The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-07-17

the Continental Congress, which, re-
sulting in Dclaration of Independ.
ence, was but proclamation of the
American Ccagress of the causes of
grievance at tie action of the mother
country; and y determination to be
free.
The political philosophy based on
the natural right of the Declaration
of Independence is the right of reyo-
luton on the part of an oppressed
people, and the instrument Of that
revolution is the sword. 1t is a NOR
al right, and the polical philosophy of
Europe and america has endorsed
the truth of the Declaration of Inde
pendence
"That all men are endowed by
their Creator with certain unaliena-
BILE rights; that among these are life,
liberty and pursuit of happiness" and
that moreover It may become neces-
sary for one people to dissolve the
political bands @hich may have con-
nected them with another Here was
the moral as we as the political right
which placed iIsstice in the sword of
Washington, and expunged the law
of treason from Me British statutes,
SO far as an AmHriesn colonist was in
volved or intereaked.
This Declarati6 of Independence
by the Represe tsves of America
in Congress asst 6ed was the proc
lamation ofa people wishing to be
free, and having thetright to be free,
if it involved resort to arms by ev-
cry one capable offasing musket to
his shoulder. FohAhe language of
the paper itself Ebe history Of the
present king Of 6Ife& Britain is his
tory Of repeated inyaFies and usurpa-
tions, all having, III direct object, the
establishment of d absolute tyranny
over these States
1t is matfts History, from the
g CLAUSE .eI stating : most Mratused bis as
necessary for the pubip good" to
that charging the king With exciting
domestic insurrection among US, was
historically true, either Of the king or
Parliment. Ifthe petitions for a re-
dress of grievances presented by the
'colonists had been favorably receiv-
ed, instead of being answered by Gre
peated injury" the revolution would
have been postponed, but only for a
time, for revolt and independence
were sooner or later inevitable, for
they were political, financial, social,
religious necessities. And well and
truly could the colonists appeal, as
they religiously did, to the Supreme
Judge of the world, for the rectitude
of their intentions. For the support
of their declarations they not only
mutually pledged to each other lives,
fortunes and sacred honors, but went
into the midst ofbattle, feeble, few,
poor and badly armed, with firm
reliance on the protection Of Divine
Providence.
Our forefathers,-the P0tTeS Con.
Scripti of the revolution of 1776, were
not without historical precedents in
their Declaration of Independence
They could go back to Magma Char
ter, made in the 9th year of King
Henry III, thirty times confirmed by
kings and Parliment To.the Peti-
ton of Right, drawn up by Sir Ed
ward Coke; the act for the better Sc.
curing the liberty of the subject, and
for the prevention of Imprisonment
beyond the seas, commonly called
"The Habeas Corpus Act" 81, Oh.
IT,, May, 1919; and the Bill Of
Rights, /, William and Mary, 1889.
The carefully y stated causes for q re
sort to arms against the mother ooun-
try, as appears in the Declaration OF
independence, shows the ideas of the
American statesmen of that period in
relation to great politico-philosophic
truths, which to this day permeate our
system of government, state and an
tional. Conspicuously among them
are taxation and representation, in
dependence of the Judiciary, no stand
ing army, and the independence and
superiority of the civil ovee the mill
tary power.
The coIonists were now fully COM
mitted to war, and hosaEities began
to thicken round the young altar of
American liberty, but its tender and
early years were guarded aud pro-