The Elbert County tribune., 1909-07-01

jured but as ambitious subjects.
Il shudder before this responsibility. IL
will be on us II. relinquishing the ground
on which we have stood 80 long, and stood
SO safely, we now proclaim independence
and carry war for that object, while
these cities burn, these pleasant hsids
whiten and bleach with the bones Of their
owners and these streams run blood. IL
VIII be upon us; It will be upon US H. failing
to maintain this unreasonable and ill-1udged
declaration. sterner despotism, maintained
by military power, shall be established over
our posterity. when we ourselves. given up by
exhausted. harassed and msled people.
shall have expiated rashness and atoned
for our presumption on the scaffold."
1t is fairly well established fact that ono
of the delegates. lacking prepared speech of
his own, quoted from Tom Paine's pamphlet,
Common Sense" which some months before
had created a sensation. Tom Paine. ~ II
well known, was atheist, but that made
little difference to the delegate. who was said
to be pious Puritan, when he had q chance
to let his feelings go ripping through sentences
like these: 1T matters very little now what
the king of England either says or does; he
hath wickedly broken through every moral and
human obligation. trampled nature and con-
science beneath his feet, and by steady and
constitutional spirit of insolence and cruelty
procured for himself a universal hatred.
1t has been reported that John Witherspoon
of Princeton, stanch orthodox Presbyterian.
was the man who quoted thus literally from
Tom Paine, atheist. Some years afterward the
Scotch dominic, 1t is said. was taken to task
for quoting Paine, and reverend John said II
tradition may be believed. that the devils
pitchfork was none too bad a weapon to use
in prodding John Bull out of the country.
1t was left. however. for John Adams to
make the great speech that brought to the
side Of those favoring independence all the
wavering ones, and strengthened in their POSI-
ton those who stood for the signing Of the
declaration. What Adams said was given IN
substance to the world when there was No
longer any danger of his being hanged for his
utterances. Daniel Webster lent his own elo-
quence and something of his diction to his In
depreciation of Adams' discourse, which, on
the eventfn day, 1t may be truly said won
for the country the declaration of indepen-
dence.
Adams powerful and electrifying speech
was in part as follows: ut is true. indeed,
that in the beginning we aimed not at inde-
pendence. But there's divinity which shapes
our ends. The injustice of England has driven
us to arms and. blinded to her own interest
for our good. she has obstinately persisted till
independence Is now within our grasp. We
have but to reach forth to 1t and 1t is ours.
Why. then. should we defer the declaration? :?
Is any man SO weak now to hope for
Iecohchaton WIN EnBianu, Wnicn snail leave
either safety to the country and its liberties or
safety to his own life and his own honor?
Il know there is not man here who would
not rather see a general confsgration sweep
over the land or an earthquake sink It than
one Jot or little OF that plighted faith fall to
the ground. For myself, having IL months
ago In this place moved you that George
Washington be appointed commander of the
forces raised or to be raised for defense OF
American liberty, may my right hand forget
her cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof
of my mouth II hesitate or waver In the
support gi.e him.
My judgment approves this measure and
my whole heart is in 1t. All that have and
all that am. and all that hope in this life
l am now ready here to stake upon It, :
am for the declaration. I. Is M uvinr SEN
timent, and, by the grace Of GOD, = shan Be
my dying sentiment. independence now ana
forever"
The I'd of July is IN reality Independence
day, for on this date In the year 177e 4 ma
1ority of the delegates from each colony voted
for the declaration. Two days later the docu-
ment was signed and went into effect. and
from that day to this. In fulhllmsnt OF John
Adams prophecy. the day has been celebrated
with pomp. parade. games, sports. guns. BELLS.
droo and