Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-04
oraEs AFrAIE.
rae FOURTH OF JULY.

Three wears AGO, the children 1T JEFF
ferson's grarddsughtar,M Mrs j. X. Cool
idge, Who before her MARI sge Vas Miss
Randolph. generously presented to the
United States the desk on which the
DESIGNATION of undergraduates Was writ
ten. attest-d bv an inscription thereon.
in Jefarson's own handwriting. ending
as follows:
"Polit,c-, as we'll as religion. has it's
suparstitions. These. gaining strength
With time. may one day give imaginary
value to this relic for its association with
the birth of the great charter of our In
dependence.
"MoyrroELLo. Nov. Is, 1925.
The docnment thus referred to Was
then nearly half q century old; the
Young statesman of thirty-three, TO
whom vas committed by his older asso-
ciatas thu taak of telling thu waeld why
a dependency OF kingd I'm was broken
of and turned into republic, mad
reached nearly the age OF eiQhtv-three;
and he had seen enouQh to pronounce
this document "tha great charter OF our
undergraduates" The truth III this ohav-
acteriz ,tion becomes more and more
evident With each recurring anniversary
Of the Declaration. When Jeffers0n's
desk vas received by Congress, 70 be
placed as relic with the sword OF WASH
inptop a d the staff of Franklin, 1t vas
nstu raj that Congressman should recall
tn, immortal paper that Was written
uuon IL; and rarely has brief summary
of its leading purposes been given 10
more aporeciativ, language than IN
thase words If Mr.. Tucker, of Virginia:
First. Mark its denuncistion of stand
ing ARMIES i'm time of peace without
legislative consent. its declaration for
the 81 oremacy of the civil over the mil
itsry power, for IN independents judi
ciarv, for impartial jury trial. for the
bond indissoluble between representa-
ton and taxation. and for free govern
ment hv and ander law.
Second-Mark. its clesr assertion OF
the equality of the individual right OF
every man to life. liberty and the cur
suit of happiness a. endowments OF tue
Creator, mt an assertion Of an equality
in the endowments themselves. but in
the right of each tn that with which his
creator has endowed him. inalieuable
by himself, because it wonld be breach
of his duty to relinquish the trust re-
posed in him and inalienabl by all 9th
era, hecaus a vioiltion of the right dis
tinotly vested in him.
This is the Foundation stone of all iu-
dividnal liberty under all forms of po-
litiaal institutions.
Third-Nots the germ of local gov.
eminent IA an essential ! to liberty
resulting from the demonstrated inn
practic .bility of good government for
any people when it is controlled by an
other people. Ths power which gov
erns must not be alien to but must be
in sympathy with the interests OF the
governed, or tyranny will he the result
Fsnrth-rhe declaration of the right
Of revolution when existing Govern
M nts wholly fail to he administered
for the protection Of the rights Of the
people, the right Of every people To
mold the form and contrnl the admins
traitor of its Government AGO riding to
their will, thus basing all government
on the consent of the governed; the ex-
cellence of popular government Of a
representative Demo -racy-thase were
all clearly indicated in this paper. And
Mr.. Jefferson, by his subsequent advo-
cacy of the freedom Of the land from
the fetters of primogeniture aud entails.
and by his act for religious freedom, as
we'll as by his whole life. vindicated the
consistency OF his devotion to the liber-
ty of the people, under a government of
Law, restrained and guided By them
selves" Aeefs
It is we'll that the anniversary Of the
Fourth Of July should hiring freshly TO
the minds OF the people the true char
aoter of Jeffsrsoa and his immortal
work.