The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1889-07-13
GOV. PRINCES GRAFTON.

tpitOlnc oi Nc'. Tlncc TouT'l
of July Grafton IN White Oaks
We keep our troth, but severe i'll
ness so con tracied our powers il
the interim that we are unable t.
do full and complete Justice to the
magnificent effort of our Exccu
tive, so have to be content witt
the following digest of its mos
salient points.
After gracefully acknowledging
the tribute paid him b, the Presi
dent of tho Day, Col. Z. w. lie
man, he said that:
National holidays are as uni
versel as nations themselves. Go
back as far Us you will IN history,
or travel t. the ends OF the earth
and you will in 4 them every where
observe |. In the nj n ,rc ,i,.S they
genera " &c eDrate the br lday oi
the sovereign. so that. in cases of
tyran's, the day which has usher
cd in nothing bnt misery to the
people may be that which they are
bound to oberve with the out
ward senblance of rejoicing But
with MS we use the birthday of no
man, however great, as our na-
tlonal holiday. but celebrate the
birthday Of the nation itself. So,
all, without regard to nationality or
party or religion can unite with
equal enthusiasm in keeping the
great festival on the 4th. of July.
And so Americans meet every
where today to rcioicc i'll their lib
rry, to remember its cost, to re-
vivc the memory OF those who
achieved it.and to learn to emulate
their patriotic example.
And this Is a special year. for it
make the centenial ot our national
government under the constitution
What wonderful progress we have
made in these hundred years I'M
der the inspiring influence of free
dom. Then we were but thirteen
feeble colonies, now torty-two
states. hen a narrow strip along
the Atlantic, now stretching from
ocean to ocean. Then, less than
3, 900, 900 in numbers, now over
80. 600, 900.
In this view alone, as the birth
lay OF the Republic, this anniver-
sary is worthy of all celebrations !;
but there is a far higher view than
that For it is the birthday o.!
successful freedom throughout
the world. The Declaration of
independence did not simply an
nounce that the thirteen colonies
had thrown off tho yoke OF Great
Britain, but it laid down certain
gr, at principles and on those ba, ed
the claim to independence. These
were. First, the Equality ofallnen
before the law, and Second, thar
governments are the people, and
not the peoplc for government.
These principles were not ior
America alone but Tor all the
world. They were common to all
men. So freedom loving men
everywhere regard this day not
MS ours exclusively but as belong
ing 70 them as well. Every Re
public which has arisen has found
its independence in the Declara-
ton OF Independence ; without it
there would have been no BOLIVIA,
llidalgo. or Juarsz II America,
and there would be no Republic in
France today. Our country is the
standard bearer of freedom, and
each generation has it's duty to
do as such. Our Revolutionary Ia
Tiers did their part in the days OF
l776. "A generation passed and
we were assalled from without in
1912 and showed then that Amer
lean, we're wort y OF tlreir patri-
mony. And the generation pas
sed and in 1861 we met the scveses.
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