Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-04
Tha nnr NVn Celehrnte.

tlemen who on the 4th of July, l776, in In
dependence Hall, Philadelphia, united in
the declaration known historically as "the
Declaration Of American Independence"
To that declaration we are indebted for the
great sum of human happiness we enjoy,
among which may be included the present
Republican Congress. That Declaration
caused an unfriendly feeling between our
forefathers and the British Government
which was actuated by the purely disinter-
ested and benevolent desire Of doing the
governing for this country, just as our Re
publican patriots want to do 1t for the
Southern Whites. Our forefathers, prob
ably not being so far advanced In civillza-
ton as the STEvENsEs, SUMMERS and the Re-
publican leaders Of Ohio, with HAssAUREK
at their head, grew so pugnacious over the
matter that they would not submit to it,
and they did not, which at this time
the Rebels and their sympathizers, with
President JOHNSON at their head, have
the impudence to quote as q precedent
vitiating the claim of our patriotic, virtuous
and piously inclined Republicans who feel
satisfied that it is their mission, and the
mission of their heirs after them, to rule
this country. How can the Southern people
know what's for their good, unless they
learn it from the Negroes? They haven't
got any school houses; they haven't got
any true religion, excepting what Parson
BRowNLow has got, and that don't irradiate
very far; they amt got any Neeo York
Tiibune and such like publications. Their
land may be good enough to raise cotton,
rice, corn and tobacco on, and they may
know when it is growing well or growing
badly; but as to the science of government,
where, we should like to know, can they
find an individual to compare with our own
beloved Hon. S. SHELLABARGER2 About
the practical affairs of life he don't know
much; but on the subject of treason and
representation and the divinity of the AT
1Tican, he is unapproachable.
Hurrah for the Fourth of July!
General Comfy is an offspring of the
Fourth of July. His mouth is set continu-
ally to yankee Doodle" President JOHN
SON having been tailor in early life, be
pronounces no which is in
accordance with the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
We shall expect some "Copperhead" to
put his finger on that sentence in the Dec
laration of Independence, protesting
against "a multitude of new offices" and
''swarms of officers" who ''harass our peo-
pie and eat out their substance;" and then
claim that we have not much to hurrah
for over the Fourth of July as now admins
tered; but amt the Negro free and amt
the bond-holders untaXed? Answer us
that. And amt these blessings great,
grand and gloriousG
This is an age of progress and the spirit
of the Declaration of Independence design
ed we should progress. In l776, the people
were a slow sort of people; they had no
railroads; no telegraph lines; no gas lights;
no opera houses and such like things. They
rode in wagons and read by tallow candles.
Their taxes were not high, because they
conducted the Government for sum Of
money that will scarcely keep the families
of a half-dozen Government plunderers OF
the present day in pin-money. 1t was
some time after the Declaration had been
adopted, that members of the Pennsylva-
mia Legislature took to wearing shoes, dur
ing the sessions of that body. Leather
was scarce and the shoe-making business
had not been brought to its present perfec-
ton.
In view of the ignorance that prevailed
in l776 (Harper's Pictorial was not publish
ed them, it was natural that the men
who gave their appreciation to the
Declaration of Independence, should
have been sensitive on the subject of rem
dering the military superior to the civil
power on the subject of mock trials; on
imposing taxes without the consent Of the
people: for depriving them In many cases
of the benefit of trial by jury; but if they
could have witnessed how sacredly the Re-
publican party throughout the past five
years protected the interests of the White
men they would not have emphasized that
sensitiveness so much in the Declaration.
Perhaps, it was because they embodied that
sensitiveness in the Declaration that
White mems interests have been through |
out the time they have ruled so carefully |
and increasingly looked to.
Hurrah for the Fourth of July, anyhow.
There is, however, one drawback to the |
Declaration of Independence, and to the |
conduct of our Revolutionary fathers
Not one of the signers of the Declaration |
of Independence was Negro. Not one
of the officers in the Revolutionary War
was a Negro. Not regiment of soldiers |
in that War was made up in whole or in |
part of Negroes. Not a member of the
Continental Congress was Negro; not
member of the Convention that framed |
the Constitution of the United States was
a Negro; not member of a Legislature
of any State under that Constitution, was
a Negro. Unfortunately, they had no po-
litical Republican party then such as we
have now.
So, you see, our people have progressed
neutrality-suspicious. for good or for evil,
that's for you to say; aud why, then, should
we not hurrrah for the Fourth of July?
General Observance of Ihe Fourth.
The Fourth of July will be more gen.
orally observed to-day throughout the |