The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1902-07-18
Hon. Monroe M~Clurg's Speech
at SartOr'S Mill July 4th.
Ny FELLOW CITIZENS

Ny FELLOW CITIZENS:
am glad TO join you on this hallowed day in
reminding the neglected fires OF pure
patriotism upon the affairs of our common coun-
try. am happy to meet and minsle with you
who have steadfastly kept the faith Of the
Fathers devouuiy thank kind providence
for being permitted To set foot upon the SPOT
which you have cot.secratrd To an annual com
memoration of those heroes who laid the
foundations Of he republic lam. indeed
an atmos pherv where the love of freedom dies
not. and thu spirit cf liberty lives On forever.
II j. said that alto thanked ,hr gods t..at he
was born an me same age with Socr..tcs. laaf
Moutesguicu thanked the SuprrIns Being for
having been born the subject Of government
and among thoss that il pleased him hc should
serve and love. Let first. rcvcrcntly thank
our God that IL has pleased Him for to live
in free country. where may worship Him
unmolested according 10 the dictates Of our
own conscience where all equal be-
fore the law. and the right To enjoy life. liberty
and the pursuit of happiness is inalieanable.
Let praise Him for living a a time when the
mighty progress of industrial life. the miracu-
lous development of the arts and sciences. when
every achievement that springs from the brain
and Drawn of man. all manifcsting His good
ness wisdom. power and glory, hive crushed
doubling credulity and utterly destroyed all
limitations in confidence a. to what the race Of
man can do. We bless the fate that brought rs
to see the one century To it, sunset crowned
in a halo of ma tchless glory. and the br.a kin z
dawn of another with even far greater promise.
The national idea Of the Egyptians was. life.
of the Persians, light. of the Hebrews, purity.
of the Greeks. beauty. of the Romans. law; Of
the American Colonies and of the United States
all of these and super added. civil and re-
ligious liberty.
Ii e~am Tar have ht*.rl the forpor,i cd pnr
pose OF Jehovah in laying the foundations Of
this matches republic to breathe into its
plastic nostrils at James town and a Plymouth
Rock, the immortal spirit of civil and religious
liberty. 1t Is the soul of American civilization
il is unconquerable. everlasting element of our
social and political being. In great travail it
broke away from the despotisms of kings.
potentates and powers that sought to cruelty it
in the Old World. and came to the wilderness of
the Western hemisphere to plant the anew
50 strengthened by its heaven born impulses as
to conquer and christianize the earth. Fixing
itself unrcstrained in the consciences of men.
giving them the clearest sense of right and
justice the strongest vic tion of duty to both
God and man, imbuing them with the full
courage OF this deep feeling, with sanguine an
tcipation of attaining the highest degree Of
perfection in moral and social life. with bright
est hopes for realizing the promised blessings
OF the lie that - To come. il prepared them a
nothing else could for the mighty work set
before them.
The limitations Of the hour will not permit
me TO follow the history Of this wonderful
people. However. it must not be forgotten,
that before the Mayfower touched the western
shores Of the Atlantic her crew had formed a
plan OF government, the pervadins idea being
religious liberty, while their brethren in the
south had pledged themselves to the principles
Of civil liberty. that both agreed there should
be NO government except By the consent OF the