The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-05-02

selves, and courage to check the royal
governors. Their interests, hopes and
affections were in their several COM
and each blow by the
British ministry at their freedom, each
attack upon their rights as English
men, weakened their love for the
and intensified their hos
tility to the crown. But the same
causes which broke down their conf
dence in their respective colonies, and
their faith in liberty was largely de-
pendent upon the maintenance OF the
of their several states. The
farmers shot at Lexington echoed
round the world, the spirit which it
awakened from It's slumbers could do
and dare and die, but it had not yet dis
covered the secret of the permanence
and progress of free institution. Pat
nc Henry Numbered in the Virginia
convention, James Otis spoke with
trumpet tongue and fervid eloquence
for united action in Massachusetts,,
Hamilton, Jay and Clinton pledged
New York to respond with men and
money for the common cause, but their
vision only saw league of independ-
ent colonies. The vail was not yet
drawn from before the vista, of popu-
lation and power, of empire and liber-
ty, which would opep with national
union.
The continental congress partially
grasped. but completely expressed, the
central idea of the American republic,
More fully than any other body which
ever assembled did it represent the
victories won from arbitrary power for
human rights. In the New World it
was the conserVator of liberties
secured through centuries of struggle
in the Old. Among the delegates were
descendants of the men who had stood
in that brilliant array upon the field of
RunnYmede, which wrested from King
John, Magma Charta. that great charter
of liberty, to which Hallam in the 10Th
century bears witness ''that ali which
as confirmation or commentary. "There
were the grandchildren of the states
men who had summoned Charles before
parliament and compelled his assent to
the petition of rights, which transferred
power from the crown to the commons,
and gave representative government to
the English speaking race. And there
were those who had sprung from the
iron soldiers who had charged with
Cromwell at Naseby and Dunbar and
Marston Moor. Among its members
were Huguenots. whose fathers had
followed the white plume of Henry of
Navarro. and in an age of bigotrY, in
tolerance and the dedication of absolu-
tism, had secured the great edict of
religious liberty from French despot-
ism: and who had become a people
without a country, rather than surTen-
der their convictions and forswear their
consciences, In this congress were they
whose ancestors were the contrymen of
William of Orange, the Beggars of the
Sea. who had survived the cruelties of
Alva. and broken the yoke of proud
Phillip of Spain, and who had two
centuries before made declaration OF
independence, and formed federal
union which were models of freedom
and strength.
These men were not revolutionistS.
they were the heirs and the guardians
of the priceless treasures of mankind
The British king and its ministers were
the revolutionists. They were the
reactionaries. seeking arbitrarily tC
turn back the hands upon the dial OF
time A wear of doubt and debate, the
| baptism of blood upon battle fields
where soldiers from every colony
| fought. under common standard
and consolidated the continental army
| gradually lifted the soul and under
| standing of this immortal congress tt
the sublime declarations: I'VE. there
| fore, the representatives of the United
| States of America, in general congress:
| assembled, appealing to the SUPREME
Judge of the world for the rectitIde o.
| our Intentions, do. in the name and BY
the authority of the good people O
these colonies, solemnly publish ant
declare that these United Colonies are
and of right ought to be, free indie
pendent states"
To this declaration John Hancock
nroscribed and threatened with death
affixed signature which had stood TO
n century like the pointers to the Nortl
Star in the armament of freedom, ant
Charles Carroll, tainted that amoni
many CAROLS, he, the richest man il
America, might escape, added descrlp
tion and Identification with"ot Carroll
tom Benjamin Harrison, a delegat
from Virginia, the ancestor of the dis
tinpl.ished statesman and soldier wn
to-day so worthily fills the chair o
Washington, voiced the unalterabl
determination and defiance of tn
congress. He seized John Hancock
upon whose head price was set. il
his arms, and placing him in the pres
idential chair, said: 1--WE Will shoV
Mother Britain how little we care TO
her by making our president Massa
ehusetts man, whom she mas exclude
from pardon by public proclamation
the declaration, and the sleno
er Elbridge Gerry uttered tn
grim pleasantly, 1--WE must han
together or surely we will hang sepal
ately.'' the portly Harrison responde
with the more daring humOr, 1t wi
be all over with me in moment. bu
YOU will be kicking in the air half
hour after 1 am gone" Thus flashe
athwart the great charter, which wa
| - e, 70 oirr 6nofh ant 4
a diploma of Immortality, as with fri
hand. high purpose and undaunte
resolution, they subscribed their names
this mockery of fear and the penaltit
of treason.
The grand central idea of the dec
laration of independence was the so
ereignty of the people. 1t relied fl
original power, not upon states,
colonies, or their citizens as such, bI
recognized as the authority for nation
atty the revolutionary rights OF II
people of the United States. 1t state
with marvellous clearness the enrSacl
ments upon liberties which theatene
: their suppression and justified reyol
but it was inspired by the very GENT
of freedom. and the prophetic possibi
ilities of united commemorative cove
} ing the continent in one harmonioI
: republic. when it made the people {
: the thirteen colonies all American
3 and devolvedupon them to administ'
9 by themselves, and for themselves, Il
' prerogatives and powers wrested fro
: crown and parliament. 1t cOndenst
: Magma Charter, petition of rights, Il
: great body of English liberties embo
= led in the common law and accuml
e lated in the decision of the courts, Il
: statutes of the realm, and an undi
il puted though unwritten constitution
y but this original principle and dynam
. force of the peoples power spraI
from these old seeds planted in Il
= virgin soil of the New World.
: More clearly than any statesman
d the period, did Thomas Jefferson gra
e and divine the possibilities of popul
d government. He caught and cryst;
b lied the spirit of free institutions. II
d philosophical mind was singularly fl
8 from the power of presidents or {
n chains of prejudice: He had an Il
q questioning and abiding faith IN Il
n people. which was accepted by but fl