The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-07-03

The fathers of this republic built
wiser than they knew when they con
strueted the Declaration Of Indepen-
denee. They represented Is small col
Onies. having scarcely 5000, COG of PEG
PIE, and merely banded together for
mutual defense against a common foe,
one Of the most powerful nations of
the earth. The colonies had no navy.
no treasury and but a small, ill-paid
and inexperienced army. They had not
been accorded belligerent rights by any
country, and the men who signed the
Declaration were guilty Of treason, ac-
cording to English law, and might have
been hung for their offense. These de-
voted patriots fully realized this fact,
yet not one voice trembled when the
Declaration came up for adoption On
that memorable Fourth of July, 17l0,
not one hesitated when the immortal
document was placed before them for
their signature.
1t was q declaration TO the world
that new star was to be added to the
galaxy Of nations. It's breathings went
! out all over the land, inspiring the peo-
pie with new hope and courage, plainly
showing that the day of compromise
had forever passed. They, the signers
of the Declaration, knew they were
opening the way for a new nation, born
III liberty, but they could not possibly
have fOreseen the growth in area, pop
ulation, wealth, power and influence of
the young republic-the problem of
government Of the people, for the peu-
pie, and by the people" had been prac-
tically unsolyed. They had to build
along new lines and to explore new
fields. But if they could not previse
the coming glories of the republic their
wisdom, judgment and disinterested
patriotism combined to set the founda-
tons so well that they have admirably
met all the varying conditions, and bid
fair to be as enduring as the evcrIast-
ing hills.
What man could have dreamed 100
years ago that the little struggling col
onies, whose nationality was Just
pledged in the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, would develop into a matchless
republic Of 7O,OOO,O 600 of people, leading
all other countries in wealth, in re-
sources and in general prosperity? Or
could he have possibly foreseen this
same republic throwing the aegis of
its protection about the smaller repub-
lies of this hemisphere and boldly say
ing to the powers Of Europe that this
government viii not permit any further
Entertainments upon the domain of the
two Americas?
That which is of the republic and
what it may be are due to the wisdom
and courage Of the fathers in absolving
themselves from any allegiance to the
British crown and in promulgating to
the world the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. This is why Americans regard
the Fourth of July with such fervid ven
Grafton. The day and the deed are as
precious to them as was the palladium
of the ancient Trojan, the shelinah to
the Jew, or the holy fire to the vestal
virgins of old Rome, They realize that
with the passage of time there would
seem to be no limitations to the growth
and development of the country, and,
proud of what has been achieved al
ready, they gratefully and reverently
recall the heroism and rare intelligence
of the fathers of the republic, who
builded so wisely and so well. AS the
document is immortal, so are the names
appended to it destined to live IN
cherished recollections so long as the
United States has a place in history and
her people love liberty and the just ex-
ecution of equabie laws.
WILLIAM ROssER COBBE.
ouFnIFFJn OAR