Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-02-20

It's three points. 1t was an equilateral
triangle, the largest and most wonder
full in history Edmund Burke, Thomas
Paine, Thomas jefferson and others
were continually moving along some
one of the sides or were declaiming
wisdom at some one OF the points OF this
figure. The whole figure was full Of
one kind of contents the rights OF man.
Whatever may have been the pnpopu-
larity at last OF Thomas Paine because
of his opposition to Christianity, he was
popular and powerful among those who
were speaking and writing in the name
of the common people. Burke was
born In 1880. Washington in 1872, Paine
in 1877, Jefferson in l743, La Fayette
ten years or more later. Thus moved
forward remarkable group of men
welded to the founding of more
universal rights.
Washington was lying in wait to be-
come the military leader after the ora
tors had made out their case before the
public tribunal The first step toward
revolution is the finding and promulg-
ing of political truth. The mind
InuSb pefGClNo us DcAotO IL WILL
draw sword And then, drawing the
sword is perilous resort, because the
venerable institution of Kings is often
too great for young justice to overthrow.
Washington was destined to bring to his
task OF fighting for what the orators had
found temperament which made his
defeat almost impossible. He was the
embodiment of wisdom, of patience and
OF endurance--qu qualities which fitted him
to lead ragged troops against the sol
diers of King and to lead them for
seven long years.
He had been student Of freedom
long before he fought for 1t; but the
public writer's had marked out the les
son which the young Washington was to
study, and the philosophers had to tell
the soldier when the time had come for
drawing the sword. When Washington
was called to take charge Of the Colonial
troops independence was not the prize
to be won. Battles had been fought at
Lexington and Bunker Hill 10 defy Brit
ish taxation. 1t was hoped that the
King and his Parliament would repeal
the special legislation which transferred
the hard-earned money of America to
the banks of the old country. The
motive of Bunker Hin was to make En-
gland treat Boston as she treated Lon
don and Manchester. The dream of in
dependence had not yet been cherished
or at least announced. All these pa
triots wanted liberty, but only that
quantity of liberty which belonged to
the citizens of London. In 1774 George
Washington said: NO such thing as in
dependence is desired by any thinking
man in America" John Adams at the
same time wrote: THAT tn ere be any
who pant AFTER Independence is the
greatest SANDER" But in 1869 members
of the Parliament had declared that un-
less the King changed his method of
dealing with the colonies they would
revolt and be lost to the Crown. Colonel
Bazze said in the House of Commons:
II now warn Ministers that if they per-
sist in their wretched course Of oppres-
sion the whole continent of America
will rise in arms and these colonies will
be lost to England forever"
AS in the recent civil war, the end
was greater than Mr.. Lincoln expected,
and infinitely beyond what was dreamed
Of by Mr. Seward and other eminent
men, so in the year 1775 a political phil
| osophy was at work whose future was
hidden from all those who have since
become 50 immortal as founders of the