The weekly union record., 1864-07-09
GRAFTON OF HON. F. II. SMITH
Delivered at OroviIle, July 4th, 1854,

L
radiating from its youthful brow; allowing DC
competitor to dispuie its sceptre over mighty
ocean bound empire, nor yielding though 8
world 10 arms were coDgregated for 1t;
destruction.
II in the mysterious dispeusations of az all
wise Providence, that shapes our ends, rough
tew them as We may" this great nation must
die, it will then die neither OF decay, nor of old
age; it will die not as the old man dieth, sink
ing ingloriously into the grave, with his
strength relaxed and po~erless as on infants,
and seeking repose from the inhrmities and
burden of years. But If It must die, 1t will
then die as the young giant dies 10 battle,
with his mortal foes in heaps around him,
stretched 10 death; ike young Sampson,
with the temple Of his adversaries crumbling
and falling around him, while with all bis
herculean strength remaining, be tears away
the pillars which support the edi6ce. 1t will
not die alone, nor leave a rival living TO triumph
over its grave, 10 all the vast republic which
il now owBs and governs.
Bot this young. great and giant nation will
not die 1t will continue to meet, as We meet
to day, to celebrate its birthday for thousand
years to come.
Let US be cheerful. then, to day. in view Of
the past, and hopeful as to the future, while
we ioin in the festivities Of the occasion OF the
celebration of the birthday of the freest, the
most generous and the most magnanimous
nation that has ever had the story of its noble
deeds told in the pages Of history. And it will
be nv province 10 attempt to interest you for
q short time. in recountiug some of the heroic
deeds and immortal principles that have dis
tiuguished, and still attach 10 the character
of the glorious nation to which we belong, on
this fourth day Of July, in the year of grace,
one thousand eight hundred and sixty four.
For the glorious old Fourth, which our
fathers loved and which we love, has not been
dauided. and ,cW neuer bet IS all cur 0trn.
And Yankee Doodle, too, is not divided it
belongs to us-it is still the quick step Of the
army of the republc-it Is still all our own !;
and those immortal strains peal forth 10 day as
proudly and triumphantly as they did on the
fall of Burgoyne, OF Cornwallis, of Packenham,
and of Pemberton Is there soul here to day
that does not swell with enthusiasm, when be
thinks of the fact that the same old tune which
has pealed forth its merry strains over the fall
of so many enemies of the nation; aud the
same old flag, which has waved in triumph
over so many foes surrendered. still both belong
to US? If there is. we ought not to envy his
feelings nor bis affinities-
Forever live this great republic, Forever
peal forth old Yankee Doodle
Forever float that standard sheet
Where breatheS the foe but falls before us,
With freedoms soil beneath our feet,
And freedoms banner streaming Ter us.
OUR FATHERS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES TRIED.
Nothing on earth is highly priced that costs
US no sacrifice Nor will any man make
sacrifice to obtain an object, the possession of
which does not afterwards interest him. In
proportion to the interest which worldly good
creates in the mind of the pOssessor, and in
proportion to the sacrifices made TO obtain it,
NAV we estimate the value of everything of
earth relating TO man. But the worship Of
virtue conveys the highest satisfaction the
human mind is capable of entertaining. This
results not only from the native loveliness of
virtue itself; nor simply because OF the insep
arabic connection between Individual happiness
and virtue, but rather because such a sublime
worship requires the sacrifice OF repose, of
wealth, OF friendship. and most of the natural
inclinations of human desire, as opposed TO the
highest and most enlightened reason. Every
virtue Is the embodiment of o great principle.
every principle is not necessarily
allied to virtue. As We receive and embrace
a principle only through the exercise of our
reason, aud as reason and love combine in the
culture of virtue containing great principles,
so the highest condition of man is his unalerable
adherence to virtue which embodes immortal,
soul eeyating principles.
Humanity Is a riftue en,bodyins all the
principles of ,ceii regulated liberty. Our revo-
lutiouary fathers worShipped at this shrine
more than any other people that ever dwelt in
this world of trial and conflict. Theirs was the
pure philos ply of Seneca Homo sum;
nihl human, mhi Gl'enum pWo'-I am q
man: hence to me humanity is 20 alien.9 Their
reason and their love equally joined in the
alteration of this virtue. Never did human
Judgment better understand than they the
mighty principles Of social and political liberty;
never did mortals sacrifice so much in defence
okthose principles, or with clearer perception
of their peerless value to themselves, their pos.
terlty and the whole world. But II there is
sny one thing connected with the character OF
the founders of the republic, which should
exalt them in our own estimation more than
another. it is the fact standing prominently
forth in their history that the only freedom
which they loved, and which they were deter
mined 10 have, at the sacrifice OF everything
else, was Inc unrestricted JFectatHd ~ 10 - Sf1
No other kind Of freedom did they prize. no
other kind would they have; and it seems that
this is the only kind of liberty that is par,icu-
larry obnoxious TO tyrsn,s. And they not only
insisted that they themselves aud their posterity
should have the inestimable boon, but with
generosity, they invited the whole
world to come and enjoy the rich heritage
which they had purchased with their blood
and treasure II was freedom everywhere,
by the restraints Of wholesome
and equal laws. They were the authors Of the
immortal sentiment that there IS no liberty
irstkor.t lltcS" Not arbitrary laws; but laws
founded in reason laws adapted to the nature
Of man not to restrain The exercise of the
faculties Of his mind and body 10 doing and
seeking good. Such laws are never Inconsistent
with the highest development of hamsn freedom
And hy all that IS sacred, we this day swear,
that this kind Of freedom-the freedom of our
consists in a sublime regard for
and obedience of wholesome and equal laws,
we will maintain and perpetuate throughout
the republic
We may form some correct idea OF the value
with which cur revolutionary fathers prized
their freedom, By revertiug TO the sacrifices