The Democratic advocate., 1907-07-05
The Meaning Of the Fourth of July.

tranSplred In human nlstOTy. VII thaI uay'
in the city of Philadelphia, the assembled
delegates of the respective American colo
nies solemnly resolved to sever their ale
glance from the British Crown and to be-
come anindependent, self governing people.
They had suffered great and grlevous
wrongs and had protested and petitioned
over and over again for redress. There
being no favorable response to the numerous
appeals, high spirited people, such as the
American colonists were, would endure no
longer. And so with great unanimity they
issued the immortal Declaration of indie
pendence, setting forth clearl y and strongly
their grievances and complaints, declaring
in the most solemn and emphatic manner
that they would bear them no longer, and
appealing to the nations of the earth to
witness the justice of their cause, and to
God to support them in the course they
had chosen, they threw down the gauntlet
to King George, and declared themselves
a free and Independent people.
1t took courageous men to assume such
a position, involving such tremendous per-
sonal responsibilities. But our fathers were
imbued with the true spirit of liberty, and
appeared upon the stage Of action at time
in the worlds history that tended to de-
velop the best manhood the world has ever
seen.
1t is not the purpose of this article to 60
through the period Of the Revolution and
the subsequent marvellous history of the
country, but to briefly inquire whether we
are today adhering to the fundamental
principles which underlie the great Decla-
ration Of Independence.
What are some of these principles :?
Two are especially prominent, and are in
deed the basal doctrines of the great charter
of American liberty. One is, ''that all
men are created equal; that they are en-
dowed by their Creator with certain in
alienable rights; that among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness. y
This we understand to mean that the life
of every man is sacred before the law, and
that his liberty is equally guarded, and
neither can be taken except by due process
Of law. And that this applies to the hum
blest as well as to the most exalted citizen.
The inequalities among men as we see
them are determined by many causes; !;
causes which in many instances may be
traced to men themselves. For example,
one man is industrious and another is in
dolent; one is economical and saving, and
another is extravagent and wasteful And
80 such inequalities are constantly occur
ring, and in the nature of the case must
ever occur.
But when the government of the United
States, which is supposed to throw its pro-
tecting shield alike over all, legislates in
the interests of certain class or of certain
individuals, to the detriment of the great
masses of the people, then one of the fun
damental principles of our Declaration of
Independence is violated and set at naught
and the equal chance is destroyed
But the principle in our great Charter
of Liberty, that is perhaps most important
and that is the chief cornerstone of our
political structure, is that which declares
that governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed" There
you have the germ that has blossomed out
into our beautiful form of self government.
Now let us lay down this rule beside some
things that have, of late, been done by the
American government, and see how the
tally with this fundamental doctrine of oul
country. Since the war with Spain anc
and the acquisition of the PHILIPPINE Is
lands, We hear great deal of talk abou
this country being world of power. How
are we governing these Islands today
First, how did we get them? We answer
by conquest and by purchase. After VT
had whipped feeble, decrepid old Spain
one of weaklings among nations, and drove
them out of Cuba for denying the Cuban
the right of self government, we ther
turned in and bought from them the Phil
lpine Islands, including every man, woman
and child, for the sum of $50, OO00, 900
From that day to this, our government
has been violating this sacred doctrine Of
our fundamental law, in holding these peo
pie by force, and using the United States
Army te keep them in subjection. What
becomes of our boasted doctrine of the
"consent of the governed. 1t is not
necessary to refer to the millions that the
scheme is costing our country every year,
for that part of it does not concern this
discussion. But some one may say, that
it is better for those people to be governed
by us, that it will be better for them in
the end That goes upon the doctrine that
"the end justifes the means. This is
the precise doctrine upon which every
bloody tyrant who has ever put his heel
upon the necks of his people has sought