Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-07-02
TRIBUTE TO
The SICNERS.
By ADlAI E. STEVENSON


0 son, former vice president of
the United States, the follow
Ing vivid appreciation of tn" Signcrs
Of the Declaration of Independence is
taken:
Let us turn for a momrnt to the Con
tineutal congress assembled in Indie,
pcndcuCe hall in Philadelphia ON the
Fourth day of July. 1916. one act of
insult and oppression upon the part of
the crown toward the colonies had fol
lowed another in rapid succession un
til the time had come when the repre-
sentativcS of the colonies were to de
eide In favor of ahjcct submission to
tyranny or to resolve to be forever free
and independent. Upon the one side
were the ties of country and Il com
mon ancestry, upon the other rebellion
against the mother country and the
commencement of a struggle the end
of which no man could foretrll;
upon the one side unqualified Submis-
sion to the dogma of the divine
right of kings, upon the other WaI
with the greatest nation of the globe,
with independence as the prize of vic
tory and with defeat as surely the
forcrunner of infamy and death.
The men who signed this Declaration
were not unmindful of the grave re
sponsibilitics which they assumed 1t
was no rash act upon their part They
well knew that Great Britain would
never permit these colonies to be
wrcsted from her grasp without
struggle. They we'll knew England,
with her untold wealth, her powerful
army and navy that made her mis-
trcSS of the seas, was Il foe to be re
spccted even by the strongest govern
mcnt upon the earth To the impcr-
ishable honor of the SigncrS of this
Declaration be 1t said that they did not
hesitate when the dread issues of that
hour were to be decided
The gospel of universal liberty had
been proclaimed to the world, For
ages mankind had believed there was
"a divinity which doth hedge king"
The world was now startled from its
lethargy by the declaration that re
siStance to tyrantS is obedience to
God" The new gospel proclaimed by
the signcrs of the Declaration of In
dependence was in conflict with that
by which the world for generations
had been governed. Boldly and un-
eQuivocally it challenged the doctrine
of the divine right of kings. The
barons of England at the point of the
sword had wreStcd from an unwilling
Ia; e.,
ages had been the palladium of English
liberty Again and again during the
reign of the long line of the prcdeces-
sors of George Ill. some darling OF
prerogAtivc of kingly power had been
grudgingly conceded to an eXaSperat-
ed people But these were mere eff
forts to restrain within bounds, not to
destroy, the one man power.
Our Declaration of Independence sol
emnly announced as Il self evident
truth that all men are born equal 1t
proclaims as the cardinal feature of
the social compact, as the very con
nerstone of civil government, the alb
soute equality of all men. Govern,
mentS were declared to have been eS-
tablished among men for the benefit
of the governed. What Il glorious in
heritance is this Declaration. What
lofty craftsmanship is breathed in its
every utterance. Well did the great
commoner of England eXclaim, The
men who can SO write deserve to be
free"
Whence came the men who signed
this Declaration? In what school of
politics or philosophy did they learn
these great truths? Who taught them
the science of political government?
From what loyal line of laWgivers did
they spring? UnSkilled In the diplo-
macy and craft that control cabinets
and govern empires, they were the
people raised up by an all wise Provi-
dence to overcome the obstacles and
grapple with the dangers that threat
encd their liberties.
From the earliest struggles for the
freedom of mankind to the days or
Thomas jefferson the men who in the
halls of debate or on the field of bat
tie have been the eloquent advocates
of human rights or the bold defenders
of human liberty have sprung from
the ranks of the people.
Fellow citizens, the calm dignity
with which this Revolution was inau-
gurated, the ties of allegiance sunder-
ed, the solemn declaration made that
henceforth these colonies were to be
free and Independent states and the
solemn appeal Of the representatives
of the people to posterity for the
rectitude Of their Intentions Is one of
the grandest and most imposing events
in history. When In all time have any
other people inaugurated revolution
and confronted death with such fear
less dignity? No bravado or violence
marred the grandeur of this great act.
but calm recital of wrongs and op-
pressions Is followed by the decisive
step and the solemn appeal to the
Supreme Judge of the world
How striking the contrast with other
nations when in the throes of revolu-
ton! The history of the rebellion in
England which preceded the common
wealth IS marrcd by the violent dis
ruption of the parliament and the eX-
ccutiOn of Charles |. The oppression
and wrong of the French people at the
close of the eighteenth century cul-
minated In the scenes Of violence that
caused Paris TO run with blood, and
the mob that ruled the hour threw
doun at the foot of the throne the