The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-04
FOURTH OF JULY,

the anniversary OF American lnQepen
dence, although some of them may have
forgotten or lost sight of the important
fact. 1t is day, the commemoration oi
which is as important to one portion OF
the country as to another, for its glorious
memories belong to no section, party or
creed. What recollections cluster around
the day.! What school-boy or girl
throughout the length and breadth of
this great land does not know its mean
ing and history? They can each and
all tell us that ON this day eighty-nine
years ago, Representative of the Thir-
teen United Colonies of America assem-
bled in the old State House in Philadel-
phia, signed the immortal Declaration
which proclaimed that these Colonies
should henceforth and forever be United
States, whose connection and sympa-
thies no power on earth should ever be
permitted to sunder. The war between
Great Britain and the Colonies had been
waged with varying success for more
than a year, and up to this time it had
been avowedly and truly contest on
the part of the Colonies, for their consti-
tutional rights, many of which had been
totally abrogated by the mother country
and others infringed. The ostimportant
question involved, was the right claimed
by the Crown to tax the Colonies for the
benefit of the former, without conceding
to them the right of representation in
Parliament, which is one of the great
principles of the English Constitution,
and which the King determined to en-
tirely. ignore At the outbreak of the
war, independence was thought of by
few, but the persistence of the King
and his ministers in their determi-
nation to carry on the war for the
purpose of subjugation, induced the
wise men of the nation to declare
to the world the wrongs they had suf-
fered, and to insist. that henceforth
the war should be carried on for the in
depende i, cenf the Colonies. Acommittee
was accordingly appointed, prominent
among whose members We're Thomas
Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, which
committee drafted a bill of grievances,
setting forth their wrongs and proclaim
ing their future determination. Such
was the origin of the celebrated Decla-
ration of Independence, which declared
to the rest of mankind sthat all men
were born free, and endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among which, were life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. This paper is
justly looked upon. throughout the
world as composition perfect in all its
parts, and defying criticism-it reflects
immortal honor upon its authors, and
in very deed is matchless epic poem.
1t was the battle cry Of freedom, and as
such, is endeared to every lover of liber-
ty, in every nation and cline.
After a thorough discussion in Con-
,gress, it was finally adopted on the 4th
of July, l776, and signed by all the
members. The loyal American people,
throughout the country, received it with
glad shouts and rejoicings, and at once
accepted it as their creed, and an ulti-
matum to the British Crown. We need
not got through thes six sad years Of doubt
full strife which followed, in which our
soldiers were tried as no soldiers have
ever been in the stern ordeal of war:
and our statesmen in council prov
ed themselves as no statesmen ever
have before or since done. Finally.
through the alliance of friendly powers |
the sympathies of their English.
friends, and their prowess and fortitude,
by great victory, won almost within |
sight of this old town, they wrung an un-
willing and slow acknowledgment from
Great Britain of their rights. t5
These seven years of terrible war
had destroyed the wealth and prosperi-
ty of the country, but the energies of the
people were untouched, and bravely
breasting the tide of poverty, they went
to work and laid the foundation of that
power, greatness and grandeur,of which
we, their descendants, have been long
reaping the benefits. Up to the prest mt
time we have passed through many
wars, and our national existence has
encountered many dangers, but by
the aid of Providence and our own
stout arms and stouter hearts, we have
been able to overcome them all. The
last and most terrible, and which threat
ened our existence as nation, has just
been defeated-and this, the eighty
ninth recurring anniversary OF our
birth, finds us hale, hearty, united and
prospecting nation-the envy Of the
world, the hope of the oppressed, and
more truly free and independent than
ever. . zoo9 1
We can draw much consolation for
the present and every hope for the future
by calmly reviewing the past. History
shows US that we have passed through
many bitter trials and have suffered BE-
verely in times past; but our sufferings
and trials were not of long duration and
were soon forgotten in seasons of in
creased prosperity. Let our people
who are now mourning over the losses
Of tho last four yaara pouso e. 80 NO