Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-08-02
GRAFTON OF GEN. BEN. sPooNER,
Al PennsyIvanIaburg, Ripley County, on
the Fourth Of July, 1867.

the Fourth Of July, 1867.
The following oration was delivered by
General Ben. spooner, at a celebration OF
our national birthday, at pennsylvania
burg, Ripley county, and is published at
the request of a committee who solicited
the manuscript Of the General for that
purpose.
Fsllo,o.citisens, Soldiers and Ladies:
Those Of US who had the good fortune
20 bo born on American soil we're learned
Ia our early infancy that this great Re-
public was born into the world Of nations
on the 4th day Of July, l776--and We
were also taught to love. cherish and re-
we're the day, and the glorious associations
with which II Is encirclcd. Those OF you
who have adopted this country asyour
home, learned soon after setting foot up
on her soil, II you did not know IL before.
that this great free Government is the Of
spring OF mighty struggle for independ-
ence. fought to . successful termination
BY our Revolutionary fathers.
On this day. however much we may
dillcr In religious OF political opinions. We
delight TO meet together around the altar
Of our common country aud renew our
vows one TO the other to maintain iniact
TO our children the priceless institutions
transmitted 10 us by our fathers. The
s,ory OF the Revolution is beautiful and
instructive, and theme with which every
American citizen should DO familiar to
the end that the great blessings resulting
TO us from tho patriotism. toll and suffer.
ings Of our fathers, may be properly up.
prcciated, cherished and protected. To
run over that great history by detail would
be the works Of days instead OF hours, and
Ia must suffice to refer 10 IL but briefly.
The causes which made the declarations
you have Just heard read, necessary, as a
prelude TO the great war for the rights OF
man, and which are so carefully enumer.
ated, have long since been acknowledged
by the civilized world, as complete JUS
tidcation for the severance Of the ties
which before that time had existed be-.
tween the colonies and the mother coun-
try. The sublime announcement OF our
fathers, " We hold these truths 10 be self.
evident that all men are created equof and
fhas they are endosoed BY their C''eator ,cifh
certain iaaiicnabie rigAfs, among .chich are
iJs, liberty and tic pursuit Of haPpiaess, :
was the great rock OF right aud justice up
on which they stood, and from which
British ppyonets nor British gold could
never move them.
The declaration solemnly declares.
"lhat these United Colonies are, and of
right ought to be, free aud independent
States" and the declarants pledged to
each other. their lives, their fortunes aud
their sacred honors, 70 maintain aud en-
force that declaration. War, Of course,
followed, for the iron hearted iyrant who
ruled and shaped the destinies OF England,
assumed TO direct aud control the infant
colonists. But that little band Of patriots,
email in numbers, and feeble in means,
credit, and the munitions OF war, not un-
like the gallant men who stood by the
Government in her late great struggle
against armed treason in the South, ios-
tered and encouraged by hords OF sympa-
thizers in the North, were not at all alarm
ed by the threats Of that kingly aristoc-
racy that rules by blood aud birth aud
revels in the luxurious theory that labor
ers are the ss,aud silis Of society,"" and that
wealth should own aud control the sweats
OF the laborious brow. They knew that
the struggle must come. aud come, too,
very soon; but there were no faint hearts
among the patriotic men and women OF
that day. and the men declared in the
Language Of Quincy: "Blandishments will
not fascinate US, nor will threats of hal
ter intimidate; for, under God. we are de
sermined that wheresoever, whensoever,
or howsoever we shall be called to make
our exit. we will die free men,"
With brave hearts, strong nerves and a
will determined upon victory or death,
this little baud of heroes met the shock
Of British battles, never doubling but al
ways trusting that the God Of Nations aud
the Right, would finally deliver them a
free and independent people, aud with
this faith they struggled, suffered aud
fought on, until, at the end Of seven years,
peace came, and with it religious aud po-
litical liberty.
Articles OF confederation we're reported
July 12tl, l776, and debated from day TO
day and time to time for two years, aud
we're ratified on the 9th day Of July, 1878,
by the style Of "The United States OF
America" The Constitution as it origi-
nally was, was adopted September 18th,
1887. On the 25th day Of September,
1889, ten amendments were proposed to
the Constitution and ratified by the con-
stitutional number of States on the 18th
of December, 1871. The eleventh amend
ment was ratified on the 9Th Of January,
1898, and the twelfth on the 25th of Sep
tember, 1904.
OF the men and the results of the rev.
.olution, we can only speak in the most
general terms; aud Of the men, it is per-
haps enough to say, they were wise, brave
and patriotic, hated tyranny and loved
liberty, and if j may be allowed the ex.
preston, were the chosen of Gods own
best judgment, to make the New World
what 1t is now conceded to be, "the land
3 of the free and the home Of the brave
With their toll aud suffering and blood
they laid and cemented the foundation up
on which has since been erected the proud
cs. temple Of liberty on which the sun has
ever shone. They are no more; they have
fought gallant, glorious and successful
fight, have finished their work and gone
to their reward.
OF tho results, il is impossible to speak
in detail. From thirteen colonies of less
than three million Inhabitants in the ag-
gregate, We have grown TO q great nation