The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-05-03

~aG4IB{ Vlfr'W
HON. CHAUxCEY NJ DEPEw.
sic4 Of the distractions of philosophy. The
tiIs>4 the country, the heredity and envir-
Oun.ent of the people, the folly of its enc
mics, and the noble courage of its friends,
gave to liberty after ages of defeat of
trial, OF experiment, of partial success and
substantial gains, this immortal victory.
HencefOrth 1t had a refuge and recruiting
station. The oppressed found free homes in
this favored land, ah3 invisible armies
marched from il by mail and telegraph, by
speech and song. by precept and example,
to regenerate the world.
Purttans in New England DutchInen in
New York, Catholics in MarylaT d, Hugue-
nots in South Carolina had felt che fires of
persecution and were welded TO religious
liberty. They had been purified in the fur
mace, and in high debate and on bloody bat
Il fields had learned to sacrifice all ma
terial interests and to peril their lives for
human rights. The principles of cOnstitu-
UOnal government had been impressed
upon them by hundreds of years of strug-
gle, and for each principlesthey could point
to the grave of an ancestor whose
death attested the fcrOcity of the fight
and the value of the concession
wrung from arbitrary power. They knew
the limit tiOns of authority, they could
pledge their lives and fortunes to resist en-
croachments upon their rights, but it re-
qulred the lesson of Indian maSsacres, the
INVASION OF Ln6 armies I france from
Canada the tyranny of the British Crown,
the sew ~ years war of the Revolution, and
the five years of chaos of the Confederation
to evolve the idea, upon which rest the
power and permanency of the Republic
that liberty and union are one and INSOFAR
able. x
These men were not revOlutiOnists they
were the heirs and the guardians Of the
priceless treasures of mankind The Brit
ish King and his Ministers were the revOlu-
uontsts They We're reactionarles, 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-helds,
where soldiers from every colony fought,
under q common standard, and con-
sOidated the Continental Army, gradually
lifted the soul and understanding OF this i'm
mortal Congress to the sublime declaration:
/ I'VE, therefore, the representatives OF the
United States of America, in general Con-
/ Eress assembled, appealing to the Supreme
Judge of the world for the reCutude of our
intentions, do, in the name and by the au-
thority Of the GOOD People OF these colonies,
sOlemnly publish and declare that these
united colonies are, and of right ought to
be, free ana Independent ) at g"
To this declaration John Hancock pro-
scribed and threatened with death, affixed
n signature which has stood for century
like the pointers to the North Star in the
ornament Of freedom, and Charles Carroll,
tainted that among many CAROLS, he, the
richest man in America, might escape,
added description and Identification with
'Ot CarrOlltOu.' Benjamin Harrison a dele
gate from virginia, Lue ancestor OF the us
ungulShed statesman and soldier who to
day so wOrthtly til s the chair of Washing
ton, voiced the unalterable determina-
ton and defiance of the Congress.
He seized John Hancock, upon whose
head a price was set, in his arms,
and placing him in the Presidential
chair, said: I'VE will show Mother Britain
/ how little care for her by making our
/ President a Massachusetts man, whom she
I has excluded from pardon by public proc
| lamatiOn;' and when they We're signing the
/ Declaration, and tho slender Elbridge Ger
~ uttered the grim pleasantly, 1--WE must
/ hang together or surely we viii hang sep
| aratelyH the pOrtly Harrison responded
/ with the more daring humOr, 1T win be all
I over with me in a moment, but you will be
kicking in the air half an hour after am
/ gone" Thus flashed athwaTt the great
/ charter which was to be for its signers n
/ death warrant or diploma of immortality,
as with firm hand, high purpose and un-
daunted 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 and di
vine the possibilities of popular govern
ment He caught and crystallized the spirit
of free institutions His philosophical mind
was singularly free from the power of
| preoedeuts or the chains of prejudice. He
had an unquestioning and abiding faith in
the people, which was accepted by but few
of his compatriots. Upon his famous
axiom, OF the equality of all men before
the law, he constructed his system. 1t was
the trip-hammer essential Tor the emer-
WenCv to break the links DlnulnT the colo
MES to imperial authority, and to pulverize
/ the privileges Of caste. 1t inspired him to
! write the Dec 'aratiOn of Independence, and
/ persuaded him to doubt the wisdom OF the
powers cone autrated in the constitution In
/ his passionate love OF liberty he became in
| tenselv Jealous of authority. lie destroyed
/ the substance of royal prerOgattve, but never
| emerged from its shadow He would have
/ the States as the guardians of popular
| rights and the barriers against cen
] tralzaton, and he saw IN the grow
/ Ing power of the Nation eVer-lncreaSlng
! encroachmen ts upon the rights OF the PEG
/ pie. For the success of the pure Democracy
/ which must preCede Presidents and CAB
/ inets and Congresses, il was perhaps provt-
\ dental that its apostle never believed a
| great people could grant and still retain,
/ could give and at will reclaim, could dele
/ gate and vet firmly hold the authority
I which ultimately created the power of their
4 Republic ana enlarged the scope of their
/ own liberty.
! Where this master-mind halted all stood
| still The necessity for permanent Union
\ was apparent but each State must have
! mold upon the bOWsUtng which encir-
/ Cled Its throat II was admitted that union
! gave the machinery required 10 success
/ IulY hCht the common enemy, but vet
/ there was fear that iU might become g.
| trtdskcnStein and destroy its creators. Thus
/ patriotism and fear, difficulties Of
! communication between distant commu-
/ mites, and the intense growth OF provincial
/ pride and interests. led this Congress to
I frame the Articles or Confederation hap
! PLY termed the League OF Friendship The
| result was not a government, but a ghost
/ BY this scheme the American people were
/ ignored and the Declaration Of Independ-
j enCc reversed g
/ But, while the perils of war had given
| temporary strength TO the Confederation,
/ peace developed its fatal weakness
| states passed exclusive and hostile laws
| against each other, and not and diser-
/ der Threatened the GiSintegratiOn Of
/ society. Our stock is stolen our
| houses arr plundered, our farms are
/ raidcd, cried delegate in the Massachu-
! settS convention; "despotism is better than
/ anarchy To raise four millions of dollars
I a year was beyond the resources Of he
! Government. and three hundred thousand
! was the limit of tie loan il could secure
\ from the monev-lendeIs OF Eurspe- Even
/ Washington exclaimed in degpalr- Il see
1 one head gradually changing into thirteen
/ / see one army gradually branching into
] thirteen, Whicn. instead Of looking ND to
/ Congress as the sunrCIps controlling power
are considering themselves as DEPEND
ing ON their respective States And
later when Independence had been
won. the tmpCteucy Of the Gov
ernmenu wrnw from him the cNclama-
ton: After glciipuslv ANA successfully
conteudiug against tae uslupation of Great
Britain we may tail u prey 70 our OWE toliy
and disputes