER, EMBRACE HIS ALL; and it has been the
lawleSs invasion of these that has IN all times
cost t%yrants their heads. And let me here declare
to you, the lawless invasion of the rights of q
single citizen Is a crime against every citizen oil
the State. for the rights of one are the rights oil
all, and the injury of one is the injury of all, be
cause the fate Of one may be, bv the same power
the fate ofall. Every single citizen has a right
to the entire power ofthe government for his pro
lection. The unredressed injury. by a foreign
government. of a single American citizen, would
be cause of war, and might Justify splitting oceans
of blood.
Tyranny, arbitrary government, rs the govern
ment OF a tyrant, and who is a ~tyrantI Say.
old John Milton, the immortal poet, in his "ten
ure of Kings and Magistrates. +" published in 1913
"a tyrant, whether by wrong Orby right, com
ing to the crown, is he who, regarding neither
law nor the common good, reigns only for him
self and his faction2 Thus St. BasiIamong 9th
ers defines him; and because his power is great
hs1 vuiIl hOuudlo-- oVI "axorbifupf tho fplEliipr
whereof for the most part is accompanied witt
innumerable wrongs and expressions of the PEG
ple. murders. massacres, rapes, adHlteries, desc
lation, aud subversiOn of cities and whole prov
inces; look how great a good and happiness
Just King Is, so great a mischief is a tyrant
as he the public Father of his Country, 81
this the common enemy. against whom what TIN
people may lawfully do. as against a common
pest and DESTROYER of mankind. suppose M
man of clear Judgment need 20 further to b.
guided than by the very principles of nature il
him"
Our fathers, when living under King Georg,
were living under a tyrant. He governed then
BY arbitrary power, and our fathers determines
that to escape such tyranny they had a right Il
resist his government bv force. end to Withdraw
from under it, jurisdiction. This the Declare
ton of Independence shows. 1t speaks for it
self. Hear il:
We hold these truths to be self evident-tha
all men are created equal; that they are endOwe'
by their Creator with certain inalienable rights
that among these rights are life. liberty, and tn
pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights
governments are instituted among men, derivin;
their Just powers from the consent of the gov
erned: thar whenever any form of governmen
becomes destructive Of these ends, it is the RICH
Of the people 10 alter or 10 abolish il. and to in
stitute new government. LAYING its foundation OF
such principles, and organizing its powers in sue
form, as TO them shall seem most likely to effec
their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed
will dictate that all Governments, long estab
lished. should not be changed for light and tran
silent causes, and accordingly all experience hat
shown, that mankind are more disposed TO suffer
while evils are suiferable, than to right themselve
by abolishing the forms to which they are accus
toned. But when "A long train of abuses an
usurpations. pursuing invariably the SAM object
evinces a design TO reduce them under absolut
despotism, it is their right. il is their duty. {
throw off such government. and to provide net
guards for their future security. Such has bee
the patient sufferance of these colonies, and suc
il now the necessity which constrains them t
alter their former system of government. Tn
history of the present King of Great Britain,
a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, a
having in direct object the establishment of a
absolute tyranny over these States. To prov
this. let facts be Submitted to a candid world
Then follows a long enumeration OF acts G
arbitrary power on the part Of the King. whic
closes with the declaration that GA Prince WHO'S
character is thus marked by every act which ma
define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a FIRE
people"
The Declaration of Indepedence, then, is nj
ISOLATED with the idea OF struggles on the pa
of the people against the government TO obtai
and defend the personal liberty and person.
security of the citizen-a glorious and hallowt
association.
Bnt though the Declaration Of IndependenC
did not crete, and was not directed to the Unio