Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-06

cause it is his country Patriots have died for their
country when it was but insignificant isle OF the
ocean; when it was cursed with 4 government OF
despots when it crushed beneath the heel of the
foreign'conqueror. What then should be the meas
IRE OF American patriotisml Our country is no
small isle the in stretch of territory and
material resources she is continental. She has no
government OF despots she has the freess and most
beneticent government under which nation was
ever organized She is not overpowered by a for
eign conquerer; with motion easy and graceful
as that by which lady brushes away fly with her
fan, she could repuse any invader no should dare
to set hostile foot on her soil. Let us therefore to-
day, with ceremo les appropriate and customary,
declare how much We love our grand country, and,
at the same time, do something to teach the lesson
of patriotism to those who shall follow US in the
great highway of American citizenship.
The Chaplain, Rev. I. III. 3. Anderson.
then pronounced an invocation. The band
again played national airs. The Reader of
the Day, W. B. c. Brown, was then intro.
claration of Independence by the following
eloquent and concise statement of
HISTORIC FACTS
Precedent to the adoption of the Declaration
| Mr. President and Feilow-citizens To me has
been assigned the pleasing duty of reading the De.
claratop OF Independence, and, in order that may
more fully understand and properly appreciate the
principles therein enunciated, it is necessary 10
consider briefly the peculiar circumstances and con-
ditions which gave birth To that instrument there
fore. before resdns the Declaration shall attempt
hasty recital of the which gave TO the peo
pie of the States the foundationstones upon which
has been reared temple of civil and religious llb
| eIty which is at once q lasting monument to the
genius and patriotism of its builders the pride OF
| forty five millions OF citizens, native and adopted
and the admiration of theeivZed world. The Declara-
ton of Independence, though formally proclaimed on
the 4th day OF JULY 1776 embodies principles that
| for many ages had been struggling for existence,
and though il may not be profitable at this day to
tbaY
past to discover the first gmmeTiLgs Of the light of
| liberty that dawned upon the human race, yet
| may be permitted to suggest that our ancestors,
landing upon these shores, brought with them
the priceless germs Of freedom. which
were theirs by conques. and inheritance.
Each immigrant who c'me to our land,
| from climes where civilized man held sway,
brought with him some vested rights in libertys
domain that had b en- won for MIN by heros and
patriots. The majority OF those who peopled the
new world, coming from old England, brought with
them that natural love Of liberty which has been
notable characteristic of her people Their fathers
for generations had been struggling for recogni-
tion of the rights OF the against the divine
right Of kings 10 enslaye, impoverish and degrade
them. They knew how long and how terrible had
been the struggle that gave the deathlow to feUdal
power IN their native land that severed the chains
OF serfdom which made their fathers but little bet
ter than beasts of the field. They remembered well
how much il cost the English people to obtain the
right OF trial by jury of their peers the great boon
of the writ OF habeas corpus and the right of repre-
ment. Thousands left homes OF comparative CON-
fort and sought out the Western wids of America in
the hope of realizing truer freedom and enjoying
larger measure OF liberty than was the portion OF
those they left behind them. Probably not one
of the many who first founded the American colonies
had any definite ilea Of rearing Government
in opposition to that of the mother country,
or ever in his widest fights OF fancy caught
glimpse of the giant republic under whose rule we
to-day find protection, prosperity and happiness.
Upon this western continent, however, they found
| land eminently fitted for the rapid growth of the
principles of freedom. They found soil III which
the tree of liberty they planting destined
| to grow to its perfect size, and blossom in all its
| glory; land whose towering mountains, mighty
cataracts majestic rivers and almost limitess val
| leys, trumpet tongued proclaimed the doctrine OF
| freedom and progression. The dwarfed notions of
civil and religious liberty, which enslayed man in
the old world, were doomed TO perish beneath the
| shadow of Americas transcendent resources and
| limited advantages for human improvement. From
the first settlement of the colonies by the English in
1855 until the close Of the French war in l763
their relations with the mother country were with
few exceptions pleasant satisfactory and amicabe
1t would take Volumes however, to set forth their
| privatons and sufferings ere safety was obtained
from the murderous tomahawk OF the savage or the
stubborn fat Of nature made to yield to the march
| of civilization Up to the time OF the com
mencement Of the French war, the people OF the
! colonies were indeed widely separated, both
| as TO government and interest !; but in that
/ war they were united for common purpose,
| became more thoroughly acquainted with each other,
learned rno.e of their common country, and, above
| ALL learned to ponder upon the advantages to be
derived from concentrated action in the future, and
it NAV be SAID from this period forward they began to
feel the CALLING chains of political servitude which
could not long be tolerated. Let 1t be remembered
in this connection that history tells US that
instance can it be truly stated that any American
| colony was established at the expense OF the Gov
ernrnent or nation Of Great Britain" That the col
| onists came at their own expense, for their own
purposes that by royal charter each colony al
| lowed its legislative assembly, with but slight
restriction upon its acts and therefore, when they
had braved and subdued the savages, had caused
the face OF nature TO smile beneath the hand of the
| husbaudmaB, had converted the wilderness into
luxuriant and elegant habitations for man. had
cumulated wealth and built up commerce, had ac-
complished all this by their own lndomtable energy
and pluck it was not expected that they would be
slow to perceive rebuke the first effort from
abroad to strip them Of their right to legslae for
themselves in all matters of domestic concern. The
first important aggression by the British Govern
ment upon the rights OF the colonies was the pas
sage in 1858 of the Navigation Act, by which
it was enacted " That no European commodity
should be imported into the colonies, unless shipped
directly from England and in British ships" By
this Act in connection with others previously passed.
England secured the entire trade Of the Colonies
These Acts were continually complained of and dis
regarded by the colonies but stoutly persisted in
by the British Government. The next cause OF
quarrel was in 1902. Joseph Dudley, Governor Of
Massachusetts,, appointed by the Crown, demanded
from the Legislature of that province to be fur
nished house for himself and settled salaries for
Governor, Lieutenant nt-Governor, Secretary Judges
and other officers, all appointees of the British
Government, which demand was positively refused,
and thus commenced dispute between the Gov
ernor Oh one side and the Legislature the other
which lasted more than 20 years, and Massachusetts
stubbornness succeeded to the extent that they
never dld allow the fixed salaries asked for,
although t cy did at times vote considerable sums
OF money to the Governor and other officers for
penses. In 1744, Commodore Knowles, of the Brit
| ish navy impressed as seamen number OF the in
holi IF Rns.n he and Rood
| the liberation of most of those so impressed.
Thus we that the spirit Of resist
ance to British usurpation was taking firm
root in the breasts OF our ancestors and
only needed proper opportunity and sufIici mt
proyocation to burst forth into open rebellion That
opportunity and provocaton not tariy in COM
ing. Toward the close of the French war, in l761
| the Government Of Great Britain commenced rig
| orous execution OF the Navigation Acts before al
uded to- ard also asserted the right to tax the colo
nies. The immediate pretext for the tax was that
America should of right assist in paying portion
of the debt incurred in protecting the colonies
against the French power The colonies maintained
that Parliament had not the right of imposing du-
ties Tor the purpose Of revenue, and that taxation
without representation was tyranny" Many OF the
coionies sent petitions in 1764 to Parliament setting
forth their grievances and protesting against all
passed and pending measures for taxing them with
| out representation In 17G5 the bill for laying
stump and other duties was brought before the
House of Commons, and pet tons from Virginia,
Connecticut and South Carolina were offered in OPP
/
couchei in such strong language that no member of
| the House of Commons could be prevailed upon to
present it; but all unavailing The bill became
| a law March o. 1865 1t created in America the
deepest feelings Of alarm and resentment. The
House OF Burgesses OF Virginia, which in session
when news OF the passage of the bill was received
passed resolutions asserting the rights of the
colonies, and denying the right OF Parliament to
tax These resolutions were introduced by Patrick
Henry, who on this occasion made his memorable
| speech, in which he said, Caesar had his Brutus
| Charles l. his Cromwell, and George ILL.,
| (' Treason !" cried the Speaker and many mem
bers of the House)-may profit by their examt le,
and this be treason make the most Of it sail the
gallant Henry. In the meantime opposition to these
measures taking organized form, and on the
| 18th of October, 1865, Convention consisting of
representatives OF nearly all the colonies assembled
| in New York. This Convention put forth n decara-
tion of the rights and grievances of the colonsts
declaring that they possessed all the rights of native
born citizens of England chief among which was the
exclusive right to tax themselves, and the right of
trial by jury; and in accordance with these senti-
ments petitions and memorials were sent by all the
! colonies to the King and House of Commons pray
/ ing for redress. The popuace OF Boston protested
| in tie most riotous manner against the enforce
ment of the Stamp Act. They refused to
] allow the packages containing the obnoxious
stamps to be opened on their arrival from
n. i IL IL.