Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1901-07-04
Read the Declaration of Inde-
Dendence.

! lO-udy 10 IHV anniversary :"
American Independence. Mount
ain Home people will not celebrate
in a public and appropriate man
ner that will instiill into the minds
of the children the spirit of '76 and
the patriotism of our forefathers.
But those who remain at home can
in quiet way do much good for
their offspring by reading to them
to day the Declaration OF American
Independence and explaining to
them the cause of the PRONUNCIATION
of that great instrument and the
danger of departing from its patri,
otto teachings.
One hundred and twenty-five
years ago there gathered in Phila-
delphia a small band of men sert
there as the representatives of 10
American colonies To them had
been entrusted very grave and
important work The thirteen col
onies were weak in number of in
habitants, resources and military
strength-but strong within them
was love for liberty and the deter
mination to assert and defend their
rights How best to do it was the
question before this first American
congress Many appeals mad the
colonies made to the then reigning
king of England and many protests
had they sent against the injustice
done them. Their protests had been
scorned and their appeals disre
garded One of two things they
must now do-either surrender their
liberties and tamely submitto every
exaction, or in open rebellion
against their king assert their rights
and prepare to defend them. To
choose the latter was not only re-
bellion but treason against their
king, the penalty of which was
death. To take such step they
hesitated They were not towards.
but English parentage they loved
the mothe country and would fain
abide in loving and loyal union with
her. What should they do? was
the supreme question LOYAL to
liberty, they braved the kings an
ger and dared the armies he would
certainly send against them.
In defense of the step they took
they drew up and gave TO the world
the Declaration of Independence
That declaration, based upon the
inherent rights with which God has
endowed every one, appealed at
once to every mans sense Of Justice,
and when it was given to the world
shout of JOY went up throughout
the colonies and liberty lifted it's
ensign to the world. Mutual dam
ger and mutual interests united
them as one When the cause for
which they fought was gained then
arose the question of future union
and perpetulty. How shall the lib
critics we have now gained be main
tanned? Upon what basis shall our
union be built and what bond she'll |
we cement it? Guided by Infinite
Wisdom they were kept true to
their own Declaration of Independ-
enee and made personal rights and
liberty the basis of our national life.
The popping of fre-crackers, the
booming of canon, the flying of
flags, the blazing fireworks, the en-
thusiastic oratory, the merry max
ing on July 4th is not so much that
a nation was born on that day, as
in joy that the nation that was on
that dav born was begotten of hu-
man liberty and that its governing
principle is the maintaining of the
rights aud liberties of the people.
As said by the lamented Lincoln:
"A government of the people should
be by the people and for the people,"
Because this is the principle of our
government-the principle which
gave birth to our nation-we revere
the nations birthday, and it is I'M
necessary to say that we honor our
fathers for the work they did in the
early days of the republic.