Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-07-14

the making of the laws that governed
them. Unjust taxes were imposed and
collected for the use and behoof Of Eng
land. The colonists declared that tax
alton without representation is oppres'
sion. If, against their consent, part Of
their property could be thus taken,
then, on the same theory and pretense,
more. or even all, might be so taken
q sort Of slavery.
Against this oppression the colonists,
after long, patient suffering, rebelled
With force and arms, and brought on
the revolution, and ut the same time
proclaimed their independence, giving
their reasons for so doing in that grand,
inspiring document of human rights
The Declaration of Independence. They
refused to compromise an eternal truth.
They were willing to spend millions
for defense, but not one cent for trib-
ute."
They startled the tyrants of the
earth from their long sleep Of security
by the proclamation of q principle never
before successfully asserted that liz
erty and equality were the birthright
of all men, and linked inseparably to
their nature. Upon this principle they
stood through eight years of bloody
war against one of the most powerful
nations on earth. Without an army,
without q navy, without an exchequer,
they stood and withstood all the pow
ers of England; for truth will always
stand, and right triumph over wrong,
while justice rules supreme.
The Declaration of independence pro-
claims great self-evident truths and
eternal principles regarding the rights
of man. 1t declares that "All men are
created equal, and are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights,
among which are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness; and that t. Sc
cure these rights governments are in
among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov
1t also declared that the colonies
were, and of right ought to be, free
and independent states; that all politi-
cal connection between them and Eng
land was totally dissolved, and that
they then and there assumed and at
tanned among the powers of the earth
an equal station, and as such could do
all acts and things which independent
states may of right do.
This very act, consummated on the
18th of July, 1776, was the birth of our
nation; and every year since that event
the American people have celebrated
the birthday, and no celebration is COM
plete without reading and proclaiming
to the world the great eternal truths
and principles of free government con-
tained in that document.
After eight long years of awful suf-
fering and sacrifice, the brave and lib
colonists forced the great
md mighty army Of Engladd to sarreE-
Ter, and thereby they gained their lib
erty and independence.
They then proceeded to frame gov
of their own, free and indie
pendent, founded on the eternal princi-
pies proclaimed in the Declaration of
equality of rights for all
men, and that they be governed by
heir own consent. In forming such
government, the people of the colonies
adopted articles of incorporation, CIV
ing the new government a name, stat
ing its purposes, enumerating its pow
ers and defining its duties; also Great
ing three distinct departments to ad-
minister the business affairs of the
government: one called the congress or
for the purpose of making
avs; one called the presidency or ex-
ecutive, for the purpose of enforcing
he laws; and one the court or judicial,
for the purpose of constituting the laws.
These articles of incorporation are the
of our country-the organ
c and supreme law of the land.
This constitution is the great war
rant of authority from the people to
the president, and to the congress, and
to the court, to act in their respective
spheres and within certain restrictions.
These constitutional restrictions are
placed upon these departments of gov
eminent for the express purpose of
protecting the people in their rights
and liberties from arbitrary acts of
persons who may be in charge of the
A government without constitution
is unsafe; it is like a man without q
there being no restraint on
the acts of either.