Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-07-05
INFLUENCE OF
THE DECLARATION.

While we celebrate on the 4th of
each July the adoption of the Declare
| ton of Independence. we perhaps do
| not reflect on the stupendous influence
of that document Oh the world as
whole. 1t Is safe TO say that no pO-
| litical paper in all history las had so
| universal or radical All effect. Not only
| did its PRONUNCIATION mark the begin
ming of the life OF our own nation and
| not only was il the mother of the
emancipation proclamation. but its add
vent started the wave of democracy
and liberty now seen in every uatiOn
| on the earth. Surely Americans lave
| 4 right to be proud of Il document that
has literally inaugurated IL new era of
| humanity.
Although it would hardly be within
| the truth 10 say that the Declaration
of Independence had wrought all the
marvellous political changes that have
swept the world since July 4, lIIG. it
would be entirely within the truth to
state that ii has been the greatest sin
! gle influence and therefore has the
| right to be considered the symbol of
| all the forces that have wrought these
| changes. And what transformation
| il has been, Then liberty was no
where. Now it is everywhere. Then
| Engla I'd bad sunk 10 well nigh her
| lowest stage of despotism. France was
misgoverned and hopeless. Germany
| was a conglomeration of inchoate
| states. the Latin nations We're in feudal
| bondage. Russia had scarcely emerged
| from semibarbarism 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. Today 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. ,nSiand. the very nation against
| which the American Revolution had
been waged. was the next to be moved
toward liberty by the new example.
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 q peaceable one. Germany.
too. heard the call Is yet hearing it n nd
Is moving to meet It. Italy shook off
the thraldom of centuries. united her
states and Joined tue 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 republicanism, 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 It.
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 a world republic and lib
crty comes to dwell among men for
ever. A. G. SQUIERS.
| warea Than Ganr1~