New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-05

acknowledgements rcnoDscot 70 the 81 aarys
Any commanding public temper, once established IN
people, grows holder Of course, more lnqnsih'e anu
inventive more sensible Of It's rights more determined
on rs future as If comes more frequently into exercise
This in the colonies lately had had the most significant
of all It's expressions up that point in w. resolves OF
pg,uap assemblies that the time had conc for maj
separation. from the Kingdom OF Great Britain 4A'
eminent Congress OF two years before hai gseh II o"
crfu rcjnforcement. Now at last II entered the repre-
sentative American Assembly and claimed from that thc
ultimate word II found what IT sought The Dec''ra-
ton was only the voice OF that supreme, nnpe'%'ha!
force that VIII Of com,apitle that universal soul OF the
state.
the vote of the colony then hnly covering part OF
the spaces not yet wholly occupied by this great 7'
was not indeed formally given for such an lnsiru
mcnt II was wisely delayed under the iu tcious conn
sci Of Jay tint Provincial Congress could assemble spe-
caly called and formally authorized. TO pronounce the
deliberate resolve OF the colony ana 80 happened thdt
only . colonies voted az first for the great DECLARATION
ard that NcwYork not joined to the number I'll hVe
days later But jay knew and alknew that numerous
wealthy eminent in character high in position as were
those here ana elsewhere III the cOuuuy-.n Massa-
chusct.s in virginia and in the C1rona5who were by
no MEANS set prepared TO their connection with
Great Britain, tn general and governing NINA OF hcH'o
pie was fixed upon this with coud
change with tenacity which nothing could break Inc
tending that result nAd WIONENt " tHli VI"
yclopment with steadine55 and strength which the
snlborrest resistance had hardly delayed. The spClt
which now shook light and impulse over the lana was
recent its precise demand but "a old IN MS pth ~ he
first Christian settlements. and il was that pt-not OF
one nor of fifty not OF all the n0iyduns N all the con
vontt, - but the vaser spirit which lay nend-Which
put itself on sudden record through the prompt and ac
caratc pen OF Jefferson.
VIII.
He was himself in fll sympathy with It. ana only Dy
rea son ., that s,lnpathy could give IL src c0nsUmmac
expression Not books, lcgal researches hiSOfi
cal inquiry the careful and various studies OF language
came that document but out OF repeated pn3ic debate
out of manifold personal and private DISCUSSION O"t o.
his clear sympathetic observation o: the changing ieci
ing aud thought Of men, Of that exquisite personal
sen,ibity to vague and impalpabe popular impulses
which was in him nnaely combined Eh artistic taste
an ideal nature and power Of pr osophtd thOhEt
The voice of The cottage as well a The college, OF 'he
Church as wen the legislative ~eiEhil was III tho
paper. 1t echoed the talk of the farmer ia homeSp'h Is
well as the classic eloquencc Of on the terrible
tones OF Patrick Henry. 1t gshcd 7t from the pen
of its writer like tie fountain from iii roo.- of Lebanon
a trimming river when 1t issues IRON .'' rock nut 1t
wa, because its sources had been sul . It's funeSS
filed by unseen springs: by the rvui 'hdihS lM up
among the cedaTs. and pcrcolat!ng .''.hgh hdd'H
creyices IN the stone; by melting sl"Hs. whose white
sparke seemed sim the stream iy 'eco rains Win
which the basins above were lIcnC. 10y even tie
dews silent and wide, which had la IN stiffness all
night upon the hin.
The Patonc idea Of the Development OF the state was
thus realized hese first ethics, then politics. pu'ho
opinion energetic end dominant, took it, place nom th'
start as the chic. instrument OF the new civilization No
dasbDg mancuyers of skill!u commanders no sudden
burst of popular passion in the Declaration botih'
vast mystery of supreme and imperative public he at
once difuscd and ntenscbcnd all persons, before al
pl,us beneath which individual wills are exalted II
whose touch the personal mind Is inspired. ana under
whose ranaocndaut mpglsc the smallest insrumcn, nc
comes of q terrific force. That made the Declaration;
and that makes itnOw in IL modest breylty take lS
place with arna Chartt aud the Petition OF R'ah' ae
fun "a they OF vital force, and destined TO a.acl per
mancncc.
Because this intense common lie Of a determined and
manifold people has not behind them, other documents
in form similar 20 this and in polish and cadence of h
auccd phrase perhaps its supoloiS have no hnd I'VE
that which 1t keeps the memory OF men Nhal pP''
have challenged the attention Of men within The century
in the stately Spanish tongue in Mexico Ne""Teha'1'
Venezuela Bolivia III the Argentine Republic when
he ucOplc themselves hardly remember How t'
resonant prcclara1us Of German Of French Repuu-
cans Of Hungarian Spanish rcyOution,is ana pat
riots have vanished sound absorbed III ihc III. Lilo
oucnt persuasive Just, as they were win Viso' 81
thought, a fcTyOr Of passion, hne completeness 'i'
symmetry OF expression in which they could hardly be
s,rpasscl they have only literary value Ihey
mover became great general forces They were weak
because thoy were PERSONAL ana history Is too crowded.
civilization is too vast, 20 take much impression IRON
occas 1na documents Only then "a paper Of secular
force or long remembered when behind IL IL the ubifmi
Gus energy Of the popular viii, f5nS through IL words
in vast diapason and charging The clauses with tones "a
thunder
Because such an energy behind it, our Declaration
had its majestic place and meaning ana lhey WHO
| adopted If saw nowhere else
So rich ,avt. iseo II o pro.rson glory
IA smiled upon The forehead Oi their Aftoh.
Because OF that read it STILL and LOOK To nave u ~
audible As now among the dissoIant voices Ot the world
when other generations IN long succession have com
! and gone!
gut further too II must observed that this PAPER
! adopted a hundred years since, was not merely lhc
declaration OF ucDple as distinguished from ehineui
and cultured ndivduals-a confession before thc world
Of the public statc-faith rather than political thr7-
bus ID was also the declaration OF people WIZ II cld4'
for IFS own great inheritance OF cIhNDc laws ana OF
ur,ci.g liberty. aul which now was intent I" enlarge
and enrich th1t. IL had roofs IN the past ana lnhs
gpueaogv and SO II lad vitality Inherent, ana al III
! incuse energy, -.
TX.
LATENT FORCES PUT J. tCrIDN.
They who framed it want bacl it. Ito frat i,inc
r,e, There was something phioso { and ideal III
their scheme as always there is whCn he general inind
is icepy a,rrcd. " was not superhc Yet they wef'
not undertaking to establish new u bres, to build
,bair state upCn artificial plans all distract spccula
tons Thcy were simply evolving out = the past what
therein had been LATENT were resat ~ into free eHhib