The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-05-30

of the most stolid. In the cabin of
the little Mayflower these men OF God
drew up compact, in which they de-
clared that this adventure undertaken
for the glory of God should be prose.
cuted in His spirit.
Little by little this principle won
it's way in this new land and finally
1 it was guaranteed and safeguarded
in the constitution of the United
States. The people of New England
do we'll to celebrate Founders Day.
2. In the development of our his
tory another idea unveils itself before
the people of America. The colonies
grew and fourished and were able to
stand alone. AS the years pass they
them which they are not we'll able to
bear in patience These men loved
the mother country with an intense
devotion, and all this in spite of the
mothers harshness and misjudg-
ments. Time passes ana the colonists
seem to draw in liberty with the very
air they breathe. Little by little the
home government alienates the peo-
pie, and little by little the people ap-
prceiate the meaning of liberty. The
question at Issue during the fateful
days before the Revolution was not
the amount of tax on paper and tea.
Our fathers were not SO penurious and
mercenary as that, the fact is, tea
was cheaper in Boston than in Lon
don. The question at issue, mark it
we'll, was not cheap tea but untaxed
tea. 1t was not the amount of tax
| but the principle involved that fred
the hearts of these colonists. They
were taxed without their consent;
they were governed by an outside
power; and they felt that dishonor
was done their manhood. Events
moved toward crisis and on April
10th. 1775, the shot was fired that was
heard around the world. A year and
more later brave and resolute men
met in Philadelphia and framed and
signed o document, to which they
pledged their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor. In this immortal
paper our fathers declare: "We hold
these truths to be self-evident; that
all men are created equal; that they
are endowed with certain unalienable
rights, that among these are life, lib
i erty and the pursuit of happiness;
that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned. To illustrate the spirit of
the men who signed this paper, one
story is sufficient. AS one man
Charles Carroll signed the paper
some one said: "There is another
Cherries Carroll in the colonies; in
case we fail the King will not know
which Charles Carroll to hang. At
once this man added his address-the
only address found in the declara
tion, of Carrollon. Today because of
the heroism, the sacrifice, the blood
of these men, a government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie is a reality in the earth. We do
we'll to celebrate Independence Day.
3. One other idea must be noted be-
fore the American Idea is fully COM
plete. "We hold these truths to be
self evident; that all men are created
| equal. Yet some of the men who
set their seal to this affirmation were
holding human beings in abject slav-
cry. This may be said, however, for
these men, that they generally dis
liked slavery and were gradually
freeing their slaves. About this time
great change came over the face
of the industrial world, and the
slaves labor gained q new value.
Throughout the land, both south and
north there were many consciences
that felt the sting of this evil, which
John Wesley pronounced the sum of
all villainies. The history of the lr-
repressible conflict is more or less
familiar to you all, and l shall not
review it now. In outward form
the issue appeared as the Union or
the State; a central federal govern
ment, or group of states with the
right of secession and independence.
The crisis came, the issue was joined
and the war began; the bloodiest,
most stubborn, most glorious war of
history. The five years of the Civil
War were dark and trying years, and
every lover of his kind till the last
syllable of recorded time will thank
God that Abraham Lincoln was at
the helm. There are men before me
tonight who were actors in that
bloody tragedy of OWL War; men
who in the hour of need left home
and loved ones and jeopardized their
lives in the high places of the field;
men who saw comrades fall buy their
sides, but who closed up their ranks
and marched forward. The brave man
never belittles his enemy; to belittle
the enemy is to mimify oneself We
are far enough away from that con-
fiict for the men in Blue to recognize
and honor the courage of the men
i'll Gray. None but Americans could
H. La