The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-07-26
GRAFTON
DELIVERED BY
s. B. SH e r W 90 d, Esq,
In the Park, Manito,ooc, July 4, 1867.

country, We as a portion Of that people,
have assembled here to celebrate great
and important event. made chiefly so By
the important civil rights of mankind set
forth thercin-the progress, prosperity and
happiness since enjoyed by US as a nation
and as a people, from the hitherto practical
success of those rights under the blessings
of Providence-and the influence. which it
has and still is calculated to exercise on the
destiny of the nations of the world.
The occasion we celebrate is the birthday
of orr nation and its rights, as set forth in
the Declaration of American Independence
of the fourth of July 1776, in substance as
follows: On the 4th of July, '76, a declara-
| ton of political faith was made
The like the world had ne'er seen before,
Since Adam his innocence ceased to bear
! That all men in freedom were by God created
| alike in this and every land;
To maintain this their wealth, honor, blood and
! lives should flow,
; Till death in coldness Ger them should grow.
But it may be asked, why this declara-
ton? To answer which, permit me to pass
to the condition of the people of this
country previous to the Revolution when
they were colonies under Great Britain.
Then the people of this country we're living
as obedient subjects under the sovereign
power of Great Britain, and they wished so
to live, but in the full enjoyment of their
rights that was refused them, and bur.
den and oppression were, by Great Britain
imposed, making them more the menia
servants of the crown than dutiful anc
honorable subjects they requested its re
moval-it was refused: they entreatcd-
their entreaties were declined nay more
demonstrated and solicited-to all of which
the sovereign power turned deaf ear
Having no hope left, but the favor Of God
and the light of nature, they, with great
| elaboration, examined their title and found
it to be good; that God had bestowed
rights upon mankind, and that He only had
the right to take them away and out Of
respect to the opinions of mankind they
made declaration of their decision.
The people then determined to maintain
these noble rights and glorious principles
set forth in their declaration and in and
through the great sacrifice of seven years
war, they established them with glorious
success, procuring the acknowledgment Of
their independence as people from theil
opponent and thus removing mans usur
patton, imposed, upon their rights, as te
Misunderstanding that high and lofty
position of acknowledging no sovereignty
over them save that of the Supreme Ruler
of the world,
The assuming the principle that
they were, under Providence, capable Of
governing themselves-built representa-.
tive, constitutional, civil government, by
their own consent and with their own heart:
and hands, founded on the basis Of then
declaration, that the majority of the will Of
the people, clearly intelligertly and rightly
expressed, should be the supreme, politica
and civil power of the government in al
matters, justified and approved by sound
civil public conscience-that the repre-
sentatives of the people and the officers Of
the government were to be, not their SOW
ereigns, but the agents of and the public
servants for the people.
Thus the people of the United States
with free and self-made government, and
and as free and independent nation, took
their place among the family of the ma
tons of the earth.
A nation, in all its likes, doubtless, the
world had never seen before.
The people of this nation have lived for
upwards of seventy years under this form
of free, self made government, in the prac
t'cal experience of its free, clcvating and
glorious principles, with degree of rapid
progress and development in arts and man
ufactures, in mechanical and agricultural
productions, in building up and extending
commerce, in the diffusion of general
intelligence among the masses of the peo
ple--in word, this nation, in its growth
and development as whole, is. doubtless
unsurpassed, if equalled, in like period
by any Other existing nation on the globe
In l776, the people numbered about
three millions, sine, which, from all sources
they have increased near ten fold; and from
thirteen dependent colonies, aided by an
ncxation and the outpourings of the Ole
World, have arisen numerous independent
free, sovereign States, and territory ample
and destined for numbers more-aH united
under one general government, sustained
under Providence, by the power, the virtue
intelligence and patriotism of the people.
Why this vigorous, rapid, extensive
growth Methinks there must have beer
some noble principle Incorporated in its
basis-some flowing spring located in its
bosom-some fruitful tree planted in its
Eden-some inspiring genius actuating the
spirits and aspirings of men. Let the
dignifed principle that all men are created
free and equal, answer-let the asserted
Z rI,rhf hot oil IL Al