The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-12-07

creator with certain inalenaoie
rights; that among these III hte'
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness;
that, to secure these rights, govern
ments are instituted among men, de-
irving their just powers from the con-
sent Of the governed"
Such is the language that was
penned by the immortal Jefferson as
a part Of the Declaration OF lnoe-
pendence Of these United States In
which we liye-an instrument signed
by patriots who in signing not only
invited confScation OF property but
death under the charge Of treason to
the British crown.
What inspiring motives moved
these lovers of their country. Prlva-
ton, war and death were preferable
to unjust government. A love OF
country as deep as the fathomleSS
ocean and as immovable as the Rock
of Gibraltar alone could have actuated
them. Theirs we're words written to
urge men on to a higher civilization
and grander systems Of government
during the centuries to cOme-words
so plethoric OF patriotic devotion to
the principles that all men are born
free and equal that perfOrce their mis-
sion, logically carried out, was to de-
velop the grandeSt republic the world
has ever known. The blOOdShed that
followed, the tear Of the wife dropped
on the departure Of country-loving
husband for the scenes Of conflict and
the SHOWS of Valley Forge, the cry OF
the child from hunger and the wasted
feature of the infant that nursed at
the breast of half starved yet patri-
otto mother, were mere incidents of
war. The hero wa the colOnist who
took up his flint and steel and went
forth to meet the hosts OF Britain and
contest their right to foothold on the
ground he called home. Death faced
him but he dared to do, because what
he did was the right. The great men
OF the colonies had signed their names
TO the instrument declaring for indie
pendence. All could not sign, but
they could fight, And, thank God,
through their patriotic struggle, the
roar OF the British lion was driven
from our land and our independence
recognized by the powers Of the world
But now comes the story from
Washington that the lettering OF
this grand and glorious instrument
, that spoke out 70 boldly for freedom
: from oppression of as noble a peopl,
as ever sought to govern themselves
is fading away. Though written oil
: parchment and carefully preserved
: as much so as possible-the inspiring
? words penned by Mr.. Jefferson hav
r SO far dimmed that only a small par
of the paper as a whole can now b
Z read.
p Is the hand Of God in this work
Can it be that since we have failed t
live up to the spirit Of the Declaration
of independence Providence has willie
to wipe it away from the face of tn
g parchment upon which it was orig
S nally written rather than have it liy
a and the memory Of the men VIII
e signed it insulted each successive da
e by governmental Entertainments upo
IS the sacred rights declared for therein
II by a political party that has tOsse
!. patriotism to the winds and turne
Ne its attention to oppression, loot?
were better for the signers of tn
much loved document that they die
nc in the enjoyment Of the fulfllment
their greatest hope-with the cOnso
n ing knowledge that their plea tn;
''all governments derive their ju
7, powers from the consent Of q
no governed" had been put into praci
od cable, tangible form and become
ne firmly planted that the people OF
90 nations must stand by and see it d
velop into the full fruition OF Z
greatest government meath the Su
las Could these men have lived until
on day they would have looked heavt
ward and cried out, "My country, c
vas my country" II it be that tn
lad know Of conditions that now ex
mes under the government they establi.
his ed, then must there be unrest
heaven as they look down and vi
d., the Entertainments Of organii
a. wealth through channels ofclass lie.
lation that serve to pauperize
masses of those men whom they
clared to have been born free
equal. So radical have been