Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-07
from The Cleveland Leader, Abolition.] 4
The Day and the Declaration we
Celebrate. .f4A

Eighty-nine years ago to-day, the "Rep-
resentatives of the United States of Amer
lea, in Congress assembled" issued that fa-
nous Magma Charta of American Rights,
that grand state paper on the basis of which
the Revolution was fought and won, the
Declaration Of Independence. To-day, on
the anniversary of that occasion, which has
become the American holiday, the whole
meaning and significance OF the celebra-
tions that light the land with Joy, can be
traced to this great Declaration. Every
cannon that is fired is a salute to it; every
flag that floats waves recognition of it;
the notices of every procession draw their
inspiration from its truths, and every speech
is KEYED to It's pitch, or sounds discordant
in the general ear. And, that its lessons
may not be lost. its principles may not be
forgotten, to-day from ten thousand pulpits
and platforms, its sublime sentences will be
read in the hearing of the people. 1t is
worth while, therefore, to consider with
sober thought its central idea: t.....
"We hold these truths TO be Self-euidcnt: that
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL; that they are
endotced By their Creator toith certain unaLien-
able rights; that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness
This Is the sentence and the sentiment
which we celebrate to-day, And to-day,
more truly than ever before since
the days of 76, can we join as a. peo-
pie, black and white, in commemorating
that sentiment. In the long interval which
has intervened since our Magma Charta
was penned the American people have held,
in practice, "that men are created unequal,
and that they are endowed by their Creator
with rights which differ according to color,
the white man having right to life, liber-
ty and the pursuit of happiness, and the
black man having no rights which a white
man is bound to respect" But to-day, the
nation, struggling upward, through years
of trial and blood, grasps at the grand doc
trine of universal liberty. The shackles
have fallen from the limbs of millions of
slaves. The nation stands erect and free.
The chasm of unbelief which divided us
from jefferson, Adams and Franklin has
been bridged over. To-day the men of 1866
can Join hands with the men of 1776, and
the orators of the OCCASION can rise to the
height of the document that suggests their
theme. .oi .s .u u .,.aj.a l.,-..,
Still, the work is not yet ended. Let us
not lose time in graduation. Much must
yet be done. The nation yet hesitates
whether to make the Declaration of Inde-
pendence glorious practical truth or 10 let
it remain ''glittering generality" Shall
we follow Jefferson, and declare that "ALL
men are created equal" or shall we follow
Taney, and declare that all totite men are
created equal but that "black men have no
rights which white men are bound to re-
spect?" In this day of light there are still
some men weak and wicked enough to side
with Taney. Still there are some fatuous
enough to declare, with recent writer in
The OHIo STATEsMAN, that Jefferson and
the patriots of 1776 only included the race
who made the Declaration, as if he had said
.All men (white resident Americans) are
created equal.'" Still there remains polit-
ical party willing to fight against the grand
principle of universal political rights. We
are reioiced that the great Union party of
Ohio has declared itself boldly on thisgreat
question, by the adoption of the following
resolution: So. 1.hI ,r--D.-
"8th. That the experience Of the last
four years shows the absolute necessity in
all our political action of keeping steadily
In view the great principles of our Govern
ment as set forth In the Declaration OF In
dependence" o1J ~ : ,c. ia Z ~
Let this resolution be our charter in these
'changeful and progressive days; let the
great principle Of human equality be our
rule and guide. Remembering this, we
shall best celebrate, the day. 10 i2.ie