The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-07-02

jured but as ambitious, subjects. =.
81 shudder before this responsibility. l,
will be on us if, relinquishing the groulu
on which we have stood so long, ana sloou
so safely, we now proclaim independent
and carry on war for that OBJECT Wnie
J these cities burn, these pleasant neius
whiten and bleach with the bones OF 'hel.
owners and these streams run ploou.
will be upon us; it will be upon us If, failing
TO maintain this unreasonable and lll-ludgeu
declaration a sterner despotsm, maintained
nv military power shall be established over
our posterity, when we ourselves, given up by
an exhausted harassed and misled people,
shall have expiated our rashness anu atoneu
for our presumption on the scanold
It is a fairly well established fact that one
of the delegates lacking a prepared speech vi
his own, quoted from Tom Panes pampnle'
Common Sense" which some months Deioie
had created a sensation. rom Palne' do 10
we'll known. was an atheist, but that maze
little difference to the delegate, who was salu
to be a pious Puritan, when he had chance
to let his feelings go ripping through sentences
like these: at matters very little now what
the king of England either says or does; ne
hath wickedy broken through every moran anu
human obligation, trampled nature anu COIL
science beneath his feet, and by a steady anu
constitutional spirit of insolence and cruelty
procured for himself universal hatred.
1t has been reported that John Wltherspooh
of Princeton, stanch orthodox PresDyteriah'
was the man who quoted thus literally from
Tom Paine, atheist Some years afterward tne
Scotch dominic it is said, was taken to task
for ouoting Paine and reverend John said, II
tradition may be believed, that the devlls
pitchfork was none too bad weapon to use
in prodding John Bull out of the country
II was left, however, for John Adams to
make the great speech that brought TO tne
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 Is
substance to the world when there was ne
longer any danger of his being hanged for his
utterances Daniel Webster lent his own elo-
ouence and something of his diction to his in
depreciation of Adams discourse, which, on
the eventful day, it may be truly said won
for the country the declaration Of indepen-
dence.
Adams powerful and eectrifying 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 obstinatey persisted till
independence is now within grasp. We
have but to reach forth to it and it Is ours.
Why, then, should we defer the declaration?
Is any man so weak as now to hope for
reconciliation with England, which shall leave
either safety to the country and its liberties or
safety to his own life and his own honor?
81 know there is not man here who would
not rather see a general conhagration sweep
over the land or an earthquake sink 1t than
one jot or title 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 If hesitate or waver In the
support l q ;e him.
my judgment approves this measure and
my whole heart is in it. All that have and
all that l am, and all that hope in this life,
l am now ready here to stake upon 1t.
/ am for the declaration. I: is my living sen.
timent, and. by the grace of Goo. !, shall be
my dying sentiment Independence now and
independence forever"
The I'd of July is IN reality independence
day. for on this date in the year 1916 ma
jority 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 fulillmeht of John
Adams prophecy, the day has been celebrated
with pomp. parade games. sports. guns. BELLS
bonfires, and illumination from one end of the
continent to the other"