Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-07-12


He VINO acts greatly is truly great.
Apoag the noble, merit oegets. emulation. !
Nothing is so secret bat time and truth will
reveal 1t.
Industry Is fortunes right hand, frugality her
left.
Counsel and wisdom achieve more and greater
exploits THAI force.
30 long as you are ignorant be not ashamed to
learn.
GRAFTON DELIVERED On TAE FOURTH
oFJULY, 1855, AT STAFFORD, DEL.
by asoRsE T. WEIGH.
Ladies' aud Gentlemen - The occasion
upon which we meet is one of no common iu-
tesest; for hough the annual return Of this
al ;pcious day has been heralded 10 with the
booming Of cannon, the songs, speeches and
shuts OF millions tor f,Hrscore and ten years,
and though To-day throush out the length and
breadth o. our laud ten thousand voices may
b .rocamirg al isis moment the FIRST grand
deeds Of our ancestors, that make ~ now of
al the nations of 49, earth, the only free and |
inlepen Sent people, yet 1t IL story, a theme /
Of WINCH the or Jr never tires, and his su-
dience never weary a. listening to
II weu d be presum,ng too much upoa ysur
knowledge Of American history AID politics
tof the Iast ninety years for me 10 enter into
any extensive disguisition of the cause or re-
lston OF the efec 8 OF the sigDiug of this III.
Declaration OF IuGepe udence, that lies before
me. Whoever has read this remarkable piece
of wrtiI g, the burning page Ell Jefferson, ano
the calmer lines OF franklin, has fouOd him.
self at once the master of the situation, -tb,
ills the gr.' yances, the tyrannies, that op-
pressed the Colonies, and the manly and hon
CRADLE resolves that .pGuennea them to draw
the sword OF wrath 10 the canse of liberty AND
jnsnce, when remembrance was ne longer
- l.lA anA 49,
But 10 people whose government IF ~ lnuu-
m rable dangers and threatening ruin, 10 es
tanlished nign above the whrrpools of fate
upon perpetual foundation, there Is ever h
peculiar and comnendssle pleasure in retra-
Gig through his DRY those paths that led
through darkness and wars and fierce CON
motions, to their present prosperity aud signal
happiness.
And it is with such emotions that every true
Anne to-day gees bAckw ward through the
twilight vistas OF the past, and while Ia heart
ovsih We with gratitude and admiration for
tht ioun'ers ct this R-pLcltc, be returns wuh
q mind enlarged and determined that what
was baptised in blood and matured through
strange virissituies, shall not faller IN its des
tiny, or be uprooisd by the hercest tempests
that drive atnWart the political b, rEnu.
jus ninety years ago to-day the elec rio
news of the signing of the Declare ion of In
dependence ran through the assembled thous
hlds IN the streets OF Philade ptia. The air
was rent with the shouts of the accumulate
thopg. lourier If er courier departed over
the long roads that lay hot and dusty In the
bun, over hills, down wales, up mountAins
through forests, across rivers they went, and
soon three millions of people were oiasiug
With the fires of patriotism and freedom kit,
died there The die was cast. The ties tina
bound Them to Great Britain were dissolved
ard they launched away uptnan unknown aus
untried sea.
Veners BILE fathers, how our hearts revere 70,
when We count the dreadful ri.bs that you
faith in CD and the recttude q your inten.
tiont, coulc alone have impelled you TO oppose
y as Fhs u f4ith born of the mos: consumst,
wisdom, that looked beyond tho darkness o
the sour 10 the nrst faint tinges that bedeekst
the rising sun Well might the Earl OF Chat
ham declare you had 40 compeers in all tbs
blstery Of the wor d; but stoo alone, pure
wise sad unapproaohabe. Not enc TO day c
sAJour strfied racks may bear our voices, IL,
grave has wrapped gu in It's quiet slumbere
but thirty thEee N! ions of people have let
tier daily sVocAtitas to do you hor or. Th,
WreAthes ct immCr airy are twined srouuc
tie motumens taat guard your tonos; han
ders OF applau . 40 p4eus of praises oesie 4,
yCu at the ga &C Paradise; and your uemor,
shan flourish uLdscAyed vhea t5s eCusLes
syssms OF the universe shall have set in dark
ness forever.
You all know the history Of the contest ia q
followed that memorable acJ-the long war
the notly contested oatt!es. the frtuuent .k,r
misses, tie lLt-rposi ion # Francs, lie wisdot
;f"rf !eAd'rs, The frequent d spor .noy o. III
people, 'he D. al GLORIOUS triumph { me Amer
iuAn armies and the foo adstion of toe govern
ment u2or JAS snd equitable prlaoip es. Ihss
ale matters Of History so well studied that al
are intimate with Them, but all love to In "a
over tie hsi!owed page that seems 10 call u
us shadoWy pass with all it's clustering mem
o-iss OF heroes and departed deeos. Ours i
!ateed past We may well be proud OF; pre-
sent, more than commendable and { f. ture FIJI
Of grandeur, promise and reuoHn
NO ? here else under the threae o. heavet
has government formed Itself from iarrint
CHAOS, arisen Ike me cor among the gElax,
OF nations, ana become the brig ntsst STAR il
The hfnanent, II lesH tsao century as thu
has done Americans be proud Of her, for Sd,
10 worthy OF ~ Cherish her, Tor shs 10 ne AL
pta aud Omega oy which you stand or tall.
1t might well TO supposed that Ia view @
'ha past anc mutual security Tor the present
as well sibe hopes concentrated Ia the tuturs
DO psTiedal State would be ever raised azaih a
agovernmeut that had fostered her beirs int
strength Of l,snhood. But secrtonal Iatsr
cts, bitter aniuosI.ies, ilfamed preiudice
and an uneasy Ambition caused the south I
endesvor TO thr-s aside these connexions ID a
bound her With the l. ost solemn obligAdon
TO perpetual union with the other States
The pern.oIous dJctrine Of States Rights ha
grown to raoustrous sIse in her eyes, and So
faLcied she diScerned the stamp Of the tod
heed uBos its brow, and fell before 1t in grow
cling worsbp. Forgotten was the gran
!1ea OF the Union; forgotten were the FOL n ~.
OF the Repub ic Washington, A iams Jefer
son, Warren, hancock, Franklin were ram
empty aud unmssniDg in their cara. All Tie
OF copsanguiuiry and political iuportauc
were clipped with the unsheatbed sword The
stat bed desperately at the heart strings {
sbe nation and plGoE ed blindly into the Wild
est ezoesses. Degenerate sons of Revolution
cry sires how ,he finger of whitening soor
In all ages shall poin. you out 90 the ialle
Lucifsrs of America! The men who withou
sresson would have pulled the whole f.bric q
Rep nbieanism in ruin 10 the ground tn
men who for the SAKE of selfish idea and
god ess intention-the psrpstuation OF Africa
slavery-were willing to dismembsr toe Uoion
drag their aposstors from the tomb and han
them upon common gibbets, and do wbatevs
else was vile, insane and dishonorsblel Dav!
Lee, Cobb, Jsckscr. 5epjsmiu, Mssop, elideI