San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-04

and demonstrate in the face of the
great worlds growing exclusiveness.
Whatever may or may not be said as
to the basic idea of that great declara-
ton of right, out of which the growth
of this Republic has issued. the fact
of the Republic founded on that declar-
alton remains. There must have been
something substantial in the truth Of
that immortal utterance sown under
such discouraging circumstances, or it
would not have borne such fruit for
more than a hundred and twenty years.
The tree of life for the healing of the
political disabilities Of all peoples has
had wonderful growth in these west
ern lands, and today under every sun
Of every hemisphere and zone, the COM
memorative services of the day and
declarations that announced as a
principle, the equality of all humanity
by birth, are being held in some form
or other.
1t is well for us in our aristocracy Of
feeling and in our pride of position
and condition to remember that our po-
litical superstructure is built upon the
idea of human equality in its birth.
We look around us at the differing con-
ditions, the homes of the middle class
es, the palaces of our rich and the how
els Of our poor, we contrast the condi-
lions under which the children OF each
are brought forth and we shake our
heads at the equality declaration. None
the less it is blazed on the fore front
Of the gateway of our national life.
None the less was 1t the foundation
stone and the corner stone and the
topstone of our national revolt against
the old time expressions and the old
world inequalities. 1t is too true that
as the washed SOW returns to her wal
lowing in the mire," so have we return
ed to the old injustice.
But it is well to return at times to
the old beginnings, to sit down in the
presence of the old teachers and recall
the old instructions. This day is sa-
cred to the idea of human equality, in
the essential of all that is human in
it's quality. AS such let us reverently
accept it and its teachings. Let us not
be ashamed of the early teachings of
those who founded so great nation
on so simple a declaration. This great
Republic much resembles the stone Of
the prOpneIS NlSlOll, nSWn Oul VI INC
mountain without hands, but which
rolled on and filled the whole earth.
While we practically deny the inspira-
tional declaration of 1776, the nations
of the earth are grown more liberal on
account of it, and the common human
ity is meeting a clearer recognition on
account of the utterances of the Amer
lean Fathers 121 years ago.
Beloved! AS the Nations birth
comes in this blessed Sabbath day of
rest and peace, let us as we worship
in these temples made with hands, or
out yonder under the leafy arches, Ma
lures temples, remember what the
day we celebrate" really stands for
in the larger and broader freedom to
which our fathers consecrated the
Young Nation. Let us repeat rever-
emily in our minds and keep tenderly
in our thoughts the fellowship of the
nation to which these dedicatory words
committed the fathers and to which
we as their successors are ourselves
committed. AS in the language Of the
Immortal Declaration" all are Great
ed equal, let it be our labor to love to
see that the rights thus asserted are
clearly preserved to all time.