The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-07-07


.eIvitude upon such q nation must bs
in vain.
As We drift from . rugged mountain
ous coast, as the mists OF distance
slowly gather behind Us, the forbid l.
ding crsgs. the tangled forests and
barren slopes gradually soften and
grow dim, and finally fade away. leay
ing bu; graceful uubr0ken wall o.
tlue against the purple sky. So. II
lo6sing back uroD the history of th.
revolution. through the veil Of cluster
ing years, the secret trials. the mInol
obstacles, aud the hidden temptations
which beset the path Ut the patriots al
those times are forgotten. s5n our con-
ten ,latlou Of the fame lighted pima
eles Of their glorious deeds.
The leaders Of the Revolution were
men born in advance of their tune.
The bulk OF the people we're British
by birth and educ.tion. Tney had.
from iEfahcy, been taught to regard
England "a, "the mother country" aud
had grown up. with deep seated feel
ing at reverence for her institutions,
respect for her laws and pride In heI
wealth and power. They were smart
ing under wrongs inflicted by the
crown, but. there was large and
influential party in Parliament. headed
by the eloquent Chatham and backed
by the merchants OF Londoa. who were
pleading their Gauss, and through whom
they had reason 20 hope those wrongs
would be redressed.
They were welded to England by
bonds Of interest and ties Of blood.
Upon such an element IS this, the
words of Adams independent We are
aud Independent We will be-" aud the
fiery utterances of Henry IAN appeal
TO arms and the God Of hosts. is all
that j. left u.s." struck harshly. They
bad not been educated up to the exalted
plane upon which those men stood. and
when the State-house bell proclaimed
the declaration. The Goddess of Freedom
sprang upon. their startled gaze like
Minerva, full armed, from the head OF
Jove. To turn this river of sentiment
from its bed. to reconcile men TO the
Of their fields, the ruin OF
their fortunes. and the dissertation OF
their homes; TO fire the heart of irreso-
luton and doubt with the blaze of an
impetuous patriotism which, knew not
cold, famine or fear. was the task not
of the warrior. but the statesman, aud
we'll and nobly was that tack perform :
ed. and in the bloodless battles Of the
forum, we're won laursls which shine
undimmed beside the names Of Wash
ington and his generals.
The path Of the patriots OF those
days lay not over fields of roses. but
through an arid desert, white with the
bones OF their predecessors. still they
pressed on. with dsuutless spirit and
unfaltering feet. The torch Of liber y
was in the sky, and, like the pillar oi
fire by night and the cloud by day. il
led them cafe into the promised land.
That legacy of liberty. 80 dearly
won, was bequeathed to those who's,
hearts had the will and whose arms the
mower to defend it, and when England
FESTIVE at the loss of what she was wont
to tern, 1.-THE brightest jewel in bel
CROWN" sought to reclaim her los,
sovereignty. the infant nation. from tht
mouth OF her cannon, asserted and es
tablished . doctrine which the world
has never since questioned, that ~
American ship is American soil. ant
whose seeks that soirih refuge. becomes
q free man.
But, as the new star of Empire
in the west. coGtinued to- glow
with an ever increasing splendour. al
1t became manifest that the might O.
kings was powerless to arrest it in it,
course. the leading statesmen aud pub
licists Of Europe imagined that they
saw. in the progress Of this new Gov
ernment, the beginning Of q caree'
similar to that OF the ancient Republics
Of Greece and Rome. States which
while invincible to foreign foes, crum
bled to ashes ut the shock of interna
dissensicn. Aud, from their stand
point. that view was not without rea
son. The vastness Of our territory, til,
wide difference in the tastes. inclina
tions aud character Of our people AMI
the untrisd nature Of our political sya
TEN. oil seemed to give cause to apprs
bend sush1e result. and even in on
own county, there were those VII,
Joined with the Cassandras OF the olt
world 10 prophesyiug The coming Of tn,
storm. And the storm did come. Ant
when Il came. Il was With terribl
fury. which would have swept from
existence any government not base
upon the .ada@antine foundations o
etss nal truth. II came from y speck il
the southern sky. . wreath Of mist s
faint as To be uuconsidered and forgo,
ten. but when II spread into clou,
that overcast the heavens and shut on
the sun. men reslixed that it was a
black Is night and bliRhting as death
for Il Was the curse of human slavery
Slavery was fastened. yes, forced upo
the Colonists by tho British Govern
mont. and 1t was only in Difference :
the mistaken policy OF . few. that
passage, censurine the king for his re-
susal to sign bill prohibiting the slav
trade. vas stricken out of the origins
draft Of the declaration. Slavery. as
thsn existed in America, was Of triflin
moment. In the estimation of the Colo
nists. - compared With the great que'
tiona then q issue and The immediat
interests At stake. But in the years q
peace and prosperity. that followed.
dourished and grew until its powe
controlled the national legislature. die
tated the policy Of the President. an
crawling apon tho bench Of the highe,
tribunal OF the land. solemnly declare
that in pursuance Of the Declsratio
Of Inpependsnce. aud under the col