The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-04
The Bay and lhe Defamation We Gel

Inc NaN ana the DECLARATION We OeAs
citrate.
Eighty-nine years ago to-day, the "Rel-
resentatives of the United States Of Amst-
lei, in Congress assembled" Issued that
famous Magma Chsrts of American Rights,
that grand state paper on the basis of
which the Revolution was fought ana won,
the Declaration of Independence. To
day, IN the anniversary Of that occasion,
which has become the American holiday,
the whole meaning and significance of ths.
celebrations that light the land with joy,
can be traced to this great Declaration.
Every cannon that is fired i Gsslute 10 it,
every flag that floats waves 8 recognition
of it the notices of every procession draw
their inspiration from its truths, and every
speech is keyed 70 its pitch, or sounds dis
eordant in the general ear. And, that its
lessons may not be lost its principles may
not be forgotten, to-day foOm tenthouSand
pulpits and platforms, its sublime sentences
will be read in the hearing Of the people.
Ii is worth while, therefore, TO consider
with sober thought its central idea; @
1--WE hold these truths to be self evident:
that ALL MEN R CREATED EQUAL thai
they are endo,0ed By their Creator Ditheer-
tain iaaLienaBIe rights; that among these
are life liberty and the pHrsleit Of bGP-
Piness."
This ia the sentence and the sentiment
which we celebrate to day. And to-day,
more truly than ever before since the days
o f'7G, can We join as people, black and
white, in commemorsting that sentiment.
In the long interval which has interviewed
since cur Magma Charter was pennsd the
American people have held, in practice
'that men arc created unequal, and that
they are endowed by their Creator with
rights which differ according 70 color, the
white man having a right TO life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness and the black
man having no rights which a white man
is bound to respect" But to-day, the ma
ton, Smuggling upward, through years of
trial and blood, grasps at the grand doc
trine of universal liberty. The shackles
nave fallenfrom the limbs of four millions
of slaves. The nation stands erect and
fsAaL The chasm of unbelief which divid-
ed us from JEFFERSON, AdsIHs And Franklin
has been bridSsde4er To-day the men Of
1855 can Join hsndf with the men of I77G5
- -
their thsms.
Still, the work. not yet ended. Let u
not lose time in graduation. Much must
vet be done. The nation yet hesitstes
whether to make tho Declaration Of INDIE
~pendenceA glorious practical truth OF to let
it remain 8 "glittering generality" Shall
We follow Jefferson, and declare that HALL
men are created equal" or shall we follow
fancy and declare that all a0hite men are
created equal, but that Hblsck mon have
no rights which white men are bound TO
respect" In this day of light there are
still soms men weak and wicked enough
TO eide with fancy. Still there are some
fstuous enough TO declare with a recent
writer in the Ohio Statesman, that aJef::
forson and the patriots of 1778 only in
cluded the race who made the Declaration,
as if he had said tAll men white resident
Americans) are created equal" Sill
there remains . political party willing to
a-h4 seAiaaL4 arRnd nineinle of mi.
VersRl political flgnis. we are reloleed
thSt the great Union party of Ohio has
declared itself boldly on this great ques-
iiOn, by the adoption Of the following
resolution ::
"SLh. That the experience of the last
four years shows the absolute necessity in
sll our political action of keeping steadily
in view the great principles Of four Govern
mant as set forth in the Declaration Of In
dependence"
Let this resolution be our charter in
these chsngeful and progressive days let
the great principle of human equality be
our rule and guide. Remembering this
we shall best celebrate the day.