Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-01

vasion of the armies of France from Canada, /
the tyranny Of the British Crown, the seven
years war of the Revolution, and the hve years |
of chaos OF the Confederation to evolve the |
idea, upon which rest the power and perma' |
nency of the Republic, that liberty aud union
are one and insepArable.
The traditions and experience of the Colon |
lists hsd made them alert to discover and quick
to resist any peril to their liberties. Above all
things, they feared and distrusted power. The
town meeting and the Colonial Legislature gave
them confidence in themselves, and courage TO
hopes and aift ctions were in their several Com
monwealihs, and each blow by the Btitisb
Ministry at their fire. dom, each stack upon
their rights as Establishment, weakened their
love for the Mother'land and Intensified their
hostility to the Crown But the same causes
which broke down their allegiance 70 the Cen
trail Government increased their confidence IN
their respective colonies, and their faith
in liberty was largely dependent upon
the maintenance OF the sovereignty IN
their several states. The farmers shots NJ
Lexington echoed round the world the spirit
which was awake ned Fl IN iii g um bers could dc
aud dare and die, but it had not yet discovered
free institutions. Patrick Henry Numbered in
the Virginia Convention. James Otis spoke
with trumpet tongue and fervid elcquence for
united action i'll Massachusetts, Hamilton. Jay
and Clinton pledged New York to respond with
men and money fer the common cause, but
their vision only saw league of Independent
colonies, The vail was not yet drawn from
before the vista, of population and power, of
empire and liberty, which would open with
Natit IL Union.
The Continental Congress partielly grasped
but completely expressed, the central idea OF
the American Republic. More fully than any
other body which ever assembled did 1t repre-
sent the victories won from arbitrary power
for human rights. In the New Wo1ld 1t was
the conservator of liberties secured through
centuries of struggle i'll the Old. Among the
delegates were the descendants Of the men who
had stood in that brilliant array upon the field
Of Runnym eade, which wrested from King
John, Magma Charta, that great charter OF lib
erty TO which Hallam i'll the Nineteenth Cen
fury bears witness that all which had been
since obtained is little moe than as connrme-
| ton or commentary" There were the grand
children of the statesmen who had summoned
Charles before Parliament and compelled his
assent to the Petition of Rights which transfer
| red power from tie Crown to the Commons, and
gave representative government to the Eng
disappearing race. And there were those who
had sprung from the iron soldiers who had
| fought and charged with Cromwell ct MAJ eby
and Dunbar aud Matston Moor. AMI ng l's
members were Huguenots. whose fathers had
| followed the White Plume of Henry ofNavarre,
| and in an age OF bigotry, intolerance and the
deifcatton of absoutism, had secured the
great edict of religious liberty from French
despotisnt; and who mad become people with
| out a country, rather than surrender their con-
| vietions aud forswear their consciences. In
| this Congress were those whose ancestors were
| the countrymen CT William of Orange, the Beg
| CARS OF the Sea who had survived the cruelties
of Alva, and broken the yoke of Proud Phll1p
| of spain, and who had two centuries before
| made a I'eclaration of Independence, and
! Turned federal union which were models of
| freedom and strength.
| the heirs and the guardians OF the priceless
| treasures of mankind. The British King and
| his Minifters were revolutionists. They were
Tedcti on Arief, sc6kirg arbitrarily TO turn back
| the han Is upon tue DIAL Of time. year OF
| doubt Gnd debate, the baptism OF blood upon
| battle-Ields, where soldiers from every colony
| fought, under common standard and consOl1-
| dated the Continental army, gradually lifted
| the soul and understanding OF This immortal
| Congress to the sublime decla1 alton: I'VE,
| therefore, the representatives OF the United
| States of America, in general Congress assem-
| bied Appealing TO the Supreme Judge o. the
| world for the rectitude OF our intentions. do,
| iu the name and by the authority OF the good
people OF these colonies, so,emnly publish and
| declare that these United Colonies are, and of
tight ought to be, free and independent States"
Il To this declaration John hancock, prosecuted
anc threatened with death, affixed Il SIGNATURE
| which has stood for century ike the pointers
| 10 the North Star in the tirn,ament OF freedom,
| and Charles Carroll, taunted that among many
CAROLS, b e, the richest man in America. might
| escape added description ana identification
| with OF Carrollton." Ben amin Harrison, a
deli gate from Virginia, the ancestor of the dis
| tiDguished statesman an0 soldier who to-day so
| Wortnily fills the chair of Washington, voiced
| tne unslterable determination and defiance OF
the Congress. He seized John Hancock, upon
whose head O price was set, in his arms
| aud placing him in the PresideL tia!
Chair, said: 1--WE will show Mother Britain
how little we care for her by making our Presi.
| dent a Massachusetts man, whom she has eX-
| cluded from pardon by public proclamation;
| and when they were signing the Declaration,
and the slender Eibridge Gerry uttered the
| grim pleasantly, I'VE must hang together or
surely we will hang separately" the porty
Harrison responded with the more daring
humor 1T will be all over. with me in a
| moment, but you will be kicking in the air
| half an hour after l am gone" Thus flashed
athwart the great ChsIter, which was to be for
| its signers death warrant or diploma of i'm
| mortality, as with firm hand, high purpose and
| undaunted resolution they subscribed their
names, this mockery OF fear and the penalties
| of treason.
| Independence was the sovereignty OF the peo
pie 1t relied for original power. not upon
states or colonies. or their citizens as such, but
recognized as the authority for nationality the
revolutionary rights OF the pc ople of the United
| states. 1t state with marvellous clearness the
| entertainments upon liberties which threatened
| their suppression and justified revolt but ii
was inspired by the very genius OF freedom,
\ and the prophetic possibilities of united com
1 monweulths covering the continent in one har-
! moniGus Republic, when it made the people Of
| the thirteen Colonies all Americans aud de-
| volved upon them to administer by themselves
and for themselves, rhe prerogatives and pow
| condensed magma Charta, the Petition OF
Rights. the greet body of English liberties en-
| bodied in the common Nv and accumulated in
the decisiL ms of the courts. the Statutes OF the
realm, and an unoisputed though unwritten
| Constitution; but this original principle and
| dynamic force of the peoples power sprang
t ON these OLD seeds planted In the virgin soil
| of the New World.
More clearly than any statesman of the
period did Thomas jefferson grasp and divine
! the possibilities of popular government. He
caught and crystalized the spirit of free insti-
| buttons. His philosophical mind was sineu-
larly free from the power of precedenis or the
chains of prejudice. He had an uuquestion-
| ing 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 essentisl for the emeI-
| gency to break the links binding the colonies
| to imperial authority, and to pulverize the
| privileges of caste. 1t inspired him to write
| the Declaration of Independence, and
persuaded him to doubt the wisdom of
| the powers concentrated in the Constitu-
| ton In his passionate love of liberty
| he became intensely jealous of authority. He
| destroyed the substance of royal prerogative,
! but never emerged from its shadow. He would
have the states MS the guardians of popular
| rights. and the barriers against central cation
| and ne saw in the growing power of the nation
| ever-increasing eneroachments upon the rights
| of the people For the success of the pure
democracy which must pIecede Presidents and
| Cabinets and Congresses, 1t was perhaps proyi-
| Dental that its apostle never believed great
| people could grant and still re ain, could give
and at will reclaim, could delegate and vet
| ated the power OF their Republic and enlarged
| the scope Of their own liberty.
| Where this master-mind halted, all stood
still. The necessity for perman ent Union
| was apparent, but each State must have hold
1 upon the bowstIing which encircled its throat
| II was admitted that Union gave the machinery
req uired to successfully fight the com o. on
| enemy, but yet there was fear that 1t might be-
Thus patriotism and fear, difficulties OF
| communication between distant communi-
/ ties, and the intense growth of provincial
pride and interests, led this. Congrese to frame