The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-03
THE FOURTH OF JULY.

Our great national anniversary, which promises
to be celebrated tomorrow with such unusual
ecldt, derives its chief interest from the char
acter of the principles enunciated in the
Declaration of independence. II was not so
much the birth of a nation as the PRONUNCIATION
of an idea, which made the 4th day of July,
1776, an august and ever-memorable occasion.
1t was the founding of government upon the
doctrine of equal rights which made that day
significant and glorious.
Those pregnant words, eve hold these truths
to be selEevident that all men are created eQag0"
fell upon the worlds ear with startling en-
phasis. They were the death-warrant of the
"divine right of kings" of the special priv.
leges of aristocraces, OF the caste distinctions
of races. They brought do WIN the naughty and
elevated the poor. The oppressed saw in them
the rising of a day.star of hope. The strug-
CLING millions awokc from the nightmare dreams
of centuries of cruelty and oppression, and
listened to those words from the New World as
TO strange and unearthly music.
The doctrine of human equality which Is the
great fundamental idea of the Declaration of
Independence, is the gift of Christianity to
modern civilization. We call JEFFERSON its
author, but PAUL enunciate5 1t when, standing
in the midst of Mars Hill, in the presence OF the
proud and polished Athenians, he uttered those
inspired words:-"God hath made OF one blood
all nations for to dwell upon the face of the
earth"
And as to-day we look back over the nations
course for ninety years, how splendidly does
this great truth illumine our history Physical
growth, material progress, the subiugatIon of
nature, the advancement of the arts and
Sciences the triumphs of inventive genius, the
spread of literature, the diffusion of education,
the prevalence Of religion, the multiplication of
splendid charities for the poor and unfortunate,
the general elevation of the masses-all these
are the legitimate outgrowth Of that grand and
life-givng idea. Personal freedom but the
equal right of each man to his own person and
the fruits of his own industry; political liberty
is but the equal right of each man to partici.
pate in the Government; religious liberty is but
the equal right OF each man to worship God
according to the dictates of his own conscience.
Upon this triple foundation does the great
fabric OF free institutions rest.
And the terrible war through VIII ch we have
passed, what flood of light does that throw
upon this great principle of equal rights At
what tremendous cost has it taught us, that
wrong done to the most humble members OF
the body polite is blow at the rights OF all 4!
How clearly has it shown that the least admiX-
ture oil injustice in laws and institutions is a
poison which, if not speedily eliminated, must
produce disorder and convnlsion.
Equal rights-this is the great distinguishing
'cature of our American system. 1t has filed our
land with wealth and with blessing. 1t has made
us great and powerful 1t has carried us safely
through the most tremendous of civil conyul
sions. Why, thep should we not hasten for
ward to its full and perfect realization?