The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-06-08

with us in Decoration Day cere
monies, from conscientious scruples
concerning war. They say by these
ceremonies we keep alive the war
spirit. That is all right. lIrespect
the conscientious scruples ofall men
and women; false would | be to my
Quaker birth and education if |
did not. And I will say here with
out vanity and without egotism,
that [ am more proud of my descent
from one of the founders of Quak
erism than if | could trace my
lineage back in a direct line to the
Norman kings, for they composed
the very flower of the England of
that day, who boldly called in
question the Divine right of kings
and priests to rule over the hearts
and consciences of the people.
Even this question was left to each
man to settle with his own con-
science. "Wear thy sword Will
liam, as long as thou can'st," Geo.
Fox said to William Penn on the
occasion of their first meeting. For
William Penn when he was con-
verted, under the preaching of
Thomas Lowe, was a gallant and
dashing young officer in his
majesty's troops, and carried a
sword with a jeweled hilt, the gift
of his father Sir Admiral Penn,
whom himself had been a brave
and honored officer in the English
navy, and the dream of his heart
was that his only son should achieve
military distinction. But soon after
his meeting with George Fox Will
liam Penn laid down the sword
forever and became the great
Apostle of Peace, whose pure and
lofty character compels the admi-
ration of all men, and the founder
of a great Commonwealth whose
peace record was unbroken for near
half century, although surround
ed by savage and warlike foe.
"All men are born free and equal"
this was the keynote of the Decla-
ration of Independence. 1t was not
true not even in a degree in that
era of worlds history. But the
colonists fought seven long years to
make it so, and then only partially
succeeded. But the declaration
which proclaimed this assertion,
the equal birth of all men, sepa-
rated them from the old monarchial
world forever, and united and in
spired them to make true this pro-
phetic declaration. Then, and not
till then, was born the flag of our
Union, designed and made by a
woman's hand, in the city of Phila-
delphia, and presented by a dele
cation of women to Captain Paul
Jones, whose hand first nailed it to
the masthead of an American war
ship.
Even Washington said, after the
Declaration had gone forth to the
people, arousing as it did their
courage and enthusiasm for the
prosecution of the war: "When /
first took command of the army |
abhorred the idea of Independence;
I am now fully convinced that
nothing else will save u.s." The
colonists were by no means a unit
for Independence even after the 4th
of July 1916, but the bold and in
trepid leaders in the Continental
Congress, Adams, Franklin, Jeffer-
son, inspired with tongue and pen
the soldiers in the field, and at
the end of seven years of unremit-
ting battle and siege Great Britain
relinquished her colonies, and the
United States prepared to take her
place among the Nations of the
earth. In the first great celebration
in honor of the adoption of the
Constitution in 1897 in the City of
Penn, it was sought to set forth the
future policy of the New Republic.
1t was not a military pageant, like
those which had hitherto charac-
terized the triumph of arms in the
Old World. The Constitution was
represented by a lofty car, in the
shape of an eagle, drawn by six
snow white horses. In this car
were seated the Judges of the
Supreme Court, bearing the Con
stitution framed and fixed upon a
staff which was crowned with tha