Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-07-06

kind. We can look back and see the
wise heads of Franklin, Jefferson Mad
ison, Hamilton and Pinckney around
the council board. Amid the smoke
of battle we can see great figures that
tower above their fellows. The calm
brow and the chiselled lips of Wash
ington, the ringing voices of Marion
and Sumter, the flashing eyes of the
fiery Morgan, as he turned at Cowpens,
like an angry tiger, brought to bay.
But, after all, these are but surface
indications. The soul of the reyolu-
ton lies deeper. Some one has said
that far back in the dim night of time,
some slave raised his weary head, and
looking at the blue dome of the clear
sky, caught sudden inspiration from
Gods free sunlight, free air, and the
glad song of Gods free birds, that he
also of right was free. That vision
of liberty which flashed in upon the
soul of that unknown bondsman has
been an undying revelation for all
climes and every succeeding age.
With it came liberty, and with liberty
came democracy, lighted in a never
dying flame by Gods eternal truth.
1t has it's foundation not in reason.
The birds of the air and the beasts of
the forest will often, without apparent
cause, cross rivers, mountains and
plains until they find the region best
suited to their nature and develop
ment. So does mankind, in obedience
to some subtle instinct, yearn after
and seek that liberty which means
democracy embodied in a theory OF
government. When oppression and
wrong have damned the tide back
until the pressure breaks down all
opposition, the waters rush forth and
sweep everything in their paths. This
history calls revolution. We can
chronicle the great events, but we
seem forever to fail in catching the
divine inspiration which, some day, in
obedience to higher power, will free
each individual from the tyranny of
his fellowman.
Well for the nation which seizes the
true spirit of revolution. 1t comes to
nation once in awhile, and then ii
escapes us like a ghost, that with
noiseless feet and fingers on lips, passes
on into the realm of mist and silence.
Standing here today, we should catch
new inspiration and fresh vigor from
the story of Revolutionary days.
1t is eminently proper that once a
year we should meet and recount, not
only the deeds of valor and heroic
suffering by which our forefathers gain,
ed liberty but that we should recall
the principles for which they fought,
in order that we may not be lulled
to sleep by fancied security, and awake
to find that our limbs have seen fet-
tered and our freedom lost. Better
that our wrists and ankles be bound
with chains and irons, and our souls
and hearts be free, than that our wrists
and ankles be free and our hearts and
souls be bound in chains of gold. Bet
ter that we be feeble than that we use
our strength to oppress our weaker
brothers better to be poor than that
we use our wealth to degrade human
ity; better to be ignorant than use
our learning to the disadvantage OF
our fellows.
In our govern 'nent there should be
be no masses, no classes. Each voter
is supposed to be sovereign, and hr
owes it to himself and to his country
that he rule wisely and well. External
vigilance is the price of liberty" and
in this connection no wiser words
could be had than the prophetic Ian
guage of the Father of our country in
his farewell address.
There is no spot within the fair do
main of Colum bias land, where the
kessons of the early days of our repub
Tic can better be learned than where
we are gathered today. Every school
boy knows the story of the sever
years during which we strove for in
dependence. We all know the glo
ries of Bunker Hill, Bennington and
Ticonderoga. We know how the fires
of patriotism burned brightly, and how
our inspired leader-George Wash
ington-was worshipped by the peo
Pile. We have all read of the manifi