The Russellville Democrat., 1889-05-02

"%&*1&jS WIZ"
non. CHAUECEY NJ. DEPEw.
,G,a Of the distractions OF philosophy The
/ tin g, the country, the herediiy and envir-
/ onu.en6 Of the people, the folly of its enc
| mics, aud 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
HenceI0rth il had a refuge and recruiting
! station The oppressed found free homes In
/ this favored land, a. ? invisible armies
marched from il by mail and telegraph by
/ speech and song, by precept and example,
| to reEanerate the world.
! Puritans in New England, Duachincn in
I New York, Catholics in Marvlal d. Hugue-
! persecution and were welded 10 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
I human rights The principles of constitu-
tional government had been impressed
4 upon tlrem by hundreds f years OF strug-
gle, and for each principle they could point
to the grave Of an ancestor whose
death attested the feIocity 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-
croachmenus upOu their rights, but IL re-
qutTed the lesson OF Indian massacres, the
invasion OF the armies France from
Canada the tyranny OF the British Crown
the sey a. years war of the Revolution and
the Ave years of chaos of tho Confederation
TO evolve the idea, upon which rest the
power and parmanoncy OF the Republic,
that liberty and union are one and INSOFAR
able. =
/ These men were not revolutonists they
were the heirs and the guardians of the
priceless treasures of mankind. The Brit
ish King and his Ministers we're the revolu-
tOnists. They were reactiOnaries, 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 n common standard, and con
soidated the Continental Army, gradually
lifted the soul and understanding OF this inn
mortal Congress to the sublime declaration;
We, therefore, the representatives of the
United States of America, in general Con-
gress assembled appealing to the Supreme
Judge of the world for the rectItude OF our
intentions do, in the name and by the au-
thortty ~ the good eODe OF these colonies,
solemniy publish and declare that these
united colonies are, and OF right ought to
be, free and tudCpcHdJu $ at s."
TO this declaration John Hancock, pro-
scribed and threatened with death affixed
q signature NlllCE mas sboOQ Tor a century
like the pointers to the North Star in the
armament OF freedom, and Charles Carroll,
tainted TINT among many CAROLS he, the
richest man in America, might escape,
added description and Identification with
"ot Curo.ltOn, benjamin Harrison, q dele
gate from Virginia, the ancestor of the dis
tinguished statesman and soldier who to-
day SO wOrthily Ill the chair OF Washing
ton, voiced the unaIteTable determina-
ton and defiance OF the Congress
He seized John Hancock upon whose
head price was set in mis- arms,
and placing him in the Presidential
chair, said: I'VE VIII show Mother Britain
how little we care for her by making our
President n massachusetts man, whom she
has excluded from pardon by public proc
lamation;" and when they We're signing the
Declaration and the slender Elbrdge Ger
rY uttered the grim. pleasantly We must
hang together or surely we viii hang sep
arately,n the portly Harrison responded
with the more daring humor, 1T will be all
oyer with me in moment but you will be
kicking in the air haif an hour after | am
gone" Thus flashed Gthwurt the great
charter, which was to be for its signers a
death warrant or diploma of immortality,
as with firm hand, high purpose and un-
daunted resolution they subscribed their
names, thi inockery OK fear and the penal
ties OF treason. 9
More clearly than any statesman of the
period did Thomas Jefferson grasp and di
vine the possibilities OF popular govern
mcnt He caught and crystallized the spirit
OF free institutions His philosophical mind
was bIngulafly Tree from the power OF
precodcnts or the chains OF prejudice. lie
had an uuquestlouiag and abiding faith in
the people, which was accepted by but few
OF his COmpatiiots Upon his famous
axiom. OF the equality OF all men before
the law, he constructed his system. IL was
the trip-hammer essential for the emer-
gency % break the links binding the colo
mics Tn imperial authority, and 10 pulYCrize
the privileges OF caste. 10 inspired him 10
write the Dec aratiOu of Independence. and
persuaded him 10 doubt the wisdom OF the
powers concentrated in the constitution. In
his passionate love oil liberty he became in
tenssly Jealous of authority. He destroyed
the substance OF royal prerOgatiye hut never
emerged from IL shadow, he would have
the States as the guardians OF popular
rights and the barriers against cen
tralHatiou, and lac saw in the grow
icg power of thc Nation ever-iucreasing
CuerOaChm suts upon the rights OF the peO-
pie. Iol t-g success or the pure Democracy
which must preccdc Presidents aud Cab
inets and Congresses 10 wa, perhaps prOyi-
dental that it's apostle never believed "a
great people could grant ana stlll retain,
could give and at viii reclaim could dele
gate and yet firmly hold the authority
which ultimately created the power OF their
Republic and enlarged the scope OF their
own liberty
Where this maEter-iund halted all stood
stiil The necessity Tor permanent Union
was apparent. bu- each STATE must have
hold upon the hoWsJriug which encr-
cled is throat II was admitted that union
gave the machinery required 10 success
fully hght the common cu my bat vet
there was fear that it might become q
FrGhkCnstGsu and deNt!Oy It's creators. Thus
patriotism and fear, difficulties OF
communication between distant commu-
o. 4l
pride and iuterc o.. led this onpross 70
lrHme the Articles OF Confederation, hap
ply termed the League OF Friendship. The
result was MOB government but gnO@t
By this scheme the American people were
ignored and the Declaration JI lndcpend-
CnCe rovcraed
But while the peHie Of war had given
temporary strength to the Confederation
peace Developed lls fatal weak 1eSs
States passed exclusive and hostile laws
against each o-Iar, and riot and discr
der Threatened tho dl>intrCratiun OF
society. Cur stock IS stolen, our
houses are piuadarcd, our farms are
raidcd ' cried delegate in the Massachu-
sCtts convention, dct1 otsu is better than
anarchy" To raise topr millions Of ollars
a wear was beyCud the resources OF ne
Government ald three bundled thousand
was the lini' OF TIE loan IL could secure
from the money lenders OF EJrTc. IYen
Washington exclaimed Ia despair ! h9e
one head grad iG'Y changing into thirteen;
J sea ono ARMY gradually branching into
thirtceh, which inSEouJ OF looking up to
Congress f- tGo surreuy controlling power,
are considering ricsueelves as depend
ing on thcir respective states Ana
later Nh.D ind rpeud'ncs had been
won, the tWp,tgley OF the Gov
eminent Wrmg rom hiu the cNclaua-
ton, After e.i uuu~y and successfully
cuutendlaE against the UsuIlutlun OF Great
Britain Wc ina' faI' prey to QUA own tpiiy
and disputes