The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-28

existence, but although we date our ma.
tional life from it we still must regard it,
effect in severing our allegiance to The
! British crown as secondary in Importance
T to its potency as a proclamation d
human rights and a vindication OF Tux
nobility of man. t b.
1t mattered little whether the colonies
remained part of the British Empire OF
organized themselves into an independ-
ent empire of their own, if the only con
sideration was the number and relative
/ power of the political divisions indicated
: upon the map Of the world; but it mat
tered everything whether the manhood OF
three million people was crushed beneath
the iron heel of a despotism intrenched
in the constitution of the leading power
Of Christendom.
i Despotism resting upon might alone,
!, lis harmless compared with that founded
upon claim Of right. Rome predicated
the relentless rule exerted over her prov
4 inces solely upon the strength Of her le-
gions; Napoleon I demanded the sub
mission Of Europe only to the martial
power of the Empire. England predicat-
ed the high haI,ded tyranny. she sought
to enforce in america, upon parental au-
thority defined and sanctioned by the con-
stitution Of the realm. It was not the
4 tyranny of shameless might, hut OF as
serted right 1t was an attempt tearepesat
III the new world what had been done q
Thousand times in the Old, to suppress the
assertion Of politicalrights as Inherent IN
man, the property OF the individual and
rot The gift VI the State. mr. s
3, The isbue defined vas, had man any
political rights except as a citizen? Was
lie entitled TO any consideration except as
a member OF society Was man created
to contribute 70 the ACKNOWLEDGMENT and
glory If the State, or was the Stale crea-
ted to contribute TO the welfare and hap
pinesa Of man! Were the people the
source or only the subjects Of power?
! When considering the spirit of self sac.
t! rifice which our fathers exhibited, we
must reino.nEer that they loved their faith
lcrland England was the home Of their
ancestry, the dwelling place Of their kin
bred. Gladly would they have foregone
the fame Of founding an independent
empire and spared themselves the pain
Of separation. had not the obligations of
duty and honor lmpelled the act. Be-
Tween them and the English people there
was no quarrel; the same blood coursed
I in their veins; the same laws prevailed;
the same language was lisped by their
children, the same nursery tales were
:old in their homes; the same songs were
sung by their maidens; the same God was
worshiped around their family affairs
All they held dear in the storehouse OF
memory lad come to them as a patrimo-
ny from the grand old island home of
their fathers; they were not restless rev.
olutionists, eager for change They we're
as true to England's law as Mansfield, as
proud of England's fame as Chatham, as
loyal to England's sovereign as Chenille
himself. They had contributed their own
best blood in the war just ended to raise
the mother country to the first place
among the nations; but when her power,
controlled by unworthy minister's, was
directed against their rights as men and
heirs of long line Of freemen, they rose
in the rugged might OF conscious recti-
tude and deied the usurpation Of the
government they loved. .. 49,. -. b
First demonstrating as faithful subjects
and honest men, they pointed with as
surance to the long succession of brilliant
achievements by which the proud fabric
of England's liberty had been builded,
stone by stone, and appealed to the mem
DRY of that mighty throng of statesmen
and warriors who, through many centu-
ries of progress IN council and on field,
had SO often and so grandly wrested the
STRUGGLING form of justice from the ruth
less power Of her priests and kings and
demanded, in their names, u recognition
Of their rights. A deaf ear was turned
to their demands, and theirTemonstranCe
was answered by contUmely, contempt
and repetition and aggravation of their
, wrongs When every other avenue OF
redress was closed against them they ap-
pealed TO the God Of battles and planted
. themselves in.that crimson highway along
which liberty seems to DC ever. fated to
/ wade through blood to deliyerance,
4 They knew the strength Of their op-
pressors They knew that years Of desc
lation lay ahead of them. through which
! the iron harrow of battle would drag It's
! ruthless course over the quivering flesh
! and sensitive forms Of their countrymen;
{ but they never faltered, never shesitated
t Fear nor doubt never entered the coul-
ellis Of those men Of granite wills. They
L believed that man possessed civil rights
God given, upon which no power could
lawfully encroach. They had an abiding
confidence in the capability of man fol
: self government They had sublime
i faith in the truth of moral conviction