The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-05

olive and the vine. To Poland, Hungary, Bel
western Winds. Even England herself found in
the protest OF her rebel colonies the forgotten
Of rebel arms the dearest rights Of her own
And that trumpet blast stin Is pealing and
will peal, stiil summons whatever OF tm hood
remains In mankind to assert itself. Still, at
that sound the knees Of tyrants will be Loosen
ed with fear, and the hopes Of treenen VIII rise
and their hearts beat faster and higher as long
as this round earth hangs poised In air, and men
live upon IL whose souls are aive with memo
The Declaration OF American Independence
was a declaration OF war with Great Britain,
war to the knife, and the knife to the hlt. There
were fearful odds against the Colonies when
they threw down % tne gaze o, n battle: on one
OF wealth ana power, strong In the prestige OF
sovereignty. fully armed and equipped for war,
insoont, hauRnty, scorDing even TO entertain
the idea OF possible check or defeat On the
other side, the Thirteen Colonies, stretching,
for tho most part, along the seaboard, yulner-
able at hundred points, and open to attack by
sea and land, without army, without navy, With
aS 9 ns OF onY c,ord. UT ot
citizens VINO had left for while plough ana
anvil and buried te the frSnt with what arms
kina George, skilled in their terrible trade by
long service In European wars.
On the second OF July, 1710, the Continental
Congress was IN session In Philadeph There
were about fOrty-nine delegates present. That
heavy with iii news III news from the North.
Montgomery had fillen at Quebec. and the eI-
bs IStes Essi't were ali oeen to British shps and
| dusky cloud of slvagcs, armed aud enlisted In
| tho name OF the King, was gathering n the west,
| threatening at any moment to burst on tho de-
| fenceless land In storm Of havoc aud slaughter
| and devastation compared with which tho
pIn0'ns III nsws IP tom the soath"a nset Of British
mon of-wsr had crossed the bar OF Charleston,
| South Car lima All curing the lon- summers
day they had been pouring shot ahd shsll upon
| the little forts, where Moultre and Marion and
| William jasper were sullenly returning shot Tor
| hot m
| steeple and house-top the citizens OF Charleston
watched flash after Il 'sh and prayed for dawn
| to give them light TO SEQ " the defiant nag OF
freedom was still there.
III news from New York-Lord Howe's ships
| army OF thirty thousand men menaced the city
| with attack. In New York city. counses were
wealth, and culture, were for the most part On
| the side OF the crown. and longed TO see the
Coni,osn,aI forces in New Yors did not exceed
800 mon. Even among them there Was dis,
rection. rroachery wa. at wors. plot had
mander-ln-chief, ana some OF his body guard
had hoen banged for II. From all sides came W
tidlngs. Everywhere doubt and suspicion ana
| despondency. 1t was a dark and gloomy me,
when even the boldest might well be forgiven
such was the hour when Congress entered
upon the consideration Of the gre question, on
wen tc nuns ens cunv ra's s, II 10 British eonpeeon
| The King might relent cancellation was not
impossi oie-a monarcnical form Of government
| their past, and they were 10th to lose II.
Then, war was terrible alternative. They
started back appalled,. But on the other side,
were the men Of the hour-the men OF the peo-
ple. who listened to the voice OF the people and
felt the throbDine Of the peoples great heart.
They too, saw the preeipiee. Their eyes faith
saw beyond the glorious vision OF the coming
! years. They saw countless happy hom es stretch
ns is and wide across sentiment. 9 wssr.,a r,n
tion OF men nurtured In strength and virtue
and prosperity by the lish, and warmth Of free.
colonies there were then but few ties.
They differed in many things in race, rae.
One grand purpose alone knit their souls
sssstss NO'n 10 Jss,on G SOSi' Of vsna The so,
purpose OF building up here, for them and theil
ehdrep free na,Gn to be the sna%pe n ss
To dlo and be forgotten, or remem oered onl,
with the stain Of rebellion on their names. The
counsel OF these brave and generous men pre-
vailed. Some light from the better world ilu
mined their souls and strengthened their hearts
popular enthusiasm. The people, ever alive q
heroic purpose the people, whose honest In
stincts are often the wisest statosmanship: th'
people waited but for the word ready 10 hght
ready to die II need be for independence AnS
30 Gods will was done upon the earth.
The word WAS spoken. the Declaration" " wa
made that gave life and name TO the -" Unite'
States o. Amerc.; ana a new nation n, oreatns' ne.
4 | or tho worst that future might bring.
3 that declaration became signal OF rescu
and relief to countries far away, what word cal
/ | describe the miracles II has wrought for tht
i people here at home. II was spell, tails
man, an armor OF proof, and a sword OF victory
| ! he undisciplined thgong Of citizen soldiers
taught In the stern school OF hardship and re
ef.e so ,oon ssw 20 20 s,s 9s sIset s os''
, Europe, surprised into sympathy with rebel
lion, sont her best and brayest here to fight III
battle Of freedom, aud Lafayette OF France, ID
= Kab Of Germany. Kosciusko Of Poland, an
: their compeers, drew their bright swords in tb
ALL was that calm, fearless stead fast soul, whict
4 undismayed In the midst OF peril and disaster
undaunted amid wreck and ruin, stood like
tower. rejecting all that was best and nc
: blsst in the character OF the American pee
ana pssoayns 's rss0s'I s i. hour w
need, bountlful heaven provides a leader 81
}. brave ana wise, SO lifted % guide and rule, Z
4 was In that early crisis OF the American reput
- lie its foremost man-George Washington.
y Thus, from the BAPTISM Of blood, the youn
N nation came forth purified, triumphant, free
Then the mystic influence. the magic Of her ac
compllshed freedom, began TO work, aud th
thoughts OF men, and the powers OF earth an
a air and sea began to do her bidding, aud cas-
=, their treasures at her feet.
a From the thirteen parent Colonies thirt,
d born. AT first a brotd land of forest an
=, prairie stretched far aud wide. needing only III
u labor Of man u render II fruitful. Men came
J. across the tllnic, breasting its storms, spC
Y mighty fleets. Carrying hither orgades and DIV
, sions of tue grand army Of labor. ON the
I came. In columns, mightier than ever king 10
Il to hattle-in columns, millions strong, To cor
, Quer "a continent, not 10 u tNOc anu ucsOhllOl
= but TO fertility and wealth, and order, and mar
u piness.
- They came from field and forest In the mob
German iand-from where amid cornheld an
. whey I'd, ID flowers, the lordly Rhine hOw
proudly toward the sea. From lreldnd-froi
= heat covered hlil aud grassY valley-frol
) where the giant cliffs stand as sentinels I,
!, Europe, meet tho nrst shock OF the Atlant
~ aud hurl back It's surges broken aud shattsre
9 In foam. From France aud switzerland, frot
% Iialy anu sweden, from all the Winds OF heave
, tney came; and as their battle line advanced
U the desert fell back subdued, nnd In Its stea
spr tng up corn and fruit, the olive and the vim,
a and gardens tuat UlOssOmed like the rose.
Q or triumphs like these, VINO can estm ate tn
n value, The population OF three millions "A hume
T. red years ago ha- RISEN To forty nve millions "a
Y day. We have great cities, great manufactures
4 great commprCe, great wealth, great luxury AN
splendor. SeYenty-fOur thousand miles Of raj
a way conquer distance, and make all our citizen
. neIRhDOrs To one another. All these things ~
v great and good, anu can be turned To gOot
= But they ars not all. VIVA ever f4te may BETA
d tuls Kepuolic, whatever vicissitudes or dis
J, ters may 10 before her this praso, at least, Ca
never be denied to her, this glory she has wO
l. forever, that Tor one hundred years she bi
i, been hO3pitable aud generous; that sne gave
:, the stranger welCOme-opened To him all I'll
n treasures OF her liberty gave him free scope f.
q all his ability, "A free career and fdir play.
}, And this, II Il, that most endedr5 TINS reput
N lio To other nations aud hns III lde fast friend