The Red Cloud chief., 1889-05-03

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HON. o u. DEPEw.
tice OF the distractions of philosophy. The
time, the country. the heredity and env1r-
Onment Of the people. the folly Of 1ts enc
mics, and the noble courage Of its friends.
W. to liberty after ages Of defeat, OF
Trial. OF experiment, Of partial success and
substantial gains. this immortal victory.
HencefOrth it had Q refuge and recruiting
station. The oppressed found free homes In
this favored land, and invisible armies
marched from 1t by mail and telegraph, by
speech and song. by precept and example,
to ~regenerate the world
Puritans in New England. Dutchmen In
New York. Catholics in Maryland. Hugue-
nots In South Carolina had felt the hres OF
persecution and were welded to religious
liberty. They had been purified in the fur
mace. and In high debate and on bloody bat
tlc-fields had learned tO sacrifice ali ma
teriai interests and to peril their lives for
human rightA The principles Of constitu-
tiOnal government had been impressed
upon them NY hundreds OF wears o; rag
gle. aud for each priac.ple they could Joint
to the grave Of An ancestor whose
death attested the fsrOcity OF the fight
and the value Of the ssiOn
wrung from arbitrary power. They knew
the lIIuIts VICO0 Oh 8UJuOIlIv, lucy cOulu
pledge their lives and fortunes to resist en-
~crOachments upon their rights. but 1t re-
quired the lesson Of Indian massacres. the
invasion Of the armies Il France from
Canada, the tyranny Of the British Crown.
the seven years war of the Revolution. and
the i've years of chaos OF the Confederation
to evolve the idea, upon which rest the
power n permanently Of the Republic,
that liberty and union are one and INSOFAR
able. y y y
These men were not revOIutionists. they
were the heirs and the guardians Of the
priceless treasures Of mankind. The Brit
lab King and his Ministers were the revOfu-
tiOnistx They were reactiOnarics. seeking
arbitrarily to turn back the hands upOn the
dial Of time. A year of doubt and debate.
the baptism Of blood upon the battle fields.
where soldiers from every colony fought,
under U common standard, and con-
sOlidated the Continental Army. gradually
lifted the soul and understanding of this inn
mortal Congress to the sublime declaration:
I'VE. therefore, the representatives OF the
United States Of America, in general Con-
gress assembled. appealing to the Supreme
Judge of the world for the rectltude Ot our
intentions, do, In the name and by the au-
thOrity If the good !sophe OF these colonies,
Solemnly publish and declare that these
united colonies are, and Of right ought to
he. free and imd1pcndsm STATS"
To this declaration John Hancock, pro-
scribed and threatened with death, am xed
q signature which has stood for a century
like the pointers to the North Star in TIE
armament Of freedom, and Charles Carroll.
tainted that amOig many CAROLS, he. the
richest man in America. might escape,
added description and identification with
''Of CarrOllton." Benjamin Harrison. a dele
gate from Virginia. the ancestor of the dis
tinguished statesman and soldier who to-
day 30 wOrthily fills the chair OF Washing
ton vOiced the unalterable determine
lon and defiance OF the Congress-
He seized John Hancock. upon whose
head . price was set, in his arms.
chair, said: I've will show Mother Britain
how little We care for her by making our
President . Massachusetts, man. whom she
has excluded from pardon by public txoc-
lamatiOn;" and when they were signing the
Declaration. and the slender Elbridge Ger
" uttered the grim pleasantly, W must
hang together OF surely We vii, hang sep
arately.' the portly Harrison responded
with the more daring humor. 1T win he all
over with me In a moment. but you will be
kicking in b mir half an hour after I am
gone" Thus flashed athwart the great
charter, which WAS To be for its signers a
death warrant or . diploma OF immortality.
n with firm hand. high purpose and un.
dannted resolution they subscribed their
names. this mockery OF fear and the penal
ties Of treason
More clearly than any statesman OF the
period did Thomas Jefferson grasp aud di
vine the possibilities Of popular govern
ment He caught and crystallixed the spirit
OF free institutions His pr i~losophical mind
was singularly free from the power of
precedents or the chains Of prejudice. He
had an unQuestioning and abiding faith In
the people, which was accepted by but few
O: his compatriots. Upon his famous
axiom. OF the equality OF all men before
the law, no constructed his system. Ii was
the trip-hammcr essential for the emer-
geucy to break the links bindin. the colo
mics to imperial authority. and 10 pulverize
the privileges Of caste. II inspired him to
write the Declaration Of Independence. and
persuaded him 70 doubt the wisdom o: the
powers concentrates in 1.-THE constitution In
his passionate love OF liberty he became in
tensely jealous Of authority. He DESTROYED
the substance Of royal prercgative but never
emerged from its shadow: He would have
rights and the barriers against cen
txalization, and he saw in the g.cw-
ing power Of tho Nation ever-tncressinS
entertainments pom the rights % the peo-
pie. Fog the success Of the pure Democracy
Which must precede Presadents and Cab
enial thai tts ap0etle never believed Q
great people could grant and still retain.
could give and ut viii reclaim. could dele
9ese and vet firmly hold the authority
Shach ultimately created the power Of their
tsepnDhc and enlarged the scope Of their
Who're this master-mind halted n; stood
Gal The neccuaty for . permanent Union
voo apparent bat each State must have
ooS0 upon the ~boWBHing which encir-
ossd 10 throat II was admitted hat union
re- ne machinery required to success
tsl!y sxns tae common enemy. but yes
RHnnkeuNeetn and DESTROY TIA cve,fcrs nm.