The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05

lof 1nai CpnSluerdtlOn uuflnS my tpsenccs should have felt constrained to deny
 myself the privilege and the pleasure of this delightful viait to Albertville and Marshall county. When Congress Is in
 session. except fin rare instances, a con sressman's chief duty is in Washington Declaration of Independence In speaking of the adoption of the reso- luton known as the Declaration of Inde- pendenee, pr. Abercrombie stated that the action of the Colonial Congress had inaugurated a new era of freedom. "One hundred and thirty-eight years ago today" he said, the human race en- tered upon a new era of freedom-a new era of political and religious freedom. On that eventful day the Declaration Of American Independence was uttered to the world.
 Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration, and John Adams. another leader of the Colonial Congress, predicted
 that the adoption of the resolution would be celebrated evermore by true Americans everywhere. That prediction was well founded and on the approach of another anniversary of that event we have assem- bled to join our spirits with the spirits of the other thousands who at this hour commemorate the birth of the republic, and to make anew pledges of devotion to the cause of human liberty.
 "Wherever loyal Americans may be to- l day. whether at home or abroad, whether on iand or sea, expressions of gratitude will ascend to God for the gift to man. kind of the land of the free and the
 home of the brave
 | Tt would be both interesting and in- structive," continued the speaker ''to re- view the causes which led to the adoption i of the Declaration of Independence. It
 would be equally instructive and interest I ing to recount the experiences of those | who took part in the long and bloody war that followed, of which George Washing l ton, our national father, was the central | figure
 l 'I prefer, with your permission, to I speak of the obligations that citizenship which was rendered possible by the in- l telligence, patriotism and courage or the revolutionary fathers
 In discussing the problems of govern ment and the obligations of citizenship, Dr. Abercrombie spoke in part as fol- 1 lows:
 "Friends and Fellow Citizens: Good government is founded upon the princi- ples of human duty, and no government | can be administered successfully unless there is harmony between the character of it's institutions and the ethical stand 1 ards of its citizens. As government vary l in plan and growth, so will institutions | and standards of duty.
 1 Successful monarchy Is possible under
 standards quite different from those
 which are essential for efficient democ- 1 racy. Civilization and barbarism have l few ideals in common.
 Relations, Duties and Standards
 AS citiZSns our relations, duties and | standards are peculiar to our form of government and to the age in which we live. What are those relations, duties
 and standards? Do we as a people ap-
 preciate those relations, realize those | 6ttfi 1tUa fA -4,, lo~ l The home, the source and nursery
 of every civic and social virtue, grows out of the marriage relation, and the
 first and most lasting of obligations originate there. The relations of pa
 rent to child, of child to parent, of child
 to child. of parent to parent, are natu-
 ral relations, and from them spring
 cannot be disregarded without a pollu- l tion of the wellsprings of life. 1 "The relations of everyday life are grave and numerous, and are ever in- creasing in magnitude and numbers. Among them may be mentioned those which exist between rich and poor, em- ployer and employe, young and old,
 neighbor and neighbor.-all of which
 relations are reciprocal and impose du- l ties at once weighty and difficult Of performance.
 These are some of the relations per | taining to civic life. Are we as indi- | yiduals and as a people meeting the ob- ligations which they impose-meeting them honestly fearlessly, effectively As we find them reflected in public and private life, are our ideals and prac tices based upon high ethical princi- p1es? These are questions that every patriotic citizen should endeavor to an-
 swer today
 Training for Citizenship
 "Only the properly trained citizen can answer these questions and per form these duties; hence training for citizenship is a matter of paramount importance. It is not enough that the youths of the land be trained for SO
 clal religious, business, industrial and
 professional life; they should also be adequately equipped for intelligent, pa-
 triotic and independent service in the
 realm of civic duty. The obligations
 of citizenship should be so thoroughly impressed that all will consider them as sacred-as obligations that cannot be delegated or disregarded-as obli- 1 gations that should be met honestly and lcourageously, not only for our own well being, but also for the good of posterity and the world.
 Our inheritance from the past is l great, and great are the responsibili. 1 ties that accompany 1t. Each age be-
 queathes to its successor increased ob- legations along With an advanced c1vf =
 lization. Great privileges-Iarge re-
 sponsibilities, dear rights-grave duties;
 high civilization, weighty problems, this is the order in which they come. Transition Period
 "The republic is no longer in swad-
 Cling clothes. The period of infancy has passed, and we are well advanced | In the second century of our national l existence. Old things are passing g away. Old theories. old practices, old
 conceptions of personal rights and con stitutional liberties, old ideals, all are drifting far out upon the seat of un- fixedness The beaten paths have been | forsaken and we are earnestly engaged in a strenuous endeavor to discover
 some guiding hand that will lead us out into the clear light of open day.
 'In this transition period, in this
 excitement of new conditions, in this breaking away from long established
 customs, the observant citizen is con- strained to ask, who will solve the problems that press upon us? Upon
 whom shall we rely for a proper guid 70 ha fp oF ufo fo xxrf1