The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-07-12
A Lesson of the Fourth.

Thy were brave men VINO OmlIteu
the Declaration of Independence
because every word in it constituted
treason against a great and powerful
monarchy. Wise men, too, were they,
in that they might interpret the ge-
MUS of the age and the spirit of the
coming generations. They dared an
ignominious death, and in the act set
the foundations of the republic so
firmly that the gates of hell have not
been able to prevail against it.
There was nothing new in the as
sumption that men were created
equal, but there was something sub
lime in the prophecy of equality be-
fore the law and in the. power of men
to govern themselves by statutes Of.
their own enactment. The ancient
republics made no such promises, and
the doctrine was new one to the
world. This immortal document was
bar to the forming of caste or the
recognition of privileged classes when
the time came for adopting a consti-
tuition. The declaration declares as
plainly as words may declare anything
that the republic then announced
should be government of the peo-
pie, for the people, by the people"
How much these fathers of the ma
ton foresaw might happen is not
known, They could not fail to know
that INSTRUCTED ambition and bound
ing passion are always sources of dan
ger; yet their faith in the strong
common sense of the people was su-
preme. Provision may have revealed
to some of them, at least, the dan
GERS that threatened from opposing
views and interests, yet calmly and
confidently they gave nation to the
world, giving no token of doubt or
fear as to the results.
The task of the critic is always an
easy one, because his determination OF
the merits thing of follows the act, SC
that he can judge by results. Besides
it is easy enough for anyone to fine
fault. The trainers of the declaration
were originators, designers and Great
ors. Had they blundered they would
but have evidenced their humanity
In that they made no mistake, as
time has shown, and have afforded
critics nothing about which to carp
they demonstrated the greatness Of
their spirits and all the merit great
full people has accorded them.
Such document conveys the same
lesson to each succeeding generation
It teaches the duty Of sacredly
guarding the liberties of all the PEG
pie, the avoidance of all measures
that may be proposed for the elevation
of one class beyond another, the crush
ing of sectional differences, and the
perpetuatiOn of the union as it was
handed down from the fathers The
glory Of the republic is, and should be
not only that it has survived dangers
from within, but also that it has en-
erged from each succeeding peri
greater and more glorious thar
$ before. The problem of self-govern.
ment becomes more difficult as the
number of people multiply, and safe
ty lies in holding loyalty to the
teachings Of the fathers, who learned
in most trying school of adversely
Experiments are by no means safe, es
pecially when time has demonstrated
the wisdom of what already is. Crate
full to the founders of American lib
} erty, each patriots heart, proud of the
achievements of the nation and the
right of citizenship, should seek t.
, conform itself to the spirit of the
declaration and to the constitution
OF whlch it was the precursor-Ex?