Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1889-03-06

none. mao quit tnelr MONIES IN the
grand old State of Pennsylvania.
The French Protestants had emf.
grated 10 the Carolinas, bringing
with them their refined manners
and thrifty habits.
These colonis,s living as they did,
isolated from any nation having
form of government, early adopted
democratic ideas and manifested a
spirit of independence. This, of
course, was very offensive TO the
English King. The children whiSh
were born to them inherited the
same spirit of independence. and
thus came about that terrible strug-
gle between the oppressed and the
oppressors, known rs the Amcri-
can Revolution. OF all the wars
undertaken to defend the principle
of self-government, that which re-
suited in the separation of our coun-
try from Great Britain is the most
notable. The English barons had
many years before obtained from
King John his unwilling consent to
the Magma Charta. Yet it was not
until the American Revolution that
the world behcld united people
taking up arms in defense Of liberty
and justice. The old pioneers who
had worked and suffered and found
life hard in those days " hen Amer.
lea began to be, had not long since
been gathered to their fathers: but
succeeding them came generations
of men and women renowned for
their heroic bravery and patriotism.
The cold mountain air, which they
breathed gave strength To their
muscle, and the beautiful scenes of
nature amid which they had roamed
in childhood, added fuel to the pa
triotic fire which burned in their
Utmost souls.
They were, on the whole, a pros
porous and happy people. They sat
IN the shade of their own fig tree
in summer and by their own bright
fires IN winter They were unit
ed people. They were at peace
among themselves; misery and
want were strangers to them; the
curse of drink had not crazed their
brain; political dissensions had not
corrupted them. They were NOR
al people. But the black clouds OF
war were gathering in the distance.
They soon spread from horizon to
zenith; then long shadows of dark
ness reached every home and
brought with them omens of long
era of oppression, suffering and i'm.
prIsonment. A more ruthless foe
than the swarthy savage of the forest
had come upon the American peo-
pie. King Georges men, with gay
regimentals and glittering bayonets,
had landed OH our shores for the
sole purpose Of reducing us to sla.
very.
They came TO conquer as did
julius Cesar. Many hundred wears
ago this brave Roman general land
ed upon the Briton coast to conquer
the Britons. And now we behold
the American patriots marching
forth to the field of battle to oppose
the Britains. What was it that i'm.
PEELED them forward? Patriotism.
Love of the homes which their
fathers had reared. And they went
forth like men. For eight long
years they endured the hard ships
of the march, the sufi'erings of the
prison and the trials of defeat The
first battle was defeat, but this
seems to have encouraged them.
Then came alternate victories and
defeats. These early days were the
darkest of the war, and the brightest
page among them is that which un
folded to mankind the immortal
Declaration of Independence. The
bold step served to increase the
cruelty Of the British invaders.
They burned crops, farmhouses.
barns and mills, murdered the la
borers in the field, prevented the
seed from being sown in the ground.
causing famine and starvation.
leaving death and desolation. There
were many patriots who from their
age and infirmity were unable 10 90
into the field; these were dragged
from their peaceful homes to the
prison 10 suffer and die. Defense
less women and children were driv-
en- from their homes at the midnight
hour, while bands of Tories and
and Indians ravaged and DESTROYED
all their earthly possessions.
The next scene in the drama is
that memorable winter at Valley
Forge. The American patriots
were camping out Of doors in mid
winter while their enemies were
living in comfort and luxury in the
city OF "Brotherly Love" The
sufierings of these heroic defenders
OF their country are indescribable.
They slept on the bare earth at
night with the knapsack for Pill.
low and the blue canopy of heaven
for covering. They had no food
and no clothing. The ground was
crimsoned with the blood that had
warmed the heart and animated the
bosom Of the patriot and the soldier.
There were no friends TO comfort
them; no mother TO console
them in the hour of death; no sister
TO wipe away deaths gathering
dew. When the shades of night
had fallen on the earth and all was
silent many were the Evce tL.4