The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-07-16
v GRAFTON.
DELIVERED yFnis CITY, JULY 4TH, 1865
sf8 BY J. r. DooLITTLE u: la

=
occasio n. Ath'o young in years and young in ez
nerience. vet / trust that my heart is brlmtul Q
patriotism, and that my remarks may pear u
impress OF It,. r,,-.
we are assembled to>day to celebrate the an
niversarY of one of the greatest eyeut recorded I
History an event which all who wish for the ac
yarcenent Of ciuali=QtaOn, and the happiness OF hu
mainly look back to With feelings OF reverence an
pride No one can view the sutferlngs OF our an
cestors tor the cause OF Liberty without the oeep
est feelings of generation for their self-sacrlncs
their patience and their perseverance, let us there
fore conduct ourseiv es in such manner that pos
terity tlay not sneeringly term us degenerate Oh
spring ofillustrious sires let our motives De S
pure aud unselish that if tne signers, OF the Dec
laration of independence were gazing INTO GU
hearts from the Clouds they could find no taui
with them. We are celebrating our Natlonal M
tai day under peculiar circumstances, unoer EN-
barrassing circumstances and the question
whether we are worthy Of the high charge con-
mlted to US, to preserve ana sustain inc soEoil ;
rnent left us by the founders of the Grent amer
can Republic whether any of that undylng loV
of country animates us which inspired thG az III
whether any of their nerve ana i1'e" 10 So -
naming with us will soon be decided. -,
Our foTefathers, borne down by British OBJ
sion ground ander the iron heel of tyranny drive
to desperation by the indifference manifested BY
the government 10 their sutferiDgs, felt their con
dition iutolerabe and longer continuance in il
wrong; anu rising Ike giant before UNCONSCIOUS
of his powers, they threw Oft the CALLING yoke o.
oppression and on the 4th of July l776 declared
the thirteen British Colonies OF America free dhC
independent of the crown, and to the maintenance
of this great resolve, they pledged their lives then
fortunes and their sacred honor. they lighted
beacon fire upon the rough, rocky shore OF Hlsto
ry it burns and it will continue 50 burn; sending
forth its gladdening rays to the despairing hearts
OF the oppressed They had been allowed novolcf
in Parliament although exorbitant taxes had beer
levied u on them they had been subjected TO the
domineering authority and marked contempt OF
agents sent them by the government; persons OF
African descent had been freed into the Colonies
for The purpose of establishing slavery against the
repeated protestations of the colon lists, aud all
manner of indignities had been heHped upon them,
which they bore at first with little murnuring.
but, when loyalty to England involved disleyai-
ty to self and to God, they did not hesitate long
in choosing their course. but declared at once, for
the right and called on its Great Defender for aid.
TO die for freedom rather than live un~
der continued injustice. Fully approaching the
powers Of themselves and their ene>
my, they believed their cause almost hopeless /;
bat spurred on by sense of the wrong done by
q spirit of revenge and above all by the hope Of
becoming tree-they raised their seeming weak
and poWerless arm against the mighty power OF
England Bat thrice armed is he who hath his
quarrel Just" The long harraseln ing and bloody
war of the Revolution tested the sincerity of their
declaration proved them TO be worthy Of their lib
erty and fitted them for the enjoyment and appre-
citation of it, Never was people more tried new
er did people bear the trial more nobly The
consciousness of being engaged in holy cause,
sustained their dropping spirits when disasters and
delays met their undertak ngs, and the bright bea
con of hope pierced and dlssipated the darkest
clouds which surrounded their rail brak and point
ed them the way to haven OF safety, peace and
freed0na and under these cheering rays they stGUg
gled on. and Struggled on until triumph crowned
their efforts. they won their freedom, and cher-
ished it as tn Sc only can, who have fought and
bled for 1t. The courage, perseverance ans pats
riotsm evinced by our ancestors have ELECTED the
admiration Of the world and they should be lookc
ed upon by examples by which we may di>
rect our action. Our forefathers liberties, let
us DYeSerre them To form amGre perfect Union,
est ablish justice ensure domestic tranquility, pro
vide TOR the common defense, promote the gene
raj welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to
themselves and their posterity, the Revolutionary
+ athers framed the Constitution than which none
is more just more free. 1t stands forth to the
world model ground work for government
and no one can pass q just enc. MUM upon it.
At its adoption new era was opened to ciVillza>
ton, an era IN which the happiness OF the people,
and not the good pleasure of some few potentates
was recognized TO be the original object of gov
ernmcnt. At its adoption another bright star was
added to the constellation of great events, and
the mighty car of Progress rolls on its lustre is
and not dimmed. The trainers OF the
Constitution had passed under the hand of tyran-
ny and realized TO heir full extent the evils Of OPP
preston !; they therefore determined tn make Their
government as light possible for the people
giving them every liberty but at the same time
restraining license In this they succeeded well
that the hand of the execuJive scarcely felt by the
citizens. Many for this seeming weakness thought
our power mere name thought the Union held
Ogeiher by interest and not by any inherent lOrce
they lily appreciated the mettle of our nation and
the devotion which people bore the flag of our
Union, but when suddenly, an army of more than
n million of men rushed at the call of the Presi-
dent for the defense OF the country, millions on ml
lions OF money were gathered into our National
Treasury, all the world startled these evil
dences Of strength and resources No form OF gov
eminent is better than our own. and il human be-
ngs can ever be happy and improve in this world
the opportunities are certainly offered here, but
one OF two things are essential, and that is LOVE
for the government which bestows blessings with
such lavish hand, and loyalty to the Constitu-
lion which was bought by the sutferngs and blood
Of our forefathers and the man who has enjoyed
The privileges granted by this government, and
who is unwilling to make sacrifices and give his
support for It's preservation is unworthy OF enjoy
ing the rights granted so freely, and ought to be
lespised by all honest men How vile must be
the man who does not love such country How
ehndIsh the wish To deprive nation of such great
blessings to roll the Wheels Of civilization back
" ards, crushing poor humanity as they turn But.
however wicked and uunatural.such a desire may
.eem still men have wished it; men too, s. no have
received the blessings and !iOnors bestowed by the
government; who have been educated the pub
lie expense and they have used the Influence of
their positions TO attempt the destruction Of The
Constitution which made them aIlithey were; en-
base aagrGtitude and treachery could only be he'll
born. The present rebellion has tor its avOwed
object Secession, that is the rebels claim the
privilege under the Constitution for any State
to break the bonds which connect her with the
others at pleasure. just for moment admit such
a INDUSTRIOUS right, and observe the conclusions to
which we are led If South Carolina can secede,
New York has the same privilege and so has any
other State. Admit the right of secession and the
Union does not exist If such right exist now,
it has always been lawful since the Constitution
was framed, therefore, the Union was never any
thing but mere sOUnd-a name; an idea with
no reality without the Union the Constitution is
nothing, and if the former existed, the lat
ter nei er did and il So the trainers of the Consti
tuition never intended it to be Of long duration
But maintain that the great, wise men who es,
tablished this government, meant that the States
should be joined in perpetual Union, and | also
believe that the thought of secession never once
crossed their minds while engaged in the labor of
framing our benefcient Constitution. Secession
is a monster Of later origin-gotten in the heat
brain OF some fanatic and it is one Of
Satan's LATEST IDEAS, for taking the world away
with him. .t..
England forced upon US d cursed institution
which has well nigh caused our ruin-an Itstitu~
ton founded on wrong, therefore tending to evil.
An institution which is the direct cause and its
advancement the indirect object of this rebellion
Our forefathers all entertained the hope and ex>
pressed the belief that at some future day not far
distant, the stain of slavery would be removed
from our national character their expectations
viii surely be realized; but they never could have
conceived of the horrible and fearful commissions
and pangs which this nation must undergo in ac>
them.
Slavery is he primary cause of all our present
trouble, Upon all who have practiced it, it has
exerted poisonous influence, it has infused into
the hearts Of the Souiherners proud and brutal
feelings and perverted their ideas OF Justice; they
no longer reason with the civilized world nor ac-
cord in opinion with the civilization of the times.
The leaders of ihisrebeion for bold hem re-
sponsible for ali the evils now scourging us, had
this object in view in order to give reer scope TO
their peculiar ideas OF governing establish sep
arate governnen with slavery as its corner stone
and 10 erect by degrees an immense military des>
potism this country gradually drawing in the
fragments of the old Union by inducements OF in
terest and poweroT by force of arms until at least
the greater part of the States would be again uni>
ted but under what different circumstances The