The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-07-26


FELLOW CITIZENS OF HARRIsBuRG i have
come, with great pleasure, upon the invita-
lion of your Committee, 10 .ake part in this
celebration.
! was glad to hear that you intended to
revive the proper observance OF this day,
which has, of late years, been TOO much
neglected. We can all remember when il
was the universal custom of the American
people to assemble on this anniversary TO
celebrate the great event that happened on
the 4lh of July, l776, when The old thirteen
colonies OF Great Britain declared that they
"were and of right ought 10 be free and
independent States.D
II was the custom, too, of the speakers
appointed for the occasion 10 strain 10 the
utmost their powers of language 10 express
the greatness of that event, and the conse-
quences that Aowed from it; and, indeed,
4th OF July oraiory was sometimes charged
with dealing lille 100 much in exaggeraS
tion. But, while shall not try 10 rival The
eloquence of those who have preceded me
on former anniversaries, will say briefly
this-that no 4ih of July oration ever ex-
ceeded or came up 10 the truth in speaking
of the blessings that the American people
enjoyed during the long period that sue
ceeded the establishment of their Liberty
and independence. We who have known
the evils. and dangers, and burdens of a
great civil war, can look back now and see
how prosperous our lot was, how lightly
the troubles incident 10 human nature fell
upon this nation, from the end of the war
OF the Revolution till The beginning Of the
late attempt at Revolution which the valor
OF our armies has, at last, with Gods bless
ings, utterly defeated. And by none was
was greater valor shown than by the gsllanl
soldiers who crowd your city 10 day. To
all who are here, aud to all who celebrate
this day elsewhere, we utter the voice oil
welcome. Welcome, Sons OF the old Key
stone, TO the homes you have welIdefended
Welcome TO the State upon which your
deeds refec; immortal honor.
Eighty-nne years ago, this day, the Amer
lean Colonies cast of the rule OF George
the Ill. Their Ioyaly-whch means The
love people have Tor king-was exhaust.
ed, and the men oil the Revolution drew
the sword in the name of PATRIOTS hich
is The love we bear our country.
They drew the sword upon no insufficient
cause. They first tried every peaceful ef-
fon TO obtain redress within the Govern
ment under which they lived. The Decla,
ration of Independence says, elm every
Stage of these expressions, we have peti
toned for redress in the most bumbe man.
ner. Our repeated petitions have been
answered by repeated injuries. A prince
whose character is thus marked by every
act which may define tyrani, is unfit to te
the ruler of free people"
Nor did the leading spirits of that day
rashly plunge their country into war There
were statesmen then who calmly weighed
in the balance the imposing but distant
power OF Great Britain, and saw iha. the
colonies were able TO cope with it. By a
Revolution. Justly begun and wisely prose
cuted, the people of the sold Thirteen"
States freed themselves from the rule of a
king whom they regarded as lyrant. They
established a government by The people,
and under it they grew and prospered, till
they reached heigih OF prosperity never
surpassed among the nations OF the earth.
Surely the events of the last four years
should not abate our reverence for the faith :
ers Of the Republic, OF for the free Govern
ment they founded ''for themselves and
their poslerity." We cannot charge on
them our sectional controversies, ending, al
lastin civil war. They foresaw the danger
and showed US plainly the way to avoid il.
They wrote it down in The Great Charter of
American Liberty-the Constitution of the
United States. Enlightened by long expe-
rience of separate colonial governments,
they framed a peculiar government for
States which bad some interests in common,
and many interests separate and distinct
And how did the trainers OF The Constitu>
lion provide for all these interests, so as 10
aver: The danger which they saw must flow
from any unwiss tampering with The in>
terest Of one Stale, by other States which
Gid not share that interest. How did they
provide agains; this danger, which could
not escape their sagacily for il was not a
dull, fiat uniform despoIism they were
founding, bp: Federal Uuion among States,
OF Infinite diversity in climate and soil and
institutions and in the habits OF their peo-
pie. They provided against this danger in
a way so plain and simple that the smallest
Intelligence could understand II; they pro-
vided against il in way so complete and
rerfec. that till The corner stone of their
building was rejected the whole grand edi-
fee stood erect and firm, defying the storms
of political passion and shelter:ng all who
dwelt within ils precincts.
Theu rested Tie cnre oc Tie comnlon inkeresks