Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-06-07
Communication.
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Independence Hall, Phil-
adelphia. -4ss :. a.
For the FaYo.teyille obserrer.g

an infiexible principle, which is
termed the {, love of liberty.
This is evidently a spark of adi-
vine nature whichlstill remains.
How long had men sighed for a
land in which honest industry
might enjoy the fruits of its
/ own labor, and virtue risespre-
eminent over vice and crime,
but in vain.- How often have
they attempted to overthrow
the rule of tyrants, and con-
struct republic on the ruins,
only to relapse into a more rig
id bondage. The ancient Greeks
invented the principles of q
commonwealth. Unpublished
though they must have been,
yet they contained the embryo
of freedom, Having struggled
for existence a short time, they
were submerged Eby caste and
slavery. Thus The first repub-
lie passed away, and gave place
to cruelty and oppression. as the
suns rays are dispe.led by the
raging storm. When the queen
ly city of Rome sat without a
rival ON her seven hills, her gar
nished senate halls rang with
eloguence in behalf of liberty.
The attempt to build a Roman
republic was set at naught, by
an outburst of tyranny which
burned like wild fire around
them. The effect was fatal; for
Rome is no more. Still eager
for rule of equality and laws,
we find that in the middle ages,
republics are founded on the
banks Of the Arno, ,andin the val
ley of the Po. These rude yet
energetic attempts, like those
of former times, fell into the
hands of tyrants. The Puri-
tans made England a momenta-
ry commonwealth, only to re-
lapse into its former state. A
short time after Holland boast
ed that il had revived the prim-
tive conceptions Of the ancient
Grecian republic. To narrate
the result, is only to repeat the
sad terminus of its predeces-
sors. Down to the time Of the
beginning of our great Repub-
lie, all previous attempts to e.
rect a government whose laws
were formed by the hand Of
justice, had persisted under the
iron arm of oppression, except
Switzerland, which, in much
weakness yet full Of patriotism
was still making desperate
struggle to maintain indepen-
dence in it's Alpine mountain
homes. Under the foregoing
catalogue of historical embal-
rassments, increased by the, in
vading armies of Great Britain,
the second session of the Con-
tinental Congress assembled in
the old state house at Philadel-
! phia now known as Indepen-
dence Hall. No previous re-
| public had been attempted un-
der more embarrassing circum-
stances. But the rapid course
of events had, during the short
existence of the colonies, taught
them the real value Of freedom,
and prepared them for the e.
mergency to which they were
called. Public opinion was a.
reused and IFS watchword was
"Liberty or death"
Could we have heard the elo-
quence exhibited in behalf of
the colonies in setting forth
the long catalogue of grievances
which were so skillfully con-
densed in the Declaration of
Independence, by Thomas Jef-
fcrson, no doubt we would have
reaped q harvest of knowledge,
which no other occasion could
have impaired. 1t is strange
yet true that we are more IA
miliar with the eloquence of
Demosthenes, and the pointed
speeches Of Cicero before the
Roman senate, than we are OF
that long and spirited debate
during the second session of the
Continental Congress, which
resulted in our Independence.
Yet every true American
knows, enough of the trainers
of our vast Republic, to eulo-
Igize. their. names SO, long as
these United States exist The
elapse of the first century of
our nation has witnessed sue
cess without parallel in the an
nails. of history. To-day it
stands fairly without a rival in
the advancements of the age.
/ How many thousands have en-