The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-07-11
A GOOD SPEECH.

"A GOOD SPEECH.
Delivered by Rev.. Ashford Hall. nj
TunneltOn, Preston Co., w. Va, ON
the Fourth OF July, and Published
by Request of the Audience.
We are assembled to commemorate.
by suitable demonstrations of gratitude
and joy the great event which gave rs a
separate and equal station among the
powers of the earth. We hail the re-
turn of the anniversary of American
lnuependGnce-the birth -dCIV of Anne
rican freedom. The circumstances un-
der which we assemble give additional
interest to the occasion, The struggle
Tor Independence has n Significance
now 1t never had before. We are
brought, by our efforts to preserve the
integrity of our government. into
closer sympathy with those Who estnbI t
liShed it. Fresh from the field of con-
hlct where we have fought for the MAIN
tenance Ofthe glorious boon for which
our fathers bled, we can the better
award the need of praise which they de-
serve. we can appreciate now as never
before, the patrimOny beQueathed to us
by our fathers. We set n higher esti-
mate on our Inheritance than we could
hnVe done had we never been c,llled to
resist the efforts of traitors TO wrest II
| from us. Our institutions are doubly
dear now that we have paid for them a
SSSDAANA llIlle III SAllSIlIR ana DlOOu.
Were the patriots of the Revolution
wrong when they dissolved all political
connection between themselves and
the State of Great Britain, and declared
the United Colonies free and independ-
entStates? Were they in error when
they threw off "all allegiance to the
British crown" and declared they had
II right to govern themselves, and were
capable of doing so? The events of
eighty-nine years prove they were
right i'll their principles and in their
conduct, and if they had failed in their
efforts to establish their independence,
that declaration would have been,
before the world, n sufficient vindica-
tion of their COURSE.
IfthOse recently i'll rebellion against
lour Government could have been in
| tiuenced, by ''n decent regard for the
opinions of mankind" to file such n
| list of grieVanceS-as numerous and
tlagrilnt as those contained in that de-
IclnrntiOn, they might have been to-day
II separate and Independent nation.
But all the respect they had for them
selves, the opinions of others, and all
other considerations, were notsuificlent
to induce them to "declare the causes
which impelled to the hesepRration." And
why? For the best reason in the world.
They had no grievances to TecOTCI-no
ICTOnJS to redress. They had no decent
preteXt for their crime. While our
fathers deserved success, they rs richly
deserved failure. -, $780,
Ifthe events of history will serve to
interpret the purposes of Providence,
we may safely affirm that he designed
| this land to the abode of Liberty. For
ages he kept it concealed from the eye
of tyrnnts, till il could be peopled by
men of sufficient intelligence and virtue
for Sclf-Eovcrnment, and cut it of by
oceans on either side, that il might be
of the despOtisnls of the old world.
There are many remarkable PrOvi-
dences connected with the discovery
and settlement of our country. The
outfit and voyage of Columbus. The
Echaracter of the first settlers. Their
privations, their trials and their tri-
umphS. Early i'll the history ofthe col
Onfes commenced the 'long train OF
abuses and usurpntiOns" which evinced
IL design, on the part of Great Britain,
to bring them under an absolute deS-
potism. They patiently suffered injury
and insult till patience ceased to be a
virtue, and then sought to achieve by
force, what mildcr means had failed to
accomplish. When they first took up
arms they intended only to redress
grievances. But Providence guided
them to other and happier results than
they intended. They soon came to the
turning point i'll their destiny. They
must make n choice-they must go back
/, to u worse condition or forward to Il
better. They must be an CnSlnved de-
pcndency of n despotic power, or they
: must be Il free and independent pcople
\ They rose TO the grandeur of the crisis,
and made the choice, as the result has
4 shown, on the right side.
II On the memorable fourth of July
: lTTG, by their representatives in Con.
gress, they published to the world that
: immortal Declaration of Independence
n y war ofSeYen years duration followed
the goaI-wOs at last gained, and. the
!. best government ever given to man es-
| tablished. Our country was destined
I to be great. Her geographical position
her vast domain, her varied climate
rich soil, bOundleSs resourceS-her in.
Itelligence and free institutiOnS-oll
point to n glorious destiny. Never be
fore has nation possessed such ele.
ments of greatness. Meyer before has
there been afforded such an oppOrtu.
T nifty to proclaim to the world the rights
of humanity and demonstrate mans
capability of fSelf-gOVernment. But we
were not permitted to pursue the patti
to national greatness without difficulty
z IhouSh free from foreign domination
ls and comparatively secure against for.
e eign interference; n hostile element Vn.
y found lurking in our midst. endnnGer
5, ing the integrity of the Union and thC
stability of the government.
From the earliest period of our his
tory there has been n class opposed t.
our democratic government The dec
II laration of the Southern Insurgents
"that their object was to get rid of tn,
# majority the secret of th
rebellion. They wanted an aristocra
cy. Failing to obtain it by peaceabI
is means, they appealed tothe sword. Th
- result is known.
( This same conflict made England uu
settled for i've hundred yeSrs-frOr
q William, Duke of Normandy, to Wi
b. liam of Orange. 1t was Just when thi
e contest was coming to its height tina
ls emigration commenced to this country
n Cromwell, the leader of the Iiber1