Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-02-05
The ProclamatiOn-AC Omparisoe.
ba

Longtellow, at the Second Unitarian
Church in Brooklyn, has just delivered a
discourse on the Emancipation Proclaua-
ton, in the course Of which he Instituted
a curious comparison between the recep-
ton of the Declaration of independence in
1776 and of the Emancipation Proclama
ton in 1868. He said:
sour first Declaration of In
dependence effected little at first. 1t did
not make the colonies independent simply
to declare them so. 1t was sneered a. by
tories 10 this country and in England 1t
was called '6rutuna .Julmen' They will
do nothing but bring ridicule upon them
selves by showing their weakness,' said
Lord Rockford. My Lords!' said Lord
Cover. with cOntemptu0us sneers. let
the Americans talk about their natural
and divine rights, their rights as men and
citizens, their rights from God and nature :;
am for enforcing these measures
And what, indeed, were the chances
that this Declaration of Independence
would come to nything2 England was
mistress OF the seas, and monarch of the
land. The colonies had neither arms. nor
ammunition, nor navy, nor money, nor
crate power of taxation. And, besides,
there was no unity among the colonists
themselves concerning the necessity or
propriety of such declaration. Nearly
all were still tenderl attached to the moth
er country; most of them had been born
and educated there, and there slept the
remains OF generations of ancestors. Only
few clear-eyed, thinking men like Ad-
ans, Patrick Henry and Jefferson, had
accustomed themselves TO think of such a
bold measure. The masses of the people
had never cherished the thought of indie
pendence. There was the greatest diver
slty of opinions and wishes among the
various sects. The Quakers believed all
lighting wrong. Calvirists breathed the
lame OF battle as their native air. New
York merchants, whose treasures were
atloat, and who supplied the English army
and navy of Boston, feared the war in
volved bankruptcy. When the Congress
met which gave birth to the Declaration,
says Bancroft: cit was hard to say of its
members, as Of its constituents, whether
they were most swayed by regard for the
country from which majority of them
sprang, or by the sense of oppression"
But few bold men-frst of all, the Ad.
amses, and later, franklin and the rest
that there was no hope for the
colonies unless a Declaration of IL depend-
ence was at once declared :; that they could
then point to something definite and
tangible to labor for that the different
colonies were now bearing their separate
burdens, many of them still cherishng
the vain hope of reconciliation nothing
could cheer and unite and inspire them
with hope and courage but this we'll
defined prospect of possessing a nation
whose corner stone was liberty and equal
rights.
The fanatics carried their point, and
the conservatives stood aghast; the De-
claration was written and adopted, and
soon became the rallying cry for all the
colonies. The frail bark of colonial liber-
ty which had hitherto been tossed hither
and thlther by hesitating counsels, now
steadied and came round to this single
star OF her destiny, from which she never
turned aside in seven years of tears and
blood and self-immolation. From that
there was something to live for.
and something to wait for. Parents who
now gave their sons to the sacrifice, took
heart and hope as they thought of the
Promised Land. Wives and mothers sat
by their deserted hearthstones through
seven cold winters. thinking of absent
ones, and warmed their souls with the
bright hope that the next generation of
mothers would sit by their fresides with
their loved ones around them, and none
to modest nor make afraid All the hor-
rors OF war only deepened their consecra-
ton to the realization of this fair promise.
Had there been no vision, the people must
inevitably have persisted; but when once
the shining form of Liberty had passed be-
fore their eyes, they could 10 longer live
tor base and ignoble ends.
land now, friends, have described to
you, with sight change in time and
scenery, the history and hopes of the Sec
ond great Declaration OF Independence,
made On the 1st day of January, 1863, by
Abraham Lincoln. Now, as then, the
declaration is laughed at by MANY as mere
harmless thunder Now, as then, the
country is divided in opinion a large and
corrupt party still hank er for the flesh pots
OF EgyRt the Union as it was), while 9th
ers seek better country, even an hea-
ven y the mon as 1t ought to be) Now,
as then, trade is annoyed by the disturb
ance OF securities, anv more anxious for g.
swift than an honorable and lasting peace.
But now, as then, the masses Of the neo.
pie are determined to conquer a perma-
nent peace. Now, as then, the radicals
have carried the day, and conservatives
hold up their hands in holy horror. But
now, as then, we shall see the whole
struggle simplifed, and all its sorrows
by the transcendent brightness
OF the vision which is to be realized thro'
the Struggle and the sorrow. And now,
as then, we shall See our great ship of
state, so long laundering in the cross seas
Of divided cOunsels and uncertain aims.
wear steadily round and lay her course to
the pole star of Liberty"
- ANTHONY TRoLLoPE, the novelist
who recently visited and wrote g book
about Us, has been lecturing in Hertf,rd.
shire, England, on the American war Ho
strong sympathies with the
North, anc thought the Shareholders ideaS
of Government Utopian. He severelv cr;t.
Iclsed the conduct of England, and said
she had condemned the North for na.
allowing 5000. 900 persons to secede: Int
would she allow Ireland, with her s OO0
300 to 'secede?" He thinks our sncoa,.
but should we permit the
south to secede, England. which now con.
1emns Us for resisting 'Seceasion,n wonld |
aunt Us for permitting it!
81 Hon. J. J. CR1TTENDEN has writ.
en letter to Gov. ROBINSON of Kentucky
,ounseling moderation. He says: Fight
he Proclamation with resolutions and. |
md the rebels withpty,