Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-07-03
INFLUENCE OF
THE DECLARATION.

While we celebrate on the 4th of
each July the adoption OF the Declara-
ton Of Independence, we perhaps do
not reflect on the stupendous influence
Of that document on the world as a
whole. 1t Is safe to say that no po
litical paper in all history las had So
universal or radical an effect. Not only
did its PRONUNCIATION mark the begin
ming of the life Of our own nation and
not only was Ii the mother of the
emancipation proClamatiOn but its ad
vent started the wave of democracy
and liberty now seen in every nation
on the earth. Surely Americans have
a right to be proud of document that
has literally lnaugurated a new era of
humanity.
Although 1t would hardly be within
the truth to say that the Declaration
of Independence had wrought all the
marvellous political changes that have
swept the world since July 4, 1IIG, il
would be entirely within the truth to
state that 1t has been the greatest sin
gle influence and therefore has the
all the forces that have wrought these
changes And what a transformation
II has been! Then liberty was no
where Now 1t Is everywhere. Then
England had sunk to well nigh her
lowest stage of deSpotism. France was
misgoverned and hopeless. Germany
was q conglomeratiOn of inchoate
I in nj
bondage. Russia had scarcely emerged
from sembarbarism, all of Asia was
as she had been for thousands Of years.
Africa and Australia were unknown,
and both North and South America
were covered with fringes of colonies
and vast savage interiors To-day ev'
cry land beneath the sun has been
touched by the new life, the new
aspiration, the new freedom.
France was the first to respond to
the call and with her own revolution
drove the democratic wedge fashioned
in America far into the heart of Eu-
rope. England. the very nation against
which the American Revolution had
been waged. was the next to be moved
/
her two defeats by this country shock
ing her into sanity and her own think
ers forcing her to adopt reform bills,
to take up liberal colonial policy and
to bring about a real revolution, al
though a peaceable one, Germany,
too heard the call, is yet hearing it and
IS moving to meet It. Italy shook off
the thraldom of centuries, united her
states and joined the ranks of the
progressive nations One after another
the states of Europe either became re-
publicS or constitutional mOnarChies.
Even Russia could not escape the uni
versal wave Of democracy. Last OF
all Turkey faces toward the sunrise
and steps into the ranks of freedom.
Poor Spain has tried several times to
adopt repubicanism but the reaction
ary forces have been too strong and
have held her till all Of her colonies
and most of her ancient glory have
been swept away.
Following the example of the United
States, all the Americas threw off the
foreign yoke and became republics,
Japan felt the new impulse, which IS
now also awakening China and India.
South Africa experienced 1t, as she
showed In her stubborn fight for free
dom And Australasia, touched by 1t,
has the most enlightened and progress
I've governments In the world. Truly
the Declaration of Independence has
done its work. and the story Is only
half told 1t will not be completed
until there is world republic and lib
erty comes to dwell among men for
ever. A. G. SQUIERS.