Middletown transcript., 1876-09-09
For the Midditopn Transcript.
LOvElFOR LIBERTY.
BY ] B.

For the AiddidoaOn Transcript.
LOvE<FOR LIBERTY.
OF all the previous endowment
which Providence has bestowed upol
man, that which he prizes next to thu
salvation of his immortal soul is liberty
Liberty, given to man at his creation, il
the great idol which all men are ready
to worship As we glance over thu
pages of history we are strongly i'm
pressed with the aspect Of nations en-.
deavoring to free themselves from the
oppressive bonds of subsection placed
upon them by other nations of indi-
viduals endeavoring to throw off the
CALLING yoke of servitude imposed upon
them by an arrogant, despotic and am
bilious monarch; whose only desir e
was self aggrandizement, regardless Of
the evils inflicted upon his oppressed
subjects. All reaching out to grasp
the banner of freedom, under which
they might unmolestedly breathe the
pure air of liberty.
If we glance at the history Of ancient
Rome, we find her. step by step. ad-
vancing forwards a democratic form Of
government. The power of despotic
kings being gradually abridged. The
people more and more embracing
the advantages of liberty, by which
they learned to revere their country
better and love their freedom more,
until their beloved city became the
acknowledged mistress of the civilized
world.
Take what nation or colony you wish
and you will find them all instigated
to the bloody combat, by some restraint
placed upon their precious privileges
Go back to the time of the Reforma-
tion when the people at Rome ruled the
nations of Europe with rod of iron.
Glance at the history Of this great
revolution, which revealed unto the
world the points of higher knowledge
Of which she had not yet tasted. We
find the fundamental idea of this great
event to be liberty. It was resistance
against an intolerable yoke. The
friends of liberty were the natural
friends Of the Reformation. The power
of kings had arisen to dangerous
pitch. The Romish church had be-
come most deplorably corrupt. All
nations felt the oppressive dominion of
the Pope and people began to see the
falsity of the doctrine of absolving from
SINS By money The peasants sinking
under the weight of their feudal bur-
dens, and languishing in complete
slavery, felt desire for deliverance,
and a longing after that liberty Of
worshiping God in the only true man
ner. They demanded liberty of con-
science and to be allowed to follow
convictions in religious matters Mar
tin Luther, amid the greatest danger,
formed the basis, and was the standard
bearer of that revolution that was to
change the condition of the world. The
trumpet of Religious liberty had re-
sounded upon the shores of all Europe,
and awoke the tyrannical pope from his
sleep in despotism. The sparks of the
Reformation grew more numerous.
shone brigher and brighter. until the
slept of tyranny was unable to stiAe
them.
Go to the bloody and ever-memora-
BILE plains Of Waterloo, where your ear
catches the low laundering sound Of
the hoofs of horses; you hear The trum-
pet sound the charge, and the war-cry
proclaimed by men eager to engage in
the bloody combat You see the swords
brandished in the air, and hear them
ring under the unrelenting strokes of
the brave warrior For an instant the
assaulting columns are enshrouded in a
smoke, which is belched forth from
their instruments of death They saber
the gunners and stab the horses. Men
and the noble steeds alike reel and
stagger to the earth. Within an in
stant, hundreds of brave warriors pour
out their hearts blood upon the soil
they fought to liberate Enquire from
the fortunate few. who escape this awful
field Of death, why they subject their
lives to such imminent peril ? Why
they enter the very jaws Of death ? For
what they threaten to make desolete
wife a widow, and beloved children
orphans? And they say for liberty
To prevent their country being subject
to despot, whose only God was am
bition. Who knew no motive. but self
to every touch of which his
conscience was pliable.
But for an example of the noblest |
love for liberty the world has ever
known, we need go no further than the
Doundries Of our own precious country. |
Our fore-fathers driven from their
native homes by religious prosecutors,
irst came to the foreign rocks of Ply |
mouth for the privilege of worshiping |
God according to the dictates of their
,wn consciences. Developing into a
prosperous and fourishing people,
England most unjustly thought proper
% levy taxes. and abridge their privi-
eges, without representation in Parlia-
nent. But such wrongs were not
likely to be suffered by people who
owe liberty as dearly as do the Ameri-
,ans. Encouraged by such men as
Washington, Hancock. and Patrick
Henry, the Declaration of Independence
vas signed by as brave body of men
Is ever set seal to paper. This decla-
.ation was to cost these weak. but
Colonies seven years of dis
ressing war, but to furnish an exam
Die of the greatest love for liberty the
world has ever known. Who can but
ldmire the patriotism Of Washington
ind his noble little army, as we think
If the winter of misery and suffering
hey passed at Valley Forge? History
,annot furnish more noble example Of
Al r