The Newtown bee., 1892-07-08

shamrock will perish, but the stars are eternal. That flag is the emblem of the land we love. It waved above the Continentals at Bunker Hill; twas car ried bravely up the heights of Quebec; it responded to the shouts of victory at Saratoga; and received the surrender of the flower of the British army at York town. It's fall at Fort Sumter reused the sleeping conscience of this North land; twas borne out by the regiments as they marched away; borne proudly on many a we'll fought field; upheld amid the iron hail that fell at Cold Har- bor, Antietam and Charlottesville, sanguined field of Gettysburg; and floats to-day above a restored Union, the emblem of this great republic, bound by the seas, walled by the free air, dom- ed by heavens blue and lit by the eter- nal stars.
 On this, our country's natal day, one scene, unmatched in the worlds great story of liberty, deserves to be painted anew. Go with me, then, through the old galleries of our country's glory and view this grand historic picture. We shall have nobler conception of our privileges as citizens, as we renew our devotion at this sacred shrine of her glorious past. 'Tis picture of peace full but earnest council. Here is the ven- erable state house at Philadelphia hal lowed by patriotic associations, embalm- ed in memories of colonial times, cher ished as revered relic of the war for In- dependence. Wonder in the steeple hangs "old liberty bell," whose "glory breathed tone" thrilled the hearts of the people on our country's natal day. We enter the sacred portals of the old hall. How grand, how solemn, how still! How deep the spell that binds us
 with it's mysterious power! Wonder is the chair in which Hancock sat. From a picture on one side, Penn, the peaceful 1 conqueror, looks benignly down. From l the other wall, Lafayette, the brilliant meteor that flashed across the sky in our country's darkest night, gazes pensively forth; here, from pedestal serene and thoughtful, the Father of his Country adds solemnity to the scene. There are grand thoughts and lasting lessons to be gathered in this sacred room. From life like picture and caryen statue, from vacant chair and dusty table, from fad ing banners that tell of heroic deeds, here in this silent chamber, where the eloquence of Lee and Henry and Adams once echoed, comes there not to us a voice, borne into our hearts from these sacred mementoes, among which we tread with reverent footstep? On this floor, century and more ago, was gath cred the most august and solemn con- clave ever assembled in national council. Upon their decision hung the fate of American dependence-aye, the hope of liberty loving humanity, the wide world over and for all coming time. Their action, measured by it's results, was the most momentous ever taken on earth. Within was the assembled wis dom of the struggling colonies; without an anxious throng, impatient at the long
 
 bell man; little flaxen haired boy sta tioned at the door below to give the sig nal AS hour succeeds hour, the gray beard shakes his head. ''They will nev- CT do it." Suddenly, a great shout bursts from the crowd below and there stands the blue eyed boy, clapping his hands and shouting, "Ring, Grandpa, Oh! Ring for Liberty" Grasping the iron tongue of the old bell, the proud sexton hurls it backward and forward a hundred times, it's loud voice ''proclaim- ing liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof"
 That was body of men the like of which the world had never seen. The godfathers of the republic convened to stand as sponsors at the baptism of in- fant American Liberty. What blood coursed in their veins Blood of heroes who stood in brilliant array on the field of Runnymede and wrested from King John the great charter of English liber- ties; blood of the Old Ironsides who fought and charged with Oliver Crom- well at Naseby and Dunbar and Marston Moor; blood of the Huguenots who fol- lowed the white plume of the brave Henry of Navarro and who, for their conscience, became people without a country; aye, and blood of the "beggars of the sea-" who, under the lead of Will liam of Orange, with heroic endurance, survived the cruelties of the Duke of AL va in the low countries and at last broke the galling yoke of the proud Philip of Spain. TEe descendants of this noble blood were worthy heirs of their heroic ancestors. The outcome of that assembled wisdom was the Declara- tion of Independence, that little scroll which, unrolled before the crowned heads of Europe, made royalty tremble and which was to be, for it's signers, a death warrant or diploma of immortal ity, as they pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.
 We'll, my friends, what has come of it? What does that flag mean to us? It means that the fathers builded better than they even knew. On that founda- tion, laid in faith and cemented in blood, has risen government with a constitu- tion broad enough to embrace conti- nent, elastic enough to fit all the condi- tions of race and tradition.
 The experiences of a hundred years have proven the worth of that constitu- tion. It's continuing influences upon the welfare of the human race are condens- sd in the eloquent tribute paid by Will liam k. Gladstone: 1.-The constitution of the United States is the most wonderful