The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-07-18
FOURTH OF JULY GRAFTON. BY LIE
wlLkIN ON

4
| wlLKIN ON
Daring the 'ie,iberatia1s of The
CON Inittee IT was su,gest Il that !,
We nsd selectei hi, ia, he u A.
ti~n's hollday-tIe siur.ous fol-,n
is the time for The coming t1gvth
er OF tii,- lear ami dear frien..s oi
tue CIrizEE, that we have an ora.
ton, commemorative of the dav,
| by some one of the corps.
Oar venerable and highly talen-
tel chairman, who is a big man-
about as large rs CORES pondents
ever grow in Cues, nominated me
for the honorable position to de.
liver the GRAFTON. Please keep that
word 'oration' in your minds rs a
reminder while | remind you that
need and wish for your sympathy
rather than your criticism.
lam happy to be with you to-
day to meet you and talk with you
and | eel that speak for you as
well as for myself when | say that
l am proud Of my country to-day.
aod prouder yet of her freedom,
though the closest pride and sweet
est memories are conferred in my
county and her people.
Again, l am glad we meet to
get her here on this pleasant day,
for this is or should be a day of
happy retrsspectlon, Of rejoicing,
and you and |, who live aud enjoy
the blessings of the greatest gov
eminent on earth should re,nem Der
that on this day one hundred and
thirteen years ago was declare d
the independence Of nation, which
is now the pride and glory of every
true and loyal citizen-of nation
too that lives for freedom, educa
tional progress and christian civil
ization; and for the pe:petuation
and support of which was on that
memorable day pledged the life,
fortune and sacred honor of every
lover Of freedom.
These loyal precepts have been
observe and thes: patriotic I'm
pulses transmitted from generation
TO genei alton with an ever IncreaS
ing love Of country and hope tor
her future which from the founda-
ton of our national p,ide and
which should inspire into the true
man a determination to perform to
the very best of his knowledge not
only his duty to himself and fami-
ly but To mis- friends and neighb ors,
his country and his God.
A duty well done is ne'er follow
ed by sad repentance. A feeling
that duty has been conscientious
ly performed brings to one, | be-
lieve, a degree of satisfaction
equaled under no other conditions,
and if we only do the best we can
and be conten ted with the best We
can do, then we will have reached
the enjoy ment of that liberty
which is by virtue OF that declara-
ton our common heritage as we'll
as our greatest common bool, and
when that pledge of support was
given 1t then became our solemn
duty TO do he best we could for
the promotion OF the intended
blessings, both for the good OF our
selves and our fellow men.
Suppose for the sake OF the CON
trast we draw u comparison Ue
tween the condi.isns and hopes vi
our people one hundred and fifty Or
two hundred years az and now.
Then our ancestors having LETT the
old world to seek for liberty in the
new, found under the control OF
lords and kings the CHAIN of deJ-
potic rule growing stronger and
lighter, liberty rapidly decreasing,
in fact almost extinguished, until
it seemed as if mankind was To
have a repetition Of the outrageous
exacLions and rulings OF the Pope
in the 9th and 6.h centuries, yet
while it Was almost as tue poet has
said: Amid the despair 'ul
bondage sank his soul to his con-
dillon, the tlickering lame Of lioet-
ty which had been SIN ,ulderiug in
the hearts of Henry, Hancock ana
Adams, burst forth in its granduer
and eloquence and furnished light
and fuel for our nation in the hour
OF it's greatest peril That same
flame Of liberty, burning bri liter
Oh Americans shores, increased
and enlarged, stands out to-day
giving light To the darkest nations
OF the earth.
Give W a sober Thought TO The
advantages and blessings we now
have-they are innumerable; they
are infinite.
Thanking providence that we
live in this Heaven -hlessed land,
having learned the lessons the .ast
has taught, we can more thorough
ly perform the duties of the pres
ent, then catching from the hope Of
the future a patriotic inspiration
press onward and upward, striving
to reach the summit OF liberty :
goal which is ours If we an.
In concluding allow me To say |
have be highly pleased to meet
in person the friends anG attaches
Of the CITIZEN, our great county
paper. We all have pride 10 that
paper for right nobly it has STOOD
by us; let US stand by it. Never
forgetting o-day TIL first reunion
OF the corps in the hospitali les OF
this people in conclusion, though
1t may sayor of advice, that If we
strive to remain as true a1d loyal
to our county, her people ami their
lntere Is, as has the CITIZEN, the
future can say of tn present "a the
present speaks Of the past that ali
i well
Brick Church.
BY JOHN L.