The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-04
INDEPEHDEHOE DAY.

INDEPENDENTS DAY.. - A.
On the 4th Of July, 1776. fifty three rebel
the representatives of thirteen Of the COLI
MES OF Great Britain, Who had assembled
Philadelphia to consult about their commo
interests, declared them TO be independent q
the Crown. The quarrel which had Taste
for dfteen years was entirely theoretical one
There wAs no complaint of actual oppression
The taxes were 80 light that the colonist
offered to increase them il they were pei
mitted to do so; but refused to pay muol
lighter ones imposed by the British Parlia
ment Their leaders knew that the firm ad
herence Of the English people to the abstrac
ton that even the King could OILY take thei
property by their own consent, hat
been the chief cause of the preserva
ton Of their liberties while those D
Continental Europe fell into decay
They were ftoo sagscious not to recognize,
the fact that theoretical departure from fun
damental principles is more dangerous to the
welfare Of q people than the most grievous
actual oppression. The latter may be taken
off at any favorable opportunity, provided
the spirit of resistance to the former still
lives in the hearts of the people. It is only
when that spirit is dead and men are heard to
say, ooh, we haven't time for distractions,
we can't risk our daily bread for theory"
that they have really become slaves such as
they are only fit to be- Then are the foun-
tains of even that material prosperity, to
which they were devoted, dried up. for these
lay in manly, generous and independent
spirit The rebels of 1776. then promptly
perilled their lives and fortunes for this
theory, we'll knowing that it was far more
precious than all the wealth of Peru and
Golconda
They severed the1 connection of their
country with the British Crown, and. in
their appeal to the Judgment of the world
upon their action, placed the just authority
of all government upon the consent of the
governed, and declared that whenever it be-
comes destructive of its true ends, sit is the
right Of the people to alter or abolish it, and
10 institute new government, laying its
foundations in such principles, and organ.
izing its powers in such form, as to them
shall seem most likely to effect their safety
and happiness" And again: "When long
train Of abuses and usurpations pursuing in
variably the same object, evinces design to
reduce them under absolute despotism. 1t is
heir right, 1t is their duty, to throw off such |
government, and to provide new guards for
heir future security" A seven years war |
ed to the recognition Of that Independence,
md each of the colonies became free, SOW
reign and independent State. The partici- |
,ators in that war were, however, undoubt.
IDLY rebels, and, had the schemes of that
: truly loyal citizen" Benedict Arnold, sue
eeded. the result might have been different,
nd John Adams and John Hancock have
Vorn those gives which their descendants,
nth less excuse, placed upon the limbs of
ar. Jefferson Davis; and the word traitor
hight, eighty years earlier, have been lifted
rom its obloquy by having been applied to
hem.
In ITS, the States had entered into az
icles of confed Grafton and perpetual union,
nd under that organization the war had
cen conducted. Four years of peace made
g defects so manifest that in 1857 delegates
gain assembled for the purpose Of amending
, task which they soon abandoned. how
yer, and, instead, presented to their consti- I.
tents an entirely new form of government,
staining only the essential characteristic of |
Iteration. After warm and earnest debates
| some of the States, it was accepted by all, I
Lcept North Carolina and Rhode Island,
ON which the eleven others seeded and s
tablished new government, organizing
powers in such form Is seemed most like
to effect their safety and happiness" And
us was destroyed government and union ,
hich was declared to be perpetual :
The seeding States found their justifca-
On in the doctrine of the Declaration of In t
'pendence, that, as the safety and happi-
1913 Of the people were the true end of all
'vernment, there could not exist an obliga- !.
IN to sacrifice them in order to preserve 4
y form of organization. No reproach was O
ade against them by their deserted sisters; 7
d, on the other hand, no obligation to the
W Constitution was claimed from these
It'll they acceded to it of their own free will,
lich they did within two years after the in 9.
guration Of the new government. Thus N
4 the new government aud Union rest en-
ely upon conse't, and under it the progress ST
this country in all the elements of mate
j prosperity was marvel unto the world; p
d its people were Q happy people, for ease =
d competence generally attended upon p
'nesty and industry, and there was hope in q
cry heart. u
But deadly poison was even then circu- O.
ting in the veins of the body polite. A1aats
neration was growing up at the North, LII
iich was taught in the school, from the
lpit and by the press that there was Q,
CHER law which babe them trample under fa
IT the covenant of their fathers. Thew be-
n to speak of it as ga league with death q
d q covenant with hell" and then to evade Vi
d even to renounce its unquestioned obliga- %