The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-07-14
Judge Strahan'S Grafton.

The following Grafton, delivered by
Judge r. s. StrahAn, on the 4tb Of Ju-
iy, at Scio. we publish At the request
Of the citizens Of that place
Ar. Presieient, Laiies aHd GentLemsn:--
From the earliest dawn Of history two
| antagonistie theories OF principles have
contended for the mastery among men
The one is liberty, the other tyranny
The one struggled and "attled for the
rights Of man, the other for bis enslave-
ment. One theory insisted that manis
machine in the hand. II tie State By
which its purposes are To be worked
aut without regard To the interest or
happines, Of the subject; the otherf that
man existed before the Stats,-befors
civil society wts organized or formed,
and that the State - only = means of
promoting his welfare; that hs has the
right 10 exist Ly virtue Of his manhood
70 enjoy the fruits Of bis labor and 70
control his perssn according 20 his own
within Q werd, that be has certain in
alienable rights which existed isdePead-
emily Of tho State and ante-dAtes it's
sxiAsence; which il did not bestow and
can not take away. The one theory in
sisted that all power il in the King-in
the Government; the other, that 1t
rsstE ultimately with the people. The
principle and the issues ars always the
same under whatever gnisss they ap
pear. To the thoughtful student Of
history even to the every day observer.
the iine 0f demarcation IL plainly aud
distinctly drawn. Whatever assails
popular right or tends 10 aggregate and
combine power, and wealth or 70 with
draw them from the people and place
them in the hands or under the control
Of the iewi belongs 70 the side Of tyran-
ny-they are the wespons Of despot-
ism; while on the other hand, what
ever diffuscs power and wealth among
the peHplo o. prevents their being
grasped aud monoPoliEei by the selfish
placeman or the greedy millionairss,
belongs to the side Of liberty--to popular
right. Look abroad over oar own hap
py land, aud the conflict is plainly out
lined and will continue until populai
right. is completely and absolutely
triumphant, for
"Freedom's battle. once begun,
BequeAthsd from bleeding sire to son
Though bafEiled oft. Is ever wSa"-
Prior to tie discovery of America il
1892, the power Of monarchs and dss
pots and Kings had oversbadowed the
. tree of liberty in fact, it had wholly
disappointed from among men. NJ
nation or people was freei bat the germ
lived it could not be destroyed. /
. had its abiding place in the peoples
hearts-in their drssms-in their Utepii
lands, and il emily awaited possibilities
Europe was then Just emerging from
, ths long night Of the dark ages, which
. had cnshrouded her for more than
thousand Years during which tho art
, and literature aRd learning Of th,
ancient world had been destroyed
. The incursions Of barbariAns and tn
: rapscity Of tyrants had left nothing o
the past but ruins nothing visible in tn
4 future. but slavery. But the discover,
. Of the Western world aud the art Q
. printing began 70 open up new possibili
! ties for man. the one new home in
;. new world the other, wonderful faclli
. ties for disseminating his thoughts ant
ideas in difiadencs Of the minions o
= power.
But the people of Europs did no
for some centuries dream of emigra
ting to America in any considerable
, numbers. At frat it was the bold
, daring hardy spirits who loved an
! sought adventure or o wider freedom
r The people generally loved the grave
1 Of their ancestors and the homes Q
! their youth too well to exchange then
4 for the untried regions Of the Ne,
, World.
! But events we're rapidly culmins
ting in both France and EaglanC
which forced large numbers from bot
]. countries to face the stormy ocean an
the shores Of unknown and unexplore
: regions and to lay the foundations of
\ new empire in the Western Worlt
, These events were the prosecutions {
. the Hugsnots in France by Lewis XII
4 and the persecution at different timel
) under various pretextsi Of every sec
in England and Scotland by the Stew
a arts.
q After the establishment of settli
Q ments at jamestown in Virginia j
!. 1907 and Plymouth in 1920. other
3 soon followed until in 1888 the Altar
g tic States from Maine to Georgia con
!. tanned permanent settlements. 1t
. not my purpose on this occasion
q trace the history of the colonies. The
L grew amidst privations and often VI
: der the frowns and neglect of the motl
o er country 20 be streng, and to feel n,
q But they early realized that no psopl
< could be free, they could not even er
{. JOY the fruits Of their labor, consisten