The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-07-05


sr1EcH OF JoHs ADAMS on ADopr1ro
me D1uuARA1uoS OF NDErrSDzscE
Il is rue, indeed, shat in The b.
ginning, we aimed not at indepen-
dence. But there's Divinity. which
shapes owfends Y The injustice Of
England has driven us to arms;
and, blinded to her own interests,
for our good, che has obstinately
persisted, till independence -is now
within our grasp. We have but to
reach forth to it, and i j. ours
Why, then, should we defer the
declarationi Is any man 70 weak,
AZ now to hope for . reconciliation
with England, which shall leave
either safety to the country, and its
liberties, or safety to his own life,
and his own honori .a
Are not You, sir, who sits in that
chair; IL not he, our venerable col.
leagns near You; are yous not both,
already. the prescribed, and pre-
destined objects ofjpunishmentand
Of vengeance! Cut off from all
! hope of royal clemency, what are
you, what can you be, while the
power of England remains but out
lawsa II we postpone independ-
ence, do we mean to carry on, or
to give up the warl Do we mean
to submit to the measures of par.
lament, Boston port-bin and all!
Do we mean to submit, and consent
t,hat we ourselves shall be ground
to powder, and our country and
its rights trodden down in the dust?
I i know we do notlaean to sub
NIT We never shall submit. o
we intend to violate that most SOL
emn obligation, ever entered into
| by men. that plighting, before God,
of our sacred honor to Washington,
when, putting him forth to incur
the dangers of war, as well az the
political hazards OF the times, we
| promised to adhere to him. in every
ext1 entity, with our fortunes, and
our lives? ssis9aSi 80
/ know there is not man here,
| who would not rather see general
confagration sweep over the land,
or an earthquake sink it, than one
jot or title of that plighted faith to
fall to the ground. For myself,
having, twelve months ago, in this
Iplace, moved you, that George
Washington be appointed com
mander Of the forces, raised, or to
be raised, for defence Of American
liberty, may my right hand forget
her cunning, and my tongue cleave
ito the roof of my mouth. if I hest
ftate, or waver in the support I gave
1 him. =. 50 s. a5 2-t-s
The war, then, must go on. We
must fight it through. And, if the
war must go on, why put off longer,
the declaration Of independence
That measure win strengthen us.
It viii give us character abroad.
The nations viii then treat with us;
which hey never can do, while we
acknowledge ourselves subjects, in
arms against our sovereign Nay,
I I maintain, that England herself
will sooner treat for peace with us,
on the footing of Independence
than consent, by repeating her acts
to acknowledge that her whole con
duct towards us, has been q cour &c
Of injustice and oppression. 5
Her pride will be less wounded
by submitting to that course o1
J things, which now predestinates
our independence, than by yielding
the points in controversy TO her re
bellious subjects. The former she
would regard as the result of fo:-
tune; the latter she would feel al
her own deep disgrace. Why then
sir, do we not, as soon as possible
change this from q civil to a nation
al war! And, since we must fight
Z IL through, WHY not put ourselve.
in a state to enjoy all the benefit.
of victory. II we gain the vic oryf
II we fail, it can be no worse fol
ua But we shall not fail. Thu
cause will raise our armies; thu
cause will create navies The peo-
pie, if we are true to them, viii car
, ~ us, and viii carry themselves
I gloriously through this struggle.
, care not how. tickle other people
J have been found. I know the PEG
pie of these colonies; and I know
! that resis ance to British aggres-
sion is deep and settled in theil
hearts, and cannot be eradicated
} Every colony, indeed, has expressed
its willingness to follow, if we bu
take the lead. ~
. Sir, the declaration will inspire
r the people with increased courage