Little Falls transcript., 1886-07-09
MI MR.. !. lLIIuN,IDBERGH'soRAITlEIlol1Ng { q = "a. I

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The address of Chas. Al. LindberRh,
Esq. delivered on the occasion of the
celebration of our national Indepen-
dance is full of instruction. It was
our intention to have taken full notes
but circumstances prevented our doing
80. He commenced by giving as :
view of the civilized portion of tho
Continent as it existed no yearssagol..
It was narrow strip along the Atlantic
coast with something less than three
million Of people comprising with the
exceptions Of a few hundred, the entire;
population of the white race in the
territory that is now occupied by the
United States. These picnic grounds.
could then be made the center ofa circle
five Thousand miles in circumference
within which could scarcely be found.
. sufficient amount Of personal proper
ty to purchase respectable family
residence in any of the largest cities
which are now within . few hours
travel Of this place. All was one vast
waste Of territory extending thousands
Of miles inhabited only by wild beasts
and savage tribes. Notwithstanding
the vast extent of the unoccupied lands
the few colonies settled 'along the At
lantic we're not permitted to control
10 peace the little terrltory of which
they wsfs possessed These people
were possessed Of good: reason and
sound Judgment aud If left to control
themselves could easily have found an
alliance sufficiently strong to protect
themselves against the attacks of the
Indians and render to each other such
mental assistance as would facilitate
the administration Of their civil affairs.
Across the Atlantic was a nation of
merchants determined to monopolize
the commercial world, to make as far
as possible all nations and countries
subservient to its mercantile specula-
ton to the accomplishment of which
rules regulations and restrictions were
especially formed, adopted and i'm
posed. To the nations of merchants
belonged the colonies until July 4,
1776. On that day the people of colo
onies, no longer capable Of enduring
the long course Of usurpation to<which
they had been subjected, formally de-
clsred their independence. It is. in
honor Of that day-the birth of our
nation that We are today assembled.
The people declared themselves inde-
pendent of the rest of mankind. The
spirit of the declaration is that all men
are born free and equally and that
in the laws of nations one set of men
cannot assume authority over another
set without first obtaining assent Of
those over whom they have authority.
The cause of the colonies declaring
their independence arose principally
from the fact that they we're rot per-
mitted to take part in the making of
the laws by which they were to be
governed.
They we'll understood that the object
Of government is Of the highest order,
that every liberty sacrificed in allegi-
snce to a government should be
seapeaaahedshy anr>eqnalsamount Of
proteetten afforded by. the govern.
men.
When it fallsshoit of this, the OBJECT
of government is destroyed and a
right vested in the people to declare
in some form of government suitable
70 secure to the people civil liberty.
The declaration of Independence sets
forth the hardships and difficulties un-
der.which the American people were
lsboring at tie time of and long before
it's adoption. Kno wing what their
grievances were, We understand per-
fectly we'll the reasons why the colo
nies resisted with such q determined
spirit tho: ::ursurpation to which they
we're suhjectsd. q We can understand
whst VII that inspired the eloquence
of revolutionary days.
I: When We consider the wonderful
endurance of the continental army we
stand in ave. A mere handful of SOL
diers, miserably equipped, how they
repulsed for years the army of one of
the most powerful nations on the
globe, and finally forced it from our
shores B. :.
The years Of suffering and hardships
60 patiently endured were then suppos-
ed to be at an end. Fathers, mothers
and wives were rejoicing that their
loved ones could then return TO
them or that they had not
been sacrificed in vain; that the
noble cause for which they had fought
and died was left as trophy of thc;.
heroism, and that they had perfsrme d
their part in establishing for all poster
ity peace and happiness. 81.
Soon aftor the last Of the revolution
sry guns had been fred the infant
roPublic was brought to realize that
much was yet left to be done in order
i secure the blessings and the liberty
which had apparently been. estab-
lished.
During the war contentious and trou-
bles grew up between the colonies
that were with the greatest of difficulty
paci6ed. Everything remained unset
tied until 1857, when the constitution
of the u. s. was formed and q little
later received the sanction Of the
states, under th constitution a. then
| formal. .-..'-9
With the history of our nation the
most of you are familiar. Its princi-
] p>a1 81 -