Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-06-29

l years, cnaUge OF tilno dIlu CHailpc VI
country have not altered them. They
are principles which | shall never
abandon or forget; when | do, then
may my countrymen cease to regard
me with kindness or extend to me
their favor. But, in making this
profession, and in acting in accord
ance with it, in advocating the con-
stitutional rights of the people, do
not consider that | have established
for myself claims upon the public.
have done nothing more than my
iduty as a good citizen, who feels a
common interest and a common re-
Isponsibility with the whole commune
ity. We all owe a mutual obligation
to the country of our birth, to the
country where we enjoy the security
and protection which were purchased
| for US by the blood of our fathers.
| He who can look with apathy upon
the best interests of that country ;
| who can feel no concern at the en-.
croachments upon the liberty which
l he enjoys, and is content TO let those
who will, rule and reign over him as
they list, is unworthy of the name of
freedom, and deserves the execration
of those who receive and appreciate
| its blessings.
Who can reflect upon the perilous
situation of our country sixty-one
years since, upon the solemn resolu-
ton taken by the Congress of 1776,
the patrior devotion with which the
members of that Congress staked all
upon the result of the resolution, the
mighty consequences to our country
and to the world, which followed
from the Declaration of Independ-
ence, and not feel his heart swell
hith Joy and gladness at the return of
his nations birthday, and with
manly pride, that he is a son of
America, and an inheritor of all the
rights and privileges of freedom !?
This is "the sabbath day of freedom. !"
In every part of our land, from one
extremity to the other, the people of
our country assembled together to
commemorate it. The honors of this
day have been sung by thousand
tongues; its eulogies have been ut
tered in strains of the Hottest elo-
quence by thousand voices the
pen of history has recorded them for
all generations to come. Still as
each year rolls on and brings round
the consecrated period, the spirits of
the free leap awake to the honors of
their country at the return of this
glorious morn, and glow with graft
tude and affection for the memory Of
those who so nobly won the high
privileges which they enjoy.
So much has been said by the
greatest men in our land, upon cele-
brations like the present, that it
would be presumptuous for me to at
tempt anything of originality or to
awaken any new feeling connected
with the subject. 1t is, however, at
all times profitable TO take retro
spective view of the past, contem-
plate the present, and draw our con-
clusion for the future. For those
who are disposed to think and reflect
upon the interest of this country.
there is no day more proper to be de-
voted to these considerations than
the present. Sixty one years since,
when the heroes of the revolution
with manful hearts engaged in the
great struggle for national existence,
the settlements of the country
scarcely extended in any part west of
the Alleghanies. Then our popula-
ton amounted to but three million of
inhabitants our nation was without
a treasury, without arms and without
army; our government itself was but
an experiment, which at its COM
mencement had to stand the test of
domestic trials at home, and war and
invasion from abroad. Yet those
who battled for freedom on freedom's
land, nobly won the day. The good
cause, supported, by a benificent
Providence, finally triumphed, the
measure of mans political redemption
was achieved, and liberty and indie
pendence finally established. The
change which has been wrought in
the aspect of the political affairs of
our country in little more than half q
century and the record to the trans
action, appear more like the fables of
romance than the truth of history.
The population of the Union is now
estimated to contain fifteen millions
of souls. Under the benign influence
of our FREQ institutions, tho settlement
and Improvement of the country have
been extended with a rapidity un
known to all former times. The
great valley of the Mississippi which
was then scarcely known except as
a wilderness, occupied by native
sons of the forest, has yielded to the
all-subduing pioneer of civilization ;
is now teeming with social life and
all its busy occupations fruitful
farms, smiling villages and oppulent
cities are rising from the recent
desert in every quarter, as if by the
power of magic, with commerce,
wealth and population, exceeding
thst of the whole thirteen States at
the commencement of their struggle
for independence.
Our government has existed under
the present constitution of fifty years;
its efficiency has been amply tested
in war and in peace, demonstrating
to the world, its fitness for security at
home and projection abroad, and the
capacity of the people to govern
themselves. Our character, credit
and power of a nation, are known and
respected throughout the civilized
world. We have of our own manu-
features of arms and munitions OF
war sufficient for all emergencies,
while the necessary materials can be
almost wholly supplied from the ex-
haustless resources of our whole
country We are free from aburden
of a national debt, so oppressive un-
der monarchical governments, with q
public reyenue more than sufficient
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