The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-07-13
ADDRESS OF WELCOME,
HON, JAMES WATSON.
Al 4iii of JHiy Celebration Held
Under iba Management of ihe
GEasin:an Ridge Literary SOcie-
~. al the Grove Near G.aysviile.
Ohio, July 3, 1915.
Mr.. President and Fellow-Citizens:

command the warm and full approval of
the D05ler faculties of the mind; rever
ence for our Creator, who has 50 highly
favored us among the nations of the
earth, inspires the devotions Of the hour;
love Of country breaks forth in these
songs of patriotic rejoicing; gratitude
prompts the laudation of our benefac
tors; and love AMI care for our offspring
impels Us to seek the perpetuation of the
free institutions under which we live.
What a glorious heritage is ours! Sa-
cred in its memories, great beyond all
comparison, in the extent and quality of
its physical proportions; from Lake to
Gulf from Maine to Texas, from Pt Bar
row, on the Polar Sea, to the Florida
reefs, extending far cut toward the Great
er Antilles, and from the broad Atlantic,
across continent of vast plains, broad
rivers, fertile valleys, huge mountains and
fields of gold, to the king Of waters on
our western boundarv--the boundess
Pacific but grander, nobler still, in social
and political significance. The whole
social system chang ged-virtue and intel
ligence taking the place of birth and Ia
vor. The whole political administration
remoaelea every man made equal before
the law; every man made eligible to any
and every Office of honor trust and profit
in the gift of his fellow citizens.
What illustrious and sacred memories
are with us, and deeply engraved upon
our hearts this day-the immortal men
who accomplished the great work which
we commemorate, the deeds of prowess
and heroism by which it was performed,
and the results flowing from it, claim and
should receive our regards on this, the
ninety ninth anniversary Of our national
birth day.
What place so fit to offer,upon the altar
of our county, the gratitude Of freemen
for the inestirnabe blessings Of civil and
religious liberty which we so largely and
so profuscly enjoy, as this leafy grove?
These huge oaks, monarchs of these
woods, coeval with our national exist
ence, stand mall their grandeur as wit
nesses of Our devotion to the cause Of
freedom-that Itch Legacy so sacredly in
trusted to our keeping by our revolution
airy forefathers.
The groves were Gods first temples
Ere man learned to hew the shaft and lay the
architrave,
Ere he framed the lofty vault to gather and
roll back the sound of anthems;
In the darkling wood, amid the cool and silence,
he knelt down
And offered to the mightiest solemn thanks
and supphcation:
Father, thy hand didst rear these venerable
columns,
Thou didst weave this verdant roof"
The grove in all ages has been the scene
of mans reverence for Jehovah. The
grove everywhere has resounded with
the songs and civilizations of victory
The grove, also, has witnessed the shame
and humiliation of defeat and here with
in these shades, we remember all that our
fathers have done for us Here, under
the shadows of these lofty oaks, let US
dedicate ourselves anew to freedom.-
Here, under this vcrdant canopy, renew
oar VOWS that we will transmit to our chill
dren, unimpaired, the boon Of liberty.
We have with US to day the memory
of the first public utteraEce of that sub
lime sentiment: ave hold these truths
TO be self. evident-that all men are crea.
ted free and equal that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness" We re-
member when the old bell on the top o.
Independence Hall rung out on the 4tt
day of July, l776, prociaiming liberty te
all the people-that new nation wa;
horn into the world; that freedom hat
found, at last, home in the hearts o
men, and land to be governed by its
God-inspired principles. The tones o.
that old bell went booming across tht
broad Atlantic, laundering in the ears ant
in the palaces Of the kings and despots o
the old world, resouu0ing in the man
sions of the lords and mobiles, reverbera
ting in every cabin, cot and hovel of tht
great masses of the people.
"What," exclaimed these naughty
kings and despots, "what insolence anC
arrogance is thsp Must our divine RICH
to rule cease and end at the demand 0
these madmen, who fed from our shore!
to escape the punishment due their sedi
tions and their treasons? Call ont ou
armies, by land and sea, and we will teacl
these foolish men obedience" Wha
cried these lords and mobiles as they lis
tened TO the chorus of freedom? "Mus
the lands and the privileges and the i'm
munties earned and won in the service
of our liege lord, the king, be surrender
ed at the bidding of this rabble? No
Summons our vassals to the tented field
to follow the fortunes of their masters
We will try passage at arms with th
presuming braggarts."
But the slave and the serf, the peasan
and the artisan, as they heard the voice o
freedom sounding in their ears, felt thei
hearts throb with emotions never felt be
fore They recognize the voice of broth
ers in that far-of land, and in subduct
4 tones whisper, "Are we men? Shall tn
, land be for the hardy sons of toll ,and no
for the parasites of power alone? Shal
our wives and our children be our own il
fact and deed? Shall our sons be no Ion
4 ger conscripted at the hehests of ty
rant? Shall man henceforth be to mai
a brother?" And they shouted back tt
their brothers in the wilderness home
Struggle on we will help in the nobl
conflict
We remember Lexington, Bunker Hill
and Yorktown, and host of other clas
sic fields celebrated in song and story
where great interests were submitted t
the wager of battle; where nation
liberty was bravely fought for and hero
ically won. Our 'sires" established
government which has been the admira
ton Of the civilized world for it's sim
plcity and ability to withstand the as
saults of foreign aud internal enemies
, and also government eminently sue
cessful in the great objects for which i
was created-freedom to the citizen ant
safety to the people. With just plid
we present the glorious structure to tn
scrutiny the admiration and the emula