Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-07-16

LADIES am GENTLEMEN What,
in the pIact al accent Of to-day is
called holiday, used to be denoIni-
mated a holyday, and such days from
the earliest times were set apart to
celebrate some great event, some no
table dealing Of God with men and
notions. The Jew Of our day eats
the paschal lamb with his loins gird>
ed and his staff in his hand, prepared
for a journey, in commcmoration Of
the passover before the israolites
went forth from Egyptian bondage.
Our Savior instituted the commemo.
rativc rites Of baptism and the Lord's
supper, and one day in every seven is
observed as Sunday III memory Of
His resurrection from the tomb. 50
all nations and generations have
marked great events in their history
by the observance ofsome day or ccr~
en-, ~ to keep alive their recollection
and impress their lessons on the
hearts OF posterty.
We have met ,o>day for a double
purposc-to dedicate a monument
which your patriotic generosity has
erected to the 200 martyrs Of free
dom Slain in the late war which des-
clated the land, and To celebrate the
Fourth ofJuiy as the birthday ofthe
nation. 1.-THE day is observed in the
spirit OF our institutions, as John Ads
ANS predicted it would be kept, it is
well TO review our early history. to
bring anew before our minds The prin
cipjes on which our government was
founded As we dedicate this monu
ment, it is well to inquire whether
those whose names are nsori' "a upon
it persisted as minions Of oppression,
or died as holy martyrs, to settle
whether they fell in defence Of right
or in enforcing the wrong To do
this, involves q consideration of the
issues which led to the war, and what
was settled thereby.
In vindieation Of the line ofremark
| intend to pursue, | will read a par
agraph from one Of the most impress
i've remnants Of ancient literature
the famous funeral grafton Of Perieles
at the end of the first year of the Pc
lop0nesean war. Pericles, after speak
ing OF other advantages Of Athens
over surrounding nations, says;
"But BY ,chat institutions we have
risen to Empire-by what form of
civil polity-what dispositions and
habits Of life, we have attained our
greatness, | shall first point out, and
then proceed to ,Ae celebration Of
these our departed worthless. Such
are, ! conceive, topics whose discuss
ion is neither unsuitable to the press
ent solemnity, nor Improbable to be
heard by the numerous assemblage Of
by-standers, both cit zers and strang-
ers.
We enjoy, then, form Of govern
mont not framed on IN imitation OF
the institutions ofneigh5oring states,
but are ourselves rather Il model to,
than imitation Of others and which,
from the government being admins
tered, not for the fer, but for the mo-
M, is danominated democracy.-
According to its law, all participate IN
an cquaityQf rights as to the deter.
mination Of private suits, and every
one is preferred to public offices with
regard % the reputation he holds,
and according as each is estimated for
anything nat 50 much for being Of 4
particular class, as J1r his personal MGR
It. Nor is any one who, in whatever
way, render services to the state,
kept back on account of poverty or
obscurlty of station"
These are the institutions which
Perices thought worth preserving at
the sacrifice of the lives of Athenian.
and to protect which every man OF
to rejoice to die. Yet this language
was uttered in city where every
fifth man was u slave. We are priv
LEGGED to~day to celebrate institutions
of which the above language is not a
figurative but an actual and literal de.
scription The last fetter has fallen;
the last slave is free, and liberty and
equality OF civil rights is not only the
general but the universal rule. To
show how these institutions were Sc
cured, at what sacrifice of treasure
and lives, and thus yindicate the right
OF these fallen baves to the crown Of
martyrs is, to show what made this
day, the Fourth Of July worthy OF
COMMUNICATION by Il National cete-
bration is the task OF to-day. This
Involves a discussion of the issues
which led to the war. For only by
showing that these men fell in the de>
fence OF truth, right and Justice, bait
Ting against wrong, wickedness and
outrage. can we show these fallen 10
be martyrs worthy of our veneration
and regard.
Let us go back to the institutions
Of the Christian religion, the inaugn-
ration Of that Kingdom which shall,
have no end When Jesus came on
earth to establish his Kingdom, he
came as a Jew, belonging.t0 a despis>
ed sect, declaring that the Kingdom
of Heaven was at hand, and the cs-
seutial feature Of that Kingdom was,
/ that ii knew no distinctions Of race,
color or class, catholic in its limits,
/ folding together ali ofwbatever time
or nation, who could endorse certain
/ principles, for the development OF
which the foundations were laid broad
and deep. The Declaration Of Inde>
/ pendcnce, promulgated on the fourth
of July, 1916, was the first effort OF
man to incorporate this doctrine OF
Christ into the theory OF government.
Up to that time governments had
been established and administered to
provide for the interests and protect
the rights Of a particular class, sect,
country, or city, merely local affairs
for local and personal objects. Our
fathers, when they formed the Unit
ed States, first rose to the conception
Of the great idea Of establishing a
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