The Penn's Grove record., 1891-07-17
THE DAY OF LIBERTY.


1--WE hold these truths 10 be self
evident" wrote Thomas Jefferson,
''That all men are created equal;
that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain ~unalienable rights: that
among these are life, liberty and the
pursuit OF happiness; that to secure
these rights governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of t g governed"
Now i, is q singular fact that at the
time the Declaration of Independence
was promulgated thee truths were by
no means ''self-evident, indeed a re It
MANY colonists, in common with no
royalis,s, held exactly the contrary
view. .
II is not difficult to trace the rise of
nations. First, the little colony, all of
one family, or nearly rela ed; then
the village. with an elective ch eff; then
q district, with an hereditary ruler,
and finally q nation, with q king, or
perhaps an autocrat.
There is not the slightest doubt that
in the beginning all men Were equal
and that governments did derive their
powers from the consent of the people
governed. but when Thomas Jefferson
wrote these truths had, long since been
forgotten.
From fear, Ignorance or motives Of
sc ~f-interest, it was held by the vast
majority Of mankind that the king was
the source of all power; that liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, even life
itseli, was q GIFT from the king; and
that all men we're created in classes, ar
ranged like a pyramid, with the king
on top, and every class having the
right to oppress all others below 1t.
Not only did the ruling classes, as
they we're called, believe in these ideas,
but the peasants, the lowest class of all,
dutifully accepted such teaching, and
submitted to tate with only slight muir
muring.
1t was this state of affairs that the
Revolutionary leaders we're confronted
with. At different pericd DIS in the
worlds history, the people had risen
and deposed or killed their ru ers, and
there had been republics formed, but
the people had never before dared to
assert or strive to maintain that they
were the source of power, and the De-
claratioD of Independence was unique.
At the present day the condition of
affairs has teen almost completely re-
versed. With the exception of Orien-
Ia countries, or those still sunk in ar
b~arisn, the majority of mankind vigor-
ously deny the divine right of kings.
Even in RIss a, where the Gar rules
with autocratic power, the people are
not deceived; they submit, s IMPLY be-
canse the times are not yet ripe for re-
volt.
with this single exception, all civil
ized people have now established their
them; and, except The Gar, all rulers
have admitted that they derive their
just powers from the consent of tn
governed.
Better than a !, we have to chronicle
the wonderful growth of true republics
aud the consequent wn all of mon
arches.
For years, the little republic of
Switzerland stood alone In Europe; but
now that il has been joined by France,
there is every reason to believe that
other nations will follow their example.
Spain aud Portugal Lave a strohg re-
publican party, while Italy, Greece
and s rvla are very FESTIVE under
monarchial rule.
America is now a continent Of repub-
lies. Some European nations have de-
Tendencies on this side of the Atlantic,
Int the people are dependent only i
name.
Inc British possess ons in Nor
Am, RIGA are virtually inde pendent, and
Can lie actually so at any time withon
provoking any warlike measures on the
lari of the parent government. Nova
days, revolutions are mainly peaceful,
as witness the recent deposition OF the
Emperor of Brazil.
Africa has three republics in Libeiar,
Transvaal and the Orange Free State,
while Asia, alone of the continents,
possesses no republic within its limits.
Australia, which is a continent in
itself, is practically a republic, holding
only nominal allegiance to Grea
Britain, amt recently the question o
IN Australian confederation has been
freely discussed.
thus the day of liberty may be said
TO have fairly dawned. Americas In
dependence Day was the first pleam OF
light that has lever been extiuguished,
and it is not too much to anticipate
that when our country closes its seconl
century of existence there will not be
an hereditary mouach, much less an
absolute ruler. on the lace of the earth.
Golden DaVs.