The San Francisco call., 1896-07-04
INDEPENDENCE DAY.

One hundred and twenty years ago to-
| day thirteen of the American colonies an
nounced their separation from the king
dom of Great Britain by formal declara-
ton of independence. Then, as rapidly
| as possible, the machinery necessary to
| put the new Government in operation was
| constructed on lines of personal liberty
| and the sovereignty of the individual.
To-day We celebrate the anniversary of
that bold and daring deed, and it is not
only right that we should, but the people
of all nations could consistently join
! with US.
July 4, 1776, marked the beginning of a
new cycle in the political and social evolu-
ton of the race, nor have the people OF
any nation escared the beneficent infu-
ence of the music of liberty's bell, whose
echo still inspires men everywhere to
strive for truer and loftier planes OF exist
| ence. The American Declaration of Inde-
pendence is now recognized the world
over as the ethical basis OF true patriotism,
and as fast as the people OF other lands
| come TO comprehend and appreciate the
deep and broad meaning of "a Govern
ment of the people, by the people and for
the people" they grow restless for wider
range of personal freedom, which is in
turn reflected as O mighty influence upon
the powers that be, and thus does the
spirit which inspired the American Dec
laration of Independence move upon the
hearts of all people.
But some of us misapprehend the inner
meaning of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. 1t stands for the sovereignty of the
citizen and for personal liberty, but it no.
where stands for license unconstrained. 1t
stands for liberty under law, but not lib
erty without law, for that would be an
archy. Our Declaration of independence
is principle or theory, while our gov
eminent is policy practically applied in
harmony with that principle or theory.
In comforting sovereignty upon the indi-
vioual our system of government also en-
| courages education and individual wealth
| accumulation, but, on the other hand, it
requires more of the intelligent and the
| property-owner. 1t places greater opliga-
tions upon such, because the same quality
OF mind which enables one to acquire
knowledge from the deeper things OF wis
dom and to gather material things in
| quantities is required to formulate social
and political standards from time to time
that the onward and upward march of the
people as whole may not be hindered by
their clinging to those things which served
their purpose yesterday, but which would
be inadequate to the requirements OF to-
| day. "For unto whomsoever much is
given, of him shall be much required
As an annual jubilee, the Fourth OF
July should be hailed with rejoicing and
festivity by old and young alike, for it
| comes as benediction from the Over Soul
of hum anity. There cannot be too many
loud huzzas, nor can expression of graft
tude to the Giyer of every good and perfect
| gift be too demonstrative. There is an in
innate relation and a close bond of union
| between the effort of all in attempt to do
honor to the mightiness of the spirit of
the day we celebrate. The voice of liberty
| sounds as musical to the ear of Freedom
| in the outburst of the firecracker as in the
well-rounded and polished sentence of the
orator. Therefore let the frecracker be
unrestrained, and let "joy be unconfined"
everywhere. On this day Liberty stands
| for confusion, for excitement, for bun
| combe, for bombast, for Standardization,
for unreasonable boasting and for the
| boiling-over of patriotism, but in the
silence that reigns beneath it all the heart
singeth:
| do love
My country's good with respect more tender,
More holy and profound, than mine own life.