Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-07-14
THE ORATION.


 Delivered by General II. G. Rollins, July
 The following is the full text of the
 able oration delivered by General H. G.
 Rollins, at the celebration of the Fourth
 of July at Levin's Park. Owing to the
 crowded condition of the daily, it was
 then possible only to produce some e1
 tracts. We now give it in full in the
 weekly.
 MR. PRESIDENT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
 The day we eelebrats-the anniversary of a
 Nations birth--is red-ettered day m the calen-
 dar of time and marks new departure m the history of man. The Fourth of July, iI16, wit
 messed the inauguration of a Government upon
 the Western Continent unlike any that the world had seen. and founded upon Ideas and theories
 so broad in thsir conception and 50 liberal in their import. that England was startled by the declaration of the new Government, though
 other European powers considered 1t as coming from feeble source and likely soon to be re-
 membered only as the eseapade of ~ayward
 and revolutionary people. And why should 1t
 then have been otherwise considered: The au-
 thor of that immortal declaration was unknown
 
 he had nc heritage sf royalty. The people who
 proclaimed the new Government were feeble in numbers- wealthy only in unprOductive lands. in energy which eooquered all obstacles, and ID a devo'ion to principle which knew no shrink Eg in he face of opposition, and no surrender to any earthly power. They seem to have been
 born for the heroic undertaking of establishing in the wilds of the new world a government 'of the people, for the people and by the people, a government acknowledging no allegiance eI- | cept to God and the governed; no superOrity or one man over anot CT; no authority except that | delegated by the masses; no continuation of oli- | cial prer0garive beyond fixed and stated times, l and no responsibility tOa human power greater | than the ssf-imposed responsibility of being an ! American ci'izen.
 wfo were the great organ iIers of this might, movement What its fstes What i;s place m the history of the human races Who. the great actors ID the drama of ssf-governed and self governing psOple2 Theseare the inquiries which ! this day suggests
 You may rad history as you will; if you read | It with au unb.as. mind and an unprei ldieed heart yor will come to the conclusion that Janes | Parton wa. righ. when he said that. If George Washington was the sword of the revolution, Thomas fferson was its pen" That tall, red haired. frecked-faced Yirginisn, playing his violin with great ener and wonderful skill, IT the Apollo Hal Of Raleigh tavern. while his much-loved Belinda kept time to his music as well a. Co the pulsstions of his heart, destined, in few years Co be the author of R political mani festo which would make his name memorable and his words immo-tal-words re ttered upon the anniversaries of this day by countless lips, down along revolving years. so long as the Re public shall exist her harbors be protected by forts, her iag-these sfars and stripes-loved urou the laud and feared upon the sea. The girl am sorry Co say, soon did what girls some times do played her lover by going of and mar rying another man; but he, Thomas Jefferson. soon played a part in the organization of tae new movement. the effect of which tongue can no, tell pen describe, or a century - hope and believe. centuries-of time unfold. More than a hundred years of swift revolving seasons have attested the soundness of Jefferson's views, and the strength of the Government whose salutatory carse from his pen. say not too much for Jef- fersOn In this connection. for 1t Is a matter "f historical notoriety and need not be recounted here how Inc ie real interest ma of the signers of the Declaration took in the inauguration Of the new Government, and now timid and falter. ing was the support of many others. Randall says, in his Life of Jefferson. that several Of the Delegates arrived only in time to vote for 1t" al the last Congress, and others were al- lowed to attach their names who were not pres ent even 'at that vote"
 There were hauger-on m those days ss well as in subsequent time; and even now men who arr astride the fence and know not which way to jump. But ti e men who make histO y, who dis solve long parlisr ents, impeach recreant public servants who inaugurate revolutions. who put down rehelhous who turn the tIde human events, who conquer circumstances and sur mout difficulties always stand on one side of the fence and in full view of the enemy. Character at all tin-es ani everywhere. is fixed. It has solid standing upon the earth. and a known place in the councils of men. The wavering whiting turncogt of a politician will never inaugurste a Eew movement or stand by an old and tried party.
 What was the effect of the Declaration of h. dependences The feeble colonies were already plunged Info revolution. Continued with al the suffering and sadness which follow in its wake was the immediate result Nor was thu unexpected. Our Revolutio Ary Fathers were men who, as the saying is marked what they hit as well as what they mlssed" They knes what they were about and what the Declaration meant. They had suffe ed under the rule of the mother country. and had experienced the op- pression of a king. Wisdom, you know. IS said ito be born of suffering and light of exp-rience.' nation or an individual to have great man. hood must go through great troubles. The massive oak grows vigorous and strong bJ struggling with tempest and storm, and not bJ its gentle waving to the morning breeze. or it- quiet bending Co the summer shower. The de claration was to be made good, not by political discussion. not by woIdy debsfe. not by the pen whish Is said to be ''mightier than the sw, rd. but by the force Of arms, and that against a su- perior force. It The child strO. in his sense of riSht, struggling with a cruel and arTo gaHt father. lt pas revolution m its broads
 nd most com prehensiVe seuse. On the one si3e a powerful European Empi Q, trying to sub jugate dependent colony. On the other was people who ssid they depended only upon God and the right, and W uld not be whipped by king
 Six days before this declaration. General Howe landed his forces on staten leland. Eight days after the declaration, Lord Howe arrived from England. The British forces were more than two tO one of tho e of the cOntendIng colo mics. The first battle after the new d parture that of Long lsiand, ard the relative s,rer gth Of the armies was l5.UO British soldiers asaiIs goo Americans very poorly armed. The Au.eri- cans lost in killed and wounded four men to one of the British
 The outlook was dark, the sky was thick, but brave hearts. swelled with thoughts of freedom. and strong arms were striking for liberty or death"
 On the first day of the second month after that first memorable Fourth of July. an attempt at compromise on the part of England was made. and Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Ed- ward Rutlsdge met the English Commissioners on Staten Island.
 Do you think that the colonies, with the declsr- ation that "all men aie created equal' staring them in the face. could compromise with kin g. who said that he ruled by Gods particular per- mission. Why you might " Il suppose thu the declarsuon was a series of glittering gener- slities and that Jefferson wrote 1t with as little care and thought when he drew the bow across his fiddle, No arrangement was made and the war went On, and fifteen days thereafter the British troops took possession of New York.
 Near the close of the year Washington captured thousand Hessians and six cAnnOns. and dur ing the year S50 British merchant sessais had been taken by the Americans. Early in the fol- lowing year Letters of Marque and Reprisal were granted by England against American commerce. Midsummer brought wIts iusrto help the strus gling colonies, youth sf nineteen years. whose name is familiar m every American household. and dear to every American heart. French Cap tain of Dragons, the Marquis de LAfay cite With the coarse of human event, in war or ID peace ss well as with huma life. there is a turn ing point and it finally came in the mighty struggle Of the colonies.