Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-07-27


propriate.
Over two and half centuries have
elapsed since brave, resolute band, :
brave dauntleSs one hundred; made OF
that true, stern, rugged, man ant
womanhood, of which the good ant
true of all ages have been made; debark.
ed from that bark historic in poetry and
IN song upon the coast of wild New Eng
land. And there upon old Plymouth
Rock was sown the precious seed-sowr
In adversely, -sown on what seemed
barren and unfruitful soil; but noursh-
ed by the sunlight of liberty, was that
which has for itsfruits to-day, a mighty
nation.
They came not for fame or conquest,
they came for love of self or love of gold,
they came not to delve in mother earth
for the rich jewels of its mines; but wor-
Shipping only at the shrine of liberty. they
came rather to secure that priceless
jewel, the jewel of Freedom. That
jewel deareI than life, for life without il
would be one long dream of woe, more
| priceless than gold, for gold without it
would be as drosS, more endeariu9 than
the sun, for without the light of freedom
within the soul of man the light of heaven
would be as midnight darkness; imbued
with principles, stern, true and inflexi-
BILE, the spirit of free manhood; threw
off the letters of oppression, of monar-
chies, and caste; believing that to be a
freeman within the inhospitable wilds of
New England, with its dangers and pri-
vations, was far preferable TO submit
ting to injustitiable acts of wrong and
oppression in the land of their birth.
Hoping here to establish communities
wherein the governments should fully
recognize the rights of man; and thought
and conscience would be held answer
able, only at the bar of inhnite Justice.
Amid such difficulties, steadfast TO the
principle that there is no divine right
for man to rule; and that true greatness
lies not in rank or station, but in the
faithful discharge of duty in serving our
fellowmen; was born-this child OF adj
versity-the new world. A world that
not only astounded the old world but
also amazed its founders.
20, strange new world, that yet vast never
young
Whose youth from the by gripping want was
wrung,
Brown fondling of the woods whose baby bed
as pFoUleu AROUND ny INDIANS cTAC king tread,
And who crews strong, thro' shifts, and wants,
and pains.
Nursed by stern men with empires in their
brains"
This strange New World grew apace.
Industry, the fountain head of all wealth
and prosperity, coupled with what was
with them practiced; the inalienable
right Of every man to the fruits of his
own honest toll; and the practice of the
simple primitive habits of frugalty, and
economy, gave uneXampeled prosperity
to its inhabitants. They developed
wealth among these savage wilds, with
a rapidity which was not only marvel
Gus i'll their own eyes, but unfortunate
ly, excited even, inflamed the ayarice
of Great Britain. Its rulers became en-
viOus. They saw here wide scope for
their despOtic ambition. In this vast
territory. A vast untrayelled continent
whose margin faded forever, and for
ever when they moved, they saw the
future Eldorado of the world, Then
came renewal of the contest between
absolute power and human rights. 1t
was the attempt upon the part of the
rulers of Great Britain to transplant
upon the free virgin soil of the new
world, the pernicious doctrine of the
divine right of kings to dispose of the
lives, liberty and prosperity Of their
subjects. They denied the truth of the
axiom that governments drive their
just powers from the consent of the
governed and held the right to tax at
will those whom they called their sub
jects. The Stamp Act, the ostensable
cause of the Revolution, was not par
ticularly burdensome, or onerous law.
Even this was repealed, but the right to
taxation without representation was still
retained To this free people this doc
trine was abhorent. The principle in
volyed was one for which they were
willing to stake, not only their own
existence, but that of their families and
countries. Bound together by com
munity of interests, inspired by the same
great principles; having tasted of the
sweets of freedom, these feeble colonies
proclaimed, not only to Great Britain
but the world that Resistance to tyrants
is obedience to God" In pursuance Of
this belief one hundred and six wears
ago to-day under the roof of old Faneuil
Hall of historic renOwn, amid the boom
ing of cannon and the ringing of Joyous
bells, the sound of which was heard
round the world, this doctrine was crys-
talized into that Magma charta Of Ameri-
can freedom, so ably read to us to-day,
the Declaration of lndepen fence. A
Declaration in which is formulated the
principles upon which rests the rights
of man. Historic pen records not a
more brilliant page. Through the fiery
ordeal ofeightlong years of war, through
dangerous privatiOns and hardships UNI
speakabe, they proved their devotion
to the principles of that Declaration.
The God Of battles smiled, Justice trium-
umphed The stars and stripes,
Columbias sacred flag like eagles piniOns futter
ed to the breeze"
And when at length victory perched
upon that banner; through the instru-
mentality of the master minds of that
era, ripe students in the severe school
of adversely. statesmen, men born not
for themselves, but for mankind. the
| world formulated a government whose
basis was the sovereignty of the people.
A government designed to secure to
themselves and their posterity forever,
the blessings Of equal rights. equal laws
and equal opportunities. \ grand monu-
ment to the principles of self govern
ment. A free Republic. DO we say, a
free republic? All no Free indeed
/ they had fought against fearful odds,
and established beyond the possibility of
| a doubt, their right, and power to gov
ern their own land. They had estab-
| lished the fact that henceforth, the
divine right of kings to govern Ameri-
| ca at least, was an evil of the past. Yet
/ in their zeal for their country and their
/ own freedom. they had forgotten that
within their own land they were OPP
! pressors. That within their own Dor
dcrs, race of humanbeings, Of like
passions anu feelings with themselves,
were held in seryile bondage, A race
that had implanted within their breasts
/ by their Creator that w.,ich is implant-
! ed within the breasts Of every man.
woman and child Of every race whether
born upon Americas broad prairics or
within her matchleSS forests, whether
born amid Alpine rocks or Arabian
sands-the love OF liberty. Ignoring
this fact portion of this republic tram
| Piled under foot the foremost principle
! of the Declaration Of Independence
that self evident truth '.that all men are
created equal claiming not tho divine
right of kings to govern their subjects at
Will; but the divine right of men to en-
slave their fcllowmen.
Strange Anomaly The portion Of a
republic which had at great sacrifice
thrown off the yoke of oppression, which